Screen cap from exquisite French costume drama ‘Farewell My Queen’
by Sam Juliano
This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,—
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.
-Shakespeare’s Richard II
The closing ceremonies put the official lid on the 2012 London Olympics and for US and UK rooters it was a glorious affair. Team US emerged from a back and forth medal count battle with China to vault ahead by a wide margin in the end statistics, fueled largely by resounding success in the team sports, swimming and track and field. The Brits on the other hand, assisted in no small measure by a home crowd, enjoyed their finest overall performance in decades, dominating cycling and rowing, and making inroads into other events. Collecting nearly 30 golds to finish in third place, one can say that the 2012 games were an unqualified triumph for the home team. I spent the last several days closely monitoring the USA’s spectacular performance to finish on the top of the medal chart, and will always look back to the incomparable individual work of heroes Michael Phlelps, Missy Franklin and Gabby Douglas.
The comedy countdown has attracted some remarkable attention by way of insightful comments at each and every post during the first week. The project got off to a thunderous start with essay by Tony d’Ambra and J. D. LaFrance on Miracle on Morgan’s Creek and Slap Shot respectively. It continues today with another fantastic piece by veteran Dean Treadway. The entire family will be away on a driving trip spanning five days to Chicago and Cleveland (and the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame at the latter) from Sunday evening August 19th till Thursday the 23rd. I will do my best to keep track of the comedy countdown activities, and will be relying on Allan for some word press assistance.
Dee Dee reports that the John Garfield petition continue to attract worldwide attention by way of signatures and glowing comments, and that the project will continue well into the future. Please check for her periodic updates.
The Universal Festival at the Film Forum has concluded, and Lucille, Sammy and I attended three more films of that venue, in addition to three new releases.
We saw:
Easy Money **** (Saturday night) Film Forum
Meet the Fokkens *** 1/2 (Saturday night) Film Forum
Farewell, My Queen **** (Friday night) Montclair Claridge
Lonesome (1928) ***** (Tuesday evening) Universal at Film Forum
Cobra Woman (1944) *** 1/2 (Wednesday evening) Universal at Film Forum
The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945) *** 1/2 (Wed.) Universal at Film Forum
Paul Fejos’ bustling phantasmogoric LONESOME, due to release on blu-ray by Criterion in October takes it’s place among the greatest films of all-time; It’s emotionally resonant and boasts incredibly audacious filmmaking for it’s time. Robert Siodmak’s COBRA WOMAN is trashy, devilish fun in glorious Technicolor; the same director’s period noir THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF UNCLE HARRY features some murderous intrigue and excellent performances from George Sanders and Geraldine Fitzgerald; the French costume drama FAREWELL MY QUEEN by Benoit Jacquox showcases lavish sets and costumes and the court debauchery and intrigue during the reign of Marie Antoinette pre-French Revolution. Both Ms. Kruger and Ms. Seydoux are exceptional. The Swedish EASY MONEY by Daniel Espinosa is a dark crime film full of deception and double-crosses, and some penetrating sub-threads of domestic crisis. It does go over the top with the hand-held camera, but it rivets and dazzles in a very big way.
Judy Geater’s showcases a fantastic review of the Gene Kelly-Judy Garland wartime starrer “For Me and My Gal” from 1942 at Movie Classics: http://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2012/08/07/for-me-and-my-gal-busby-berkeley-1942/
It’s celebration time at Speaking From The Heart as Laurie Buchanan’s new book is nearing publication: http://holessence.wordpress.com/2012/08/07/discovering-the-seven-selves/
At FilmsNoir.net Tony d’Ambra has penned a fabulous review of Robert Siodmak’s under-appreciated 1944 “Christmas Holiday” recently showed at the Film Forum: http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/christmas-holiday-1944-never-mind-the-melodrama.html
Jon Warner has again written an extraordinary review, this time on Terrence Davies’ ravishing “The Deep Blue Sea” with Rachel Weisz at Films Worth Watching: http://filmsworthwatching.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-deep-blue-sea-2011-directed-by.html
John Greco has written a terrific piece on the little-seen Clarence Brown feature from 1936 “Wife versus Secretary” at Twenty Four Frames: http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/2012/08/10/wife-versus-secretary-1936-clarence-brown/
R.D. Finch has once again offered moviegoers a cogent analysis of a little-seen minor gem at The Movie Projector. This week it’s Akexander Korda’s 1945 “Vacation From Marriage” with Robert Donat and Deborah Kerr: http://themovieprojector.blogspot.com/2012/08/vacation-from-marriage-1945.html
Samuel Wilson has penned a fascinating piece on the Phillipino film “Insiang”, a past competitor at the Cannes Film Festival: http://mondo70.blogspot.com/2012/08/insiang-1976.html
David Schleicher has posted a splendid new piece at The Schleicher Spin, one that offers telling comparisonson between Andrey Zvyaginstev’s “Elena” and William Friedkin’s “Killer Joe”: http://theschleicherspin.com/2012/08/10/white-trash-melodrama-in-elena-and-killer-joe/
At Exodus 8:2 Jaimie Grijalba continues with his “100 Days of Terror” with recent reviews of the 1934 “The Black Cat,” another Poe Corman, and a film by the great Japanese experimental director Sion Sono, the last of which is featured here: http://exodus8-2.blogspot.com/2012/08/100-dias-de-terror-n20-tsumetai.html
At the Creativepotager’s blogsite “The Artist Studio Floor Show” again brings the beauty of Terrill Welch’s paintings in glorious focus: http://creativepotager.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/3890/
Roderick Heath has written another one of his remarkable massive pieces on “The Dark Night Rises” at Ferdy-on-Films: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/2012/the-dark-knight-rises-2012/15505/
At Darkness Into Light Dee Dee is featuring the work of the esteemed writer Andrew Katsis, who takes a penetrating look at the 1940 Hawks screwball classic “This Girl Friday”: http://noirishcity.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-word-according-to-my-writer-andrew.html#.UB8tyU2PXW4
In Tokyo, the exceedingly talented ‘Murderous Ink’ turns his scrutinizing focus on a rarely-seen Japanese classic “Beni Imada Kiezu” at Vermillion and One Nights: http://themovieprojector.blogspot.com/2012/08/vacation-from-marriage-1945.html
Master of the capsule Shubhajit Lahiri again works his magic at Cinemascope with a superlative piece on the great Polish director Andrzej Wajda’s “A Generation” at Cinemascope: http://cliched-monologues.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-generation-1955.html
Brandie Ashe happily announces a “Singin in the Rain” giveaway at True Classics: http://trueclassics.net/2012/08/10/singin-again-plus-a-giveaway/
Joel Bocko has a lovely presentation up at The Dancing Image entitled ‘Art on the March…a visual mixtape”: http://thedancingimage.blogspot.com/2012/07/arton-march-visual-mixtape.html
Craig Kennedy features the actress Jane Wyatt in his ‘birthday series’ at Living in Cinema in her beloved role as Spock’s mother Amanda in “The Long Voyage Home”: http://livingincinema.com/2012/08/12/star-trek-iv-the-voyage-home-1986-jane-wyatts-100th-birthday/
Food for thought on the nature of friendship by Mark Twain leads up at the always creative Coffee Messiah’s blog: http://coffeemessiah.blogspot.com/2012/08/click-to-enlarge-keep-away-from-those.html
Ed Howard has penned a fantastic piece on Jean Rollins’s “Requiem For A Vampire” at Only The Cinema: http://seul-le-cinema.blogspot.com/2012/08/requiem-for-vampire.html
Terrill Welch talks about the significance of blog writing and reading at the Creativepotager’s blog, where she again features another magnificent painting she completed: http://creativepotager.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/does-anyone-read-blogs-and-does-it-matter-that-you-write/
Sachin Gandhi offers up a terrific review of James Sallis’s “Driven” (the sequel to “Drive”) at Scribbles and Ramblings: http://likhna.blogspot.com/2012/08/driven.html
Just Another Film Buff offers up a lovely “remembrance” via his work of recently deceased famed filmmaker Chris Marker at The Seventh Art: http://theseventhart.info/2012/08/12/remembrance-of-things-to-come/
Roderick Heath has posted a terrific new review on “Chronicle” at This Island Rod: http://thisislandrod.blogspot.com/2012/07/chronicle-2012.html
At Patricia’s Wisdom, our very good friend has penned a superb book review on “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye”: http://patriciaswisdom.com/2012/07/the-unlikely-pilgrimage-of-harold-fry-rachel-joyce/
J. D. LaFrance offers an expanded version of his superlative comedy countdown “Slap Shot” review at Radiator Heaven: http://rheaven.blogspot.com/2012/08/slap-shot.html
The esteemed Film Doctor takes a scholarly look at the new “Total Recall” movie: http://filmdr.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-fall-enslaves-us-all-film-doctors.html
Adam Zanzie has posted a terrific “alternative Sight and Sound list at Icebox Movies: http://www.iceboxmovies.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-alternative-sight-sound-list.html
Jason Marshall has continued his superb coverage of 1942 at Movies Over Matter with a wonderful post on his Best Actor choice for that year: Chishu Ryu: http://moviesovermatter.com/2012/08/09/chishu-ryu-in-there-was-a-father-best-actor-of-1942/
Peter Lenihan has posted an arresting screen cap display of Murnau’s “Phantom” at The Long Voyage Home: http://thelongvoyagehome.blogspot.com/
At Doodad Kind of Town Pat Perry’s splendid contribution to the For the Love of Film Preservation blogothon is on Hitch’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”: http://doodadkindoftown.blogspot.com/2012/05/hitch-does-rom-com-for-love-of-film.html
At The Blue Vial Drew McIntosh leads up with “off the Wall” which brings “Silver Load” and the great John Alton into focus: http://thebluevial.blogspot.com/2012/06/off-wall.html
At The Last Lullaby, the ever delightful filmmaker Jeffrey Goodman takes a look at part sixteen of his long running quartet series: http://cahierspositif.blogspot.com/2012/04/favorite-four-part-sixteen.html
Stephen Russell-Gebbett at Checking on my Sausages again offers up a briiliantly creative feature, using the upcoming Olympics to survey films revolving around a number of sports covered in the games: http://checkingonmysausages.blogspot.com/2012/07/film-olympics-archery-to-judo.html
Tony Dayoub takes a look at the summer’s Barnes and Noble 50% off sale for Criterion collectots at Cinema Viewfinder: http://www.cinemaviewfinder.com/2012/07/criterion-summer.html
Greg Ferrara at Cinema Styles talks about the Colorado shootings in a moving feature: http://cinemastyles.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-dark-knight-shooting-in-colorado.html
Jeopardy Girl talks about social changes of movie watching in her latest posting at The Continuing Saga of Jeopardy Girl: http://jeopardygirl.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/social/
Hokahey takes a fascinating look at both “Total Recall” films at Little Worlds: http://hokahey-littleworlds.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-two-worlds-of-total-recall_5.html
Dave Van Poppel has a tremendous batch of short reviews up at Visions of Non Fiction on the Toronto Film Festival: http://visionsofnonfiction.blogspot.com
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Wonders in the Dark 
I hope you have a wonderful vacation ahead – say hello to Cleveland for me..I graduated from Rocky River HS before the Hall of Fame for R & R was there. I hope the weather cools down a bit for your adventure.
Thank you for sharing my book review – I am doing another one this week about a true story of a walk on the Pacific Crest Trail.
I have been doing a great deal of reading, but not much else as I am determined to heal from my July surgery and I think I turned the corner this week – can actually sit at the computer for a whole hour – maybe I am strengthening my core muscles not being able to lean back.
Summer arrived with a blast the last two days…we finally are in the 80s and I am happy to say that with no drought here we are proudly feeding the nation – yep all that rainy cool early summer has made the harvest our bounty this year.
I do not have TV so did not watch the Olympics, though one of my children’s friends did come in 4th in the men’s double crew for Australia…that was exciting to see on You Tube.
Meryl Streep has a new movie out – I can feel another movie review coming up!
Happy Summer to you and yours.
Patricia—
Wow, didn’t know your roots are in Cleveland! I guess the R & R isn’t there so long, but to be honest this short trip to the two cities will represent a first for me in both instances, and I’m no spring chicken anymore. According to Lucille, she reports that she heard that for the days we are in Chicago the temperatures will drop into the 50s at night and will go no higher that the low 70s during the day. Good for every plan we have, though the kids will be using the outdoor pool at the place we are staying at. I am most impressed that you are going with another book review this week, and I’ll be happy to head over to PATRICIA’S WISDOM to check it out! Great new about you turning the corner after the surgery. Best Wishes for continued recovery my friend! The good side of the rainy and cool weather is definitely that bounty you attest to! I can imagine the excellent veggies you have lined up for the coming month! Nice. That’s amazing new about your son’s friend placing in the Australia double crew in the Olympics!! Wow!!! Yes, Streep’s new film is called HOPE SPRINGS, and Lucille has voiced a strong desire to see it as well. Thanks as always Patricia! Have a great week!
I saw Hope Springs — and it’s good. Definitely not It’s Complicated 2. It has more substance.
Ah Pierre, thanks for the positive alert on the film. We may be able to negotiate a showing over the next few days, or when we get back from our short trip. We early went to see it last night, but could not disappoint the kids with the Schwartzenegger TOTAL RECALL, which in DCP restoration wan’t bad at all as far as those kind of films go. But nice to know that HOPE SPRINGS lives up to it’s title at least to some degree! Thank you my friend.
When you see it, Sam, don’t expect great cinema. It’s simply a good script, very well acted, about a subject not usually addressed: physical and emotional intimacy involving older couples, in this case two very ordinary people. An added bonus is the character played by Steve Carrell, very much unlike what he usually does. What struck me most about the film were 1) the degree to which both Streep and Jones opened up to play their roles and 2) the degree of explicitness in depicting sexual situations.
Thanks for the mention Sam. I am glad to see your positive rating for FAREWELL MY QUEEN which had me curious. I have not heard about EASY MONEY but will keep my eye out for it. I tried to keep tabs on the Olympics but didn’t watch as much as I would have liked to. Although I am glad I saw the Canada-USA soccer game which was probably one of the most enjoyable games I have seen in a long while, except the final 10 seconds & end result 🙂 the track races lived up to the hype but then again with Bolt, you expect nothing less. Sadly, the Canadian 4×100 men’s relay team suffered a heartbreaking result by putting one foot wrong. And I am still shocked at Mexico’s upset of the Brazilian men’s soccer team. Overall, some historic and memorable moments at these games.
Sachin—
I was afraid that FAREWELL MY QUEEN might turn out to be a turgid costume drama, but the film slowly enveloped Lucille and I. Of it’s type it’s exceedingly well done. I’m fairly certain the visceral EASY MONEY will click with you. I also would have liked to watch more Olympic action, but I picked up the pace over the final week. I like what you say there about the “end result” of that soccer game!! LOL!!! The Mexican win was a big surprise for sure, but that was a heartbreaking loss by the Canadian men’s relay team. These games will be talked about for a long time with all the record making turns. Thanks as always my friend! Have a great week!
Sam,
Thanks again for the shout out! The U.S. was outstanding in the Olympics especially the female athletes who led the charge. There were some great moments from many countries. Congrats to them all! I also thought Great Britain did a great job with the presentation; everything went off with no problems. Hope you and your family have a great vacation!
On the film front…
Ulzana’s Raid (****) – Early 1970’s western from Robert Aldrich. Like “Little Big Man” and “Solider Blue,” from the same period, this is a western more about the Vietnam war than about the west. Burt Lancaster is a dusty grizzled scout working with a green horn Calvary Lt. (Bruce Davison) on patrol in search of a group of Apaches who have left the reservation. The film reflects on how cultural differences and ignorance between the opposite sides led to more and more violence. A grim, unsentimental work with a fine subdued performance by Lancaster.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (****) out of five – After watching this film for the first time since it was first released I came to realize I just plain forgot how funny it is! Based on the TV series “The Naked Gun” is just plain hysterical from beginning to end. The hit/miss ratio of puns, jokes and slapstick are very much on the high side of positive. Nielson’s Frank Drebin is probably the clumsiest, most incompetent, goofy cop to fall into horse manure and come out smelling like a rose since Peter Seller’s Inspector Clouseau. A wonderful spoof of police movies, spies and romance.
The Famous Ferguson Case (**1/2) A Wall Street Banker is shot dead at his summer home in upstate Cornwall, New York. His wife and her alleged lover (Leon Ames) are the prime suspects. An army of slick city reporters, mostly yellow journalists, swarm into the laid back town and railroad the investigation turning flimsy evidence into a case that almost convicts the innocent pair. A rare lead role for Joan Blondell, though she does not appear for the first twenty minutes or so, who plays a tough cynical reporter attempting to keep the muckrakers in line. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, the film is uneven with
Patterns (****1/2) Rod Sterling’s script strikes right to the gut of office politics. One day, you’re the fair-hair boy, devoting your life to your job, a job that defines who you are and then you find yourself out of step with your boss and no longer needed, it’s so long, it’s been good to know ya! Strong performance from Van Heflin on as the new guy brought in to take over for a forty year veteran, magnificently played by Ed Begley. Everett Sloane is the cold hearted company President who wants everything his way.
Fifth Avenue Girl (***1/2) Lightweight fluff of a comedy handled with a deft touch by director Gregory La Cava. Walter Connelly is charming and lovable, Ginger Rogers handles her role with a sardonic edgy touch. Other cast members include a dull Tim Holt and the always entertaining Franklin Pangborn. Decent but forgettable.
John—
It was indeed the ladies who really led the charge for the USA! As you note, many unforgettable individual moments, and a stellar effort by the Brits, who finished with the third highest gold medal total! But definitely an Olympics with multiple heroes! Thanks for the well wishes on our short respite.
Of the films you report on here with your customary insightful capsules, the only one I did not see was THE FAMOUS FERGUSON CASE. I completely agree with you on the rating and for Lancaster’s fine turn in ULZANA’S RAID; I may rate that second THE NAKED GUN a bit lower, but I can’t blame you at all, and admit there are some uproarious moments throughout. This team of course did the AIRPLANE! movies. Agreed on Rod Serling’s PATTERNS, which is a near-masterpiece. FIFTH AVENUE GIRL is fluff, but as you note a film of considerable charm. Thanks for the fantastic capsules my friend, and have a great week!
Not as much movie-watching as I had anticipated this week, after having to work a bunch of extra hours in preparation of some big things at work, but looking back I actually did get quite a few films in. I watched some unheralded/critically-disliked films rather and actually enjoyed a number of them. I have been continuing my recent foray into Hong Kong action cinema and will probably soon just start exploring HK cinema in general. Anyway, here is what I got to:
The Killer (John Woo): I think I still slightly prefer A Better Tomorrow, as far as Woo goes, but this is another great action movie from him. The final 40-50 minutes or so are flat-out great.
PTU (Johnnie To): Much more subdued than other To films that I have seen, but still bears all the hallmarks of To’s craftsmanship. It might be among the lesser of To’s films that I have seen, but that speaks more to the fact that I seem to like everything I see from him than a lack of quality here. This is still really good and worth seeking out.
The Descent (Neil Marshall): After watching this one, I’m having trouble thinking of a better horror film released in the last decade. Serious atmosphere throughout, making great use of the dark, and fortunately not falling into Blair Witch-like handheld/nauseating camerawork. A real surprise for me, as I didn’t expect to like this one as much as I did.
Sparrow (Johnnie To): Another more subdued To film – this one feels like he is just kicking back and enjoying himself, at times telling the entire story visually, and without any need for the shootouts or action sequences that he is so famous for. I have seen others describe it as having a musical quality to it, which I agree with. For me, it is not quite as good as the Elections or Exiled films he made, but still a delightful film. There is a splendid pickpocket sequence in the rain that To films like a classic musical number. Very cool.
Geronimo: An American Legend (Walter Hill): Not a great film, but a very solid one. It focuses as much on the Army as the man, but I actually think that makes the film better. Some great photography of the desert setting, which looks great in HD. Again, not great, but I would call it underrated and among the better westerns of the 90s.
Monsieur Hire (Patrice Leconte): Quick, intriguing set up in the first 10 minutes of the film, but never quite reaches the level I was expecting based on it. It was just OK for me.
Spartan (David Mamet): I found it pretty silly, overall. Honestly, similar to how I felt after watching Heist. On the whole, I like a lot of Mamet’s work, but this one had me uninterested throughout.
The Naked Kiss (Samuel Fuller): Another great one from Sam Fuller. Borders on 5/5 for me, but not quite. Great use of closeups, as well as a powerful use of music/song. A pulp gem from one of the great directors ever to come out of Hollywood.
Enjoy the Cleveland/Chicago vacation, Sam! Although I am from the other end of the state (the better half, of course! LOL), I have spent a little time in Cleveland. The Rock ‘n Roll Hall is a lot of fun – I went last year for the first time and had a blast. I am sure you will enjoy it. Have a great week!
Dave—
I am assuming (based on what you say here) that you reside closer to Cincinnati. Indeed I do recall you once were singing the praises of the Bengals, who had a strong start to a recent football season. Ah one day I hope to head in that direction too. A recent film from Hong Kong (A SIMPLE LIFE) was recently reviewed with exceeding praise from Allan and from a number of critics, and I am waiting for the blu-ray to arrive from Asia. I do think Woo is a major talent, and count myself as a big fan of THE KILLER and of HARD BOILED! Agreed with you that THE KILLER has a buffo final 30 or 40 minutes! I have not seen sad to say either SPARROW nor PTU both with Johnnie To, though I hope to get to these down the line. Nice to know they are worth attending to! As to Neil Marshall’s THE DESCENT I will tell you right up front here that it is a terrifying horror masterpieces, one of the most horrifying films of the past few decades, and worthy of all the praise you heap on it here! It adapts some fundamentals from the Blair Witch school of filmmaking, but improves upon them ten-fold. The kids are frightened of that film too, and always name it when we talk about the scariest movies. Like you I am no fan of SPARTAN but love Mamet’s HOUSE OF GAMES and think THE SPANISH PRISONER fairly good. GEROMINO is a visual treat, but agreed it’s not much beyond that. I do like MONSIEUR HIRE considerably more than you, but could well understand the indifference. Others I respect feel precisely the way you do. THE NAKED KISS is great stuff, and agree it’s a ‘pulp gem’ with compelling use of music!
So you did very well this past week, if I might say so!
Thanks as always and have a more relaxing week on the work front my friend!
Sam –
We are soooooooooooo EXCITED that you are traveling through our neck of the woods. Can hardly wait!
Laurie—
We are bursting with excitement from this end too. I must be sure to get a lot of sleep though before embarking on the trip which is starting at 10:00 P.M. at night. It will surely be an unforgettable week my friend! Many thanks as always!
Sam, have in great time in the mid-west! I trust many pictures will be displayed at the site. Did you give any thought to watching the Yankees in Comiskey Park? I think they are there at the exact time you are visiting. And maybe they are in Cleveland too? I need to check the schedule.
Love your passage from ‘Richard II’ it’s one of my favorites. I was glued to the games all week. Team USA performed miraculously, but the same could be said for the UK. Many great individual stars!
You have me really interested in ‘Easy Money’.
Frank—
As I just mention to Peter (below) we will certain take a look at Comiskey, though attending a game would probably be steep for the family, and I already have some plans that may include a film at a famous Chicago revival house. I think the Yanks go to Cleveland the day after we leave there. But the rock n roll Hall of Fame is our destination there. In any event if we went to see the Yankees in Chicago or Cleveland we’d probably get evicted for rooting on the New Yorkers with vigour! Ha! Yes the US and UK both worked miracles. See EASY MONEY when it gets to Montclair my friend. Many thanks!
Don’t forget to pick up a White Sox cap for my collection! And the Sears Tower should be on your itinerary.
Peter, I will certainly pass by Comisky Park, though tickets for seven might be a bit steep if Chicago’s prices rival New York’s, but I will be happy to pick up a cap for you! Have a great week my friend!
Sounds like you and the family will have a great time on your trip. I was just in Chicago a couple of months ago and it’s a great city to visit.
As always it looks like you had a great movie week. Farewell My Queen sounds intriguing. And The Strange Affair of Uncle Henry is pretty good until that silly ending. I choose to ignore that last few minutes and pretend it ends after Harry visits his sister and she spurns his help.
I managed a Mary Pickford double feature of My Best Girl and Sparrows, both of which are brainless but entertaining. I also got out to the new documentary Searching for Sugar Man, a remarkable story. I haven’t been following the message boards here in a few weeks so I don’t know if you’ve already seen it and talked about it, but it you haven’t it’s worth seeing.
Have a great trip and have fun in …. Cleveland?
Jason—
Thanks so much for the kind words! I am getting to all the responses here late Monday night (right now it’s 11:46 P.M. and counting) because my son Danny and I just watched a seven hour marathon that took in the entire seven episode first season of BREAKING BAD. We were mightily impressed!!! Great to hear what you say there about the Windy City! I certainly do have some serious plans, and I’ll be meeting people I’ve wanted to see for the longest time, including my esteemed site colleague Jamie Uhler. Yes, I am also spending a full day and night in Cleveland, as the kids are thrilled beyond words to see the rock n roll Hall of Fame!
Ya know you are dead on with what you say about THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF UNCLE HARRY. The studio imposed that lame ending, but it was so ludicrous that it still rung false. But I agree that for the most part that was a captivating film of it’s type, with Sanders as always most impressive. You are right to mentally ignore what comes after the prison visit. SPARROWS in particular of the two Pickfords you mention is beautifully made. I have not yet seen SUGAR MAN, but will keep watch for it after that glowing report. Have a great week my friend. Many thanks!
Sam –
Well, it’ll be ‘back to business’ here after two Olympic-filled weeks of viewing. We didin’t make it through the closing ceremony last night; for my tastes, it was far too long and occassionally a little weird. But I enjoyed the games. My favorite sports were women’s gymastics and the diving events. Quite a bit of drama in the former, what with the wildly mixed levels of performance among the American women and the histrionics of the Russians (at one point, I complained to a friend, “All those Russian girls do is fall off the balance beam and cry.”) Seeing David Boudia’s gold-medal diving performance was a highlight.
But I skipped the women’s beach volleyball final to watch THE DEEP BLUE SEA, and I’m glad I did. What a ravishing and heartbreaking film! The opening sequence, set to the Samuel Barber concerto was almost unbearably beautiful and sad. It seemed almost of a piece with Davies’ earlier, equally stunninng adaptation of THE HOUSE OF MIRTH in its detailed and sympathetic portrayal of a woman whose passions and deepest desires are at odds with her time and place in society, a theme that is obviously near and dear to Davies’ heart. Rachel Weisz was brilliant.
I also saw BACHELORETTE via OnDemand, a raunchy bridal comedy that will inevitably be compared to BRIDESMAIDS and will fall short on every level. They lost me early on with an onslaught of extreme mean-spiritedness (fat girl jokes, an offensive comic trope that BRIDESMAIDS never stooped to) that that wasn’t entirely forgotten or mitigated as the film proceeded to humanize and soften the characters’ initial unlikability.
I am looking forward to FAREWELL MY QUEEN – it’s been playing the arthouses here, and I had hoped it see it over the past weekend, but ran out of time.
Sam – I also just wanted to check and be sure you saw my email regarding meeting up in NYC on Thursday. I am so looking forward to this trip and some firendly faces!
Pat—
Agreed that the Olympics forced us to compromise with planning, in my case during the day inspiring a “drop everything” scenario. It was fun for sure and the performance of Team USA most inspiring. Similarly the Brits, who I also root for did extraordinarily well on their home ground. Can’t blame you for favoring the women’s gymnastics, what with their magnificent performance and the fascinating aspect of the sport. Ha! Good point there about the Russian girls! I actually did watch the finals of the beach vollyball, but most assuredly would not have it it came to taking another look at THE DEEP BLUE SEA, much less a first look! Everything you say about the film, including the ravishing design and that sublime Barber concerto wins full endorsement from me. And yes, Weisz is fabulous! This reminds me that I must acquire the blu-ray soon, as I consider it one of the best films of 2012, and it’s director one of the world’s supreme talents. I haven’t seen BACHELORETTE, but am hardly surprised to hear it doesn’t match BRIDESMAIDS. I am certain you will love FAREWELL MY QUEEN! My crystal ball reveals that I may be seeing you in the future. I have my fingers crossed! Have a great week my friend!
Sam, the wait for Lonesome isn’t so long. Criterion release date is Aug. 28, and with The Last Performance and Broadway as extras I’m lucky I can wait that long. On the DVR I recorded a couple of Mifune movies from his day on TCM. Hadn’t seen Kurosawa’s Drunken Angel before and found it pretty melodramatic, but there was something modern to the way the director crosscut and used music during the final fight between Mifune’s character and the yakuza boss. The other picture was Hiroshi Inagaki’s Rickshaw Man, ten years later but even more old-fashioned, not just in its nostalgia for the turn of the century but in its blatant play for pathos. Mifune is a Wallace Beery type whose love goes unrequited due to social class. Impressive art direction in color and widescreen but some pretentious montages and symbolism, too. On the domestic front, TCM boasted the “world television premiere” after 79 years of Clarence Brown’s Night Flight, its appearance having been delayed by rights issues with the author’s estate. It’s one of M-G-M’s all-star superproductions (Barrymore brothers, Gable, H. Hayes, R. Montgomery, Loy) and handsomely shot but oddly lacking in dramatic momentum despite the sort of dangerous-flying-in-South-America story that Hawks would do better later. The star storylines weren’t interconnected enough, I guess. Also saw Burt Kennedy’s The Money Trap which as a 1966 release in black and white that briefly pairs Glenn ford and Rita Hayworth is a plausible contender for Last of the Noirs. Strong visuals and mostly the right world-weary tone but maybe a little wishful in its imagination of true love between Ford and Elke Sommer despite class differences and his temptation into crime. Mustn’t forget a couple of Garbo pictures. Both can be called campfests but Boleslawski’s Painted Veil is more compelling than Fitzmaurice’s Mata Hari, which is cliche from beginning to end. Capped the weekend with Ho Meng-hua’s Black Magic, a tawdry tale of greed, lust and sorcery and fun all the way, and Umberto Lenzi’s Syndicate Sadists, which doesn’t live up to its American title to my slight disappointment and doesn’t live up to Lenzi’s best crime films. I’ll be reviewing this on the blog, but for now think of this as the first film (allegedly) with a character based on David Morrell’s Rambo and possibly a career low point for an old, sick (or worse) Joseph Cotten.
Enjoy your travels, Sam.
Samuel—
I stand corrected. Yes the LONESOME release is indeed late August, and it’s one I will not wait for the November B & N sale to acquire. In any e vent the blu can be had for about $25 at some sites, and that’s only $5 more than what you would get it for in the November sale. So I’ll have to move on that one right away, as I will the UMBERTO D blu-ray upgrade. De Sica’s film is one of my favorite of all-time, and the ending is an emotionally wrenching as any in the cinema. So there’s two I can’t wait till November for! Ha! I knew THE LAST PERFORMANCE was an extra, but didn’t realize BROADWAY was as well. Fantastic! Very interesting comparison there of Mifune and Beery! I have never seen Inagaki’s RICKSHAW MAN, but have watched DRUNKEN ANGEL and own it on DVD. No masterpiece, but an impressive film for sure. Nice positive and negative framing though. The welcome appearance of NIGHT FLIGHT has confirmed my suspicions about the rights issue that have apparently prevented other Clarence Brown titles from appearing sooner. THE GOOSE WOMAN, just screened at the Film Forum is another example. Even with your mild disclaimer I can’t wait to see NIGHT FLIGHT! I’ve seen PAINTED VEIL and agree with you considerable regard, but I haven’t yet watched SYNDICATE SADISTS nor THE MONEY TRAP, the latter not one I would reach out for without you guarded recommendation. Will be looking for your Lenzi review at MONDO 70! You had quite a week there and I wish you another! Many thanks my friend!
Criterion describes Broadway as a “reconstruction of the previously incomplete sound version” so I’d expect a lot of stills and not necessarily a complete soundtrack. Still, that’s a must-have for early-talkie enthusiasts like me — and it’s just an extra! The issue with Night Flight apparently had less to do with Clarence Brown than with Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who was unhappy with the movie version of his book, which from reports takes a more ambivalent view than M-G-M did of the sacrifices involved in blazing trails for air mail. The film re-emerged first at the last TCM Film Festival and I believe you can get it now from the Warner Archive.
Samuel, I’ll check out Warner Archives for that Brown title! Ah, Antoine de Saint-Exupery! The Little Prince!!!
Agreed that Broadway is something to celebrate, even in that compromised form. I have my pre-order in for the Lonesome blu, and am with you all the way.
Sam, I just wanted to mention an RIP for film critic Judith Crist (often misspellled Judith Christ in newpaper blurbs). Crist was an early champion of Penn’s ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ when the film was misunderstood, most notoriously by the New York Times’ Bosley Crowther, on it first release.
And get this. Criterion is releasing Bresson’s previously unavailable ‘The Devil, Probably’ sometime next month. Kael must be gnashing her teeth in the great beyond. Later, my friend.
Which might be my personal favorite Bresson…
(there is a R2 btw)
Mark –
Thanks for mentioning Judith Crist. She was the first critic whose work I read regurlarly at a very young age. (She wrote a weekly column in TV GUIDE, featuring short reviews of the films playing on network television that week – the fact that I remember this is definitely showing my age!) At 16, I entered a review of Robert Altman’s film NASHVILLE in the Scholastic Magazines national writing competition, and Ms. Crist was one of the judges who awarded my review a Second Place award in the Critical Review category. I think she was a strong influence on my early writing, althought I had not fully realized it before.
Wow Pat, that is fantastic, and thanks so much for sharing it here! I am not however surprise, knowing full well of your distinguished past both in quality writing and acting propensity! Crist’s stamp of approval is mighty indeed, and like you I had a great regard for her writing and her positive world view. Unlike others she was polite and stayed away from the kind of bickering that Kael always relished. (though Kael was great of course). But I can see why Crist’s passing would bring that memory flooding back as well it should!
Mark–
I just got a shiver when I read this, as this is the first I heard of Mrs. Crist’s passing. Yes I know her work well and in fact grew up reading it at a time when the New York Daily News’ Wanda Hale and Penelope Gilliat and the great Kael herself were occupying the movie sections of the local papers. Molly Haskell, and later Janet Maslin brought up the rear of the women’s brigade. But Crist was a positive reviewer who panned films rarely (she was one of the few to actually issue a favorable notice for Ross Hunter’s 1973 musical re-make for LOST HORIZON, and she subtly took Rex Reed to task for saying that the 1976 Peter H. Hunt film 1776, based on the stage musical was a “history lesson for the mentally retarded.” Ah, those were the days, and I read Crist regularly through college. I see she did live to 90 years. R.I.P. Another reviewing icon gone, and only a short while after we lost Sarris. You mention Bosley Crowther. I must say Mark, for all sorts of reasons I had no use for that man. But I’ll leave it at that.
Mark WHERE did you hear that Criterion is doing THE DEVIL, PROBABLY. All of us here at the site follow their monthly new releases with fanaticism, and the announcement for November isn’t due until the end of the week. But you may have gotten a tip elsewhere and if so I applaud the release and thank you for spreading the word. Thanks as always my friend, and have a great week!
Well, the local Barnes & Noble clerk relayed the info to me when I asked about all the available Bresson DVDs. Said ‘Devil’, which I have NEVER seen nor the Lancelot film NOR ‘Four Nights of a Dreamer’, was set for a Sept release.
Hello Sam and everyone!!!!!
First of all, thanks for featuring my blog with such kind words and for the comments you’ve been giving me in my mad project of reviewing a 100 horror films until October is done with it. Second, have a great trip! It’s nice to hear that you will go in a vacation with the family and that you will visit the Rock n’Roll Hall of Fame with their great aditions (and of course, certain omissions).
Now, I must say that I made a mistake last week, I still don’t have a perfect grasp of this language as I thought I would, as I said it was my last first day at university. Well, I tried to say that two weeks ago I had my first class of the last semester, that will end this December, and thus, I shall be out of the place and finally call myself a director, or whatever.
My week, film wise:
– Being John Malkovich (1999, Spike Jonze) ***** Well, you can see why I rewatched this film, so I’ll say no more.
– Caesar Must Die (2012, Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani) **** An impressive experiment on theater and film, filmed theater and other such elements, as well as performance, acting, real life and experience. Filmed at an italian jail, the inmates are put to work on the famous Shakespeare play ‘Julius Caesar’ by the drama initiative. There we are subjected to the acting skills of a group of murderers, drug trafficants and other criminals, and they are quite impressive. Some times the film may seem a bit staged and you doubt the realism of the whole experience, but maybe the directors never aimed at that.
– The Dictator (2012, Larry Charles) ***1/2 I’m a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen, his acting and comedy writing are among the best of modern comedians, and he was the one behind the genius work that I think Borat is. But, with this one, dropping the documentary feel that had his last two films, he tries for something new, but even if the unique style of his earlier films was the freshest ingredient that made them triumph in some places, in this one it feels like a series of gags around a story that is at many times very very weak. Nevertheless, the gags are funny and the dialogue is great.
– Echelon Conspiracy (2009, Greg Marcks) ** Horrible dialogue, editing, acting and just ridiculous in its construction and concept. While the filmmakers may have been honest in their goals of filming a movie about the dangers of the Patriot Act, it is weak in many other fronts to be even relevant (besides being many years later regarding that issue). The film is never interesting once the mystery of the one that’s behind of it all is revealed. A waste of time really.
– The Hunger (1983, Tony Scott) *** One thing that you are bound to find in Scott’s films are visual treats, and this one has lots of eye candy for you to chew on, starting from the first minutes of the film and towards its confusing and dissapointing conclusion. I think that when he’s paired with a good screenwriter, he can achieve really watchable and good movies. This vampire film never leaves its initial premise and just goes on and on the same subject, pathos and mythos. It does have some good acting in it.
– The Kid from Borneo (1933, Robert F. McGowan) ***1/2 I already said some things about this short film in my comment of your wonderful piece, Sam.
– Pit and the Pendulum (1961, Roger Corman) **** I reviewed this one at my blog, if you want to check it out guys!
– Propaganda (2012) ***1/2 An anonymous documentary on the western culture done in North Korea, I’ll say more about this one soon.
– Sleeper (1973, Woody Allen) ****1/2 I rewatched this for obvious reasons, more soon.
– Total Recall (1990, Paul Verhoeven) ****1/2 What an incredibly entertaining film this one is! I was surprised by its cerebral plot even if it had Schwarzeneger at its lead, and I think that this is his best film and his best acting performance. It has practical effects, puppets and many other things that you don’t see in modern blockbusters, and in that vein, it doesn’t feel fake at any moment. It’s great that the film makes you keep guessing about the reality of the whole enterprise, it’s quite fun.
Good luck Sam, have a safe trip!
As always Jaimie, thanks for the spectacular report! You stand alone in what you manage to work into a single week, and when you factor in school, girlfriend, and writing, well it’s seemingly astounding! On top of all that there is a ‘100 Horror Film’ serious at EXODUS: 8:2!!! How do you manage all this? Incredible. Happy to hear that you will be eligible to direct come December! Fantastic news! So it appears you have this one upcoming semester left. Thanks so much for the kind words about our upcoming trip! You know I will have a full report and photos for a future diary (probably the one slated for Monday, August 27th). Verhoeven’s TOTAL RECALL is presently playing at the Film Forum and my son Sammy really wants to see it! I may take him to the late 9:40 showing tonight but not before I watch a few episodes of THE WIRE’s Season 2 on DVD, in fear of a death sentence handed down from Allan in the UK! Ha! Verhoeven’s film may actually look quite nice in this HD restoration, we’ll see. Great to hear you liked BORNEO and PIT, and look forward to tomorrow’s piece on ?????? Ha! Have not seen PROPAGANDA nor ETCHELON but was no fan of THE DICTATOR nor THE HUNGER. I’m quite intrigued by CAESAR MUST DIE! As always, beautifully written and reasoned capsules my friend! Many thanks to you as always, and kudos on some great and remarkably prolific writing at WitD and EXODUS 8:2!!!
Hey Sam!,
Thanks for the great mention! I am really looking forward to seeing Lonesome. It looks great and I’ve seen on the Criterion site the news about it coming out soon. Your glowing review of it is certainly making me even more excited to check it out. Awesome! So glad you will be going on vacation next week! Sounds like fun! My wife and I will also be on vacation next week! We are dropping the kids at my folks house for a few days next week and heading up north to the UP of Michigan for some camping. It will be a good chance to get away. I might not have much access at all to internet so will have to play catch up on the comedy countdown when I get back. I’m sure you all will be able to hold the fort down. Yes I’m still rather reeling from The Deep Blue Sea. Still thinking about it. I was also able to get a copy of Tarr’s The Turin Horse and will be seeing that this week. Also checking out some of Sam Fuller’s early stuff, I Shot Jesse James, The Baron of Arizona, and also re-watching one of my favorite Fullers…..The Steel Helmet which I haven’t seen in awhile. I also picked up Letter Never Sent, which I’ve heard is visually fantastic. Well hope you have a great week Sam!
Jon—
Although I do occasionally err in my perceptions of how you will react to a particularly film (THE ARTIST shocked me and SIDEWAYS surprised me quite a bit. LOL!!!) I must say I’ll eat my hat–oh I don’t wear hats, I’ll eat some tripe which I abhor if you come back anything less than ravished! You and I have similar taste–we don’t always agree, but we are similar, and I am making a firm prediction. That planned camping trip up north sounds fantastic, and I’m sure you and your wife will have agreat time! Once camped in West Virginia -actually three times over a five year period– in a remote area in the Appelachians! Great stuff! Also did it as a long-time member of the boy scouts back in those long ago days. Northern Michigan sounds like God’s Country too! So I won’t be all that far from you for a few days in a geographical sense! One day we will meet my friend! You travel too much for that not to happen. Jon just minutes ago I placed an order for the Artificial Eye blu-ray of THE DEEP BLUE SEA, and as I told Pat above it’s one of the greatest films. It is NOT remotely lesser Davies as some have suggested. Tarr’s THE TURIN HORSE??? Oh boy! I am waiting (im) patiently for a report on that as it may be my #1 film of the year. I also have that Criterion blu of LETTERS, but have still to watch it, and the Fullers are mostly excellent, especially THE STEEL HELMUT.
Have a great trip my friend! Many thanks as always!
Sam, thank you for the kind mention.
Reassessment of “Lonesome” is long overdue, and finally, it will be available as Bluray and DVD. Paul Fejos, film director, biochemist and archeologist, is one of the most colorful characters in cinema industry. I read his biography many years ago, and loved it. I believe his cinematic output needs to be widely available to public, though his filmography is not a long one, even including his European works.
I didn’t know this year marks Keisuke Kinoshita’s 100th anniversary. A dozen of his works will be released on DVD and BR later this month in Japan. I have little information available on this yet, but plan to report at my site if any.
MI
MI—
You hit the nail on the proverbial head as far as I am concerned when you hail a deserved reassessment of LONESOME. There were two instances during the Universal Festival (while I watched 37 films on the schedule) where I shed tears in awe and emotional ravishment, and one was during LONESOME and the other in THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (Leni). Both are masterpieces for all-time, among the greatest of films, and the upcoming Criterion blu-ray is indeed cause for celebration! Fejos is an amazing diversified talent in the tradition of Da Vinci and Franklin, and it’s a blessing that we have his purported masterpiece intact for eternity. That’s fantastic that you read his biography, and I have no doubt it made for fascinating reading! Yep he has a limited output for sure. His Hungarian film seems to be essential. I can’t wait to hear the details of that upcoming Kinoshita set due on blu-ray! Now if only it will include English subs……ah, I have my fingers crossed! Ha!
Have a great week my friend. Many thanks as always!
Sam, hope you and your family have a wonderful trip – it certainly sounds as if it will be. This was another busy week for me where I didn’t get much done beyond work, housework (I’m in a cleaning frenzy at the moment!) and watching Olympics, but I did see three old movies along the way – a Raoul Walsh western starring Rock Hudson, ‘Gun Fury’ (1953), which I quite enjoyed but have already half-forgotten; the excellent Cukor film of ‘David Copperfield’ (1935), and a good pre-Code melodrama, ‘Street of Chance’ (John Cromwell, 1930) with William Powell as a professional gambler – he is fantastic in it even if the plot is a bit creaky at times. May write something about the last two of these on my blog, if time permits. Thanks so much for the kind mention.
Judy, thanks very much for the well wishes! I’ll certainly be coming back with pictures and a full report. A cleaning frenzy is the best way to both play catch-up and work ahead! It’s also a change of pace. I also watched the Olympics and can well imagine how exciting it must have been for you with the fantastic performance of the British squad, and the action in your back yard. The London Olympics will be talked about for many years to come. Yep, I would have to agree with that assessment of GUN FURY, fun but ultimately forgettable, but Cukor’s exquisite DAVID COPPERFIELD is of course another matter. STREET OF CHANCE I still need to see, and would love to read a post of it at MOVIE CLASSICS if your schedule permits. Have a great week my friend, and many thanks as always!
Sam, thanks a lot for the mention.
Yes, the Olympics came to a fine conclusion thansk to the fine Closing Ceremony. The event had a number of fascinating highlights – the two most memorable among them undoubtedly being, Phelps’ becoming the most decorated Olympian in terms of total medals (in terms of Golds he was already in that rarefied zone), and Usain Bolts spectacularly silencing his critcs & detractors by winning 3 Golds, including in the 2 most sought after events (Men’s 100m & 200m).
The Comedy Countdown too has begun well, and I do look forward to the many fine essays that would be posted over the next few months or so.
Anyway, I managed to watch the following movies over the past week (watched the last 2 films in the below list yesterday):
– a recent Hindi release called Gangs of Wasseypur 2 (the 2 parts of the movie, released within the space of a month, essentially are parts of a single movie), bringing the saga to a satisfying conclusion
– Wajda’s lyrical yet harrowing debut feature A Generation
– Clouzot’s compelling (if slightly flawed) drama Le Verite
– Altman’s legendary “anti-Western” McCabe & Mrs. Miller
– Imamura’s marvelous black comedy & psychological drama Intentions of Murder
Tomorrow (15th August) is India’s Independence Day. Consequently its a holiday for us, and I look forward to watching a couple of films tomorrow.
Shubhajit—
I only watched a small portion of the closing ceremonies, but have heard the glowing report from others. Yep, yep, yep agree that Phelps and Bolt were the talk of the town as far as individual performances go! A few others come into play, but nothing to match the scope of those two for sure. Yes I am quite pleased at the way the comedy countdown has started, and on Day #7 I’d say it’s really been a spectacular success by way of enthusiasm, quantity and quality of comments and total page views. Your own contribution on the Truffaut film was extraordinary, make no mistake about that! Wow, LA VERITE is a tough film to come by, but I did get a copy from Allan and though reasonably well of it. The Wajda is excellent, as is the Imamura. I must get my tail over to CINEMASCOPE as I would love to read about any or all of these -I know the Wajda is there- but I have temporarily fallen behind.
Happy Independence day to all Indians! A great day indeed, and wish you well in making teh best of it my friend! Many thanks as always!
Hey Sam. Thanks for the mention. I watched I Am Sam a couple of nights back and thoroughly enjoyed it, confirming my view that most film critics are wankers. Looking at the world with a 7yo’s eyes reveals more truth than you find in a 1000 reviews of Vertigo.
Tony—
This is a textbook example of how critics can sometimes (and unfairly) give sway to one’s viewing resolve. I never saw I AM SAM, largely because of the negative reaction. But I have learned numerous times that this policy will often be regretted on either side of the fence. This past year I have disagreed with the critical consensus more times than I can add up. But I will definitely check out I AM SAM based on your recommendation! Many thanks as always my friend!
Hello! Sam Juliano, Allan, WitD writers and readers…
Sam Juliano, thanks, for mentioning me blog and I too hope that you [and your family] will enjoy your trip and God-speed…
…Now, when it comes to what you and your family viewed at the theatre…I see all six films fared well…when it comes to your rating Of each film.
Easy Money **** Meet the Fokkens *** 1/2 Farewell, My Queen **** [I plan to add “Farewell, My Queen,” on my list to watch film(s) too!] and Lonesome (1928) ***** Cobra Woman (1944) *** The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945) *** 1/2 [Sam Juliano, after reading the [Universal] announcement that you sent through email I posted the latter 2 [Universal] films [trailers Only] on my Ning]
On my viewing front: I watched a couple Of [classic] films: “I Was An Adventuress” [1940…Starring Vera Zorina, Peter Lorre and Erich Von Stroheim(Sp) ] [Which I enjoyed viewing and plan to re-visit again!]
[Oh! I also plan to look at her [Vera Zorina]costumes that she wore in the film on my Ning [or blog] which I thought were [very] beautiful costumes too!]
I also re-watched Tin-tin [2011] and created a blog for Tin-tin and Snowy.
Coming up more classic films: “Night Has Eyes” and the Tony D’Ambra, reviewed “So Dark The Night.”
[I have several film detectives in search Of the 1948 RARE film noir “This Was A Woman.”]
Soon to be On my bookshelf: All 5 Twilight books by Stephanie Meyer(s)…[Don’t you mean 4 Twilight books?] No, a friend is sending me all 4 books plus a companion book. [with the films to follow…with the scandal surrounding the two lead stars I also created a Pattinson, blog too!]
Tin-tin and Snowy The Novel…a Marlane Dietrich biography and a vampire book by L.K. Hamilton, called “Kiss The Dead.” [I think this is her 23 or 24 book in the series.]
That’s about it Sam Juliano, I hope that you, Allan, your writers, and your readers, have a great week ahead… too!
deedee 🙂
Dee Dee—
Yes indeed, this past week did yield a strong crop of films, with one getting the ‘ultimate’ rating, and two others strong four-star regard. Still, I thought both UNCLE HARRY and COBRA WOMAN a lot of fun, and a half star more for either or both would not be out of the question on re-assessment. The ending of UNCLE HARRY was rather silly, but it was studio-imposed. Still it does not mitigate everything that came before it by a long shot. The Technicolor beauty of COBRA WOMAN was a joy to behold as well. Great to hear you have secured the trailers for your ning. I do believe I have seen “I Was An Adventuress” and my reaction was favorable! I did see THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN as well on the big screen back in November with the family at our Edgewater multiplex. We saw it in 3D, but I don’t believe it needed to be seen that way. Ha! I will join the search officially right now for that rare 1948 THIS WAS A WOMAN!! I do well remember Tony’s excellent review of SO DARK THE NIGHT. Those Twilight books are quite popular in this house, especially with my oldest daughter Melanie! Oh God, Pattinson??? He is my daughter’s absolute favorite!!!!! She’s bonkers about him, and she has posters, enlarged photos, you name it!!! And any new movie with him must be seen immediately with her! I can’t say I am familiar with the L.K. Hamilton book series, but that sounds like another that would soar in this house! But for the present time, everyone here must get ready for the beginning of a new school year just weeks away. Any new biography on Dietrich will always be cause for investigation too! Thanks as always my very good friend! Have a great week!
Hello Sam,
Judging by your ratings it has been another good week of film viewing for you including concluding the Universal festival. It is a shame that whilst being enjoyable the two Siodmaks are not of the quality of the directors classics but it seems the Criterion of LONESOME is one to watch out for. Out of the three newer films, I think FAREWELL MY QUEEN is the one that interests me the most and I will watch for its arrival here.
Since my late post in last week’s MMD I have watched five films. On Monday I caught the opening cinema screening of THE BOURNE LEGACY which left me hoping my legacy will be better than Bourne’s. This is a film that ate itself and is excessively bloated at 125 minutes long. There was a time when maximum running lengths were stated in contracts, but here I wonder if Gilroy was contractually obliged to deliver a film that ran for at least two hours. The first eighty or so minutes consists of very slow exposition punctuated by the odd action set-piece, exposition that I have a feeling could be adequately deduced within around three minutes in the later stretch of the picture. Early in the film it felt as if it was aiming to be a conspiracy thriller on the level of ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN or – perhaps an even better reference – THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR but we are a world away from those classics of 70s paranoid cinema. When we do arrive at the action part of the film in the final three quarters of an hour I felt like the pacing was wrong footed and robbed the sequences of any sense of urgency or thrill. In “ON WRITING” Stephen King advises the novice writer to reduce the length of their first draft manuscript by ten percent in an effort to have its flow be more sleek; Gilroy should have aimed to reduce the length of this picture by forty percent, possibly then we would have been left with a taut action thriller that entertains on the mainstream popcorn scale.
My tour of Hammer Horror took me to Freddie Francis’ entries in the Dracula and Frankenstein series, DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE and THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN. Perhaps the most striking point to me is that continuity seems to be out of the window at this point – whilst GRAVE is a sequel to DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS there are very noticeable differences between the two films in regards to location, brought about by a change in set I believe, and even more affectingly with regards to the vampire mythology and how Dracula can be killed. EVIL does not seem to follow the previous films in the series and is instead within its own filmic universe. Perhaps continuity errors and confusion were deemed to be less of an issue in the 60s, long before the days of the internet, home viewing on video cassette or even before a wealth of written material on film was available and instead cinemagoers were left to rely upon their own memories of cinema viewings of previous films. As to the quality of the films themselves, I enjoyed them less than the previous entries and in both there seems to be more elements of comedy and cheesecake creeping to the surface as both feature long lingering cleavage shots, more so in the later made GRAVE, which I do think undermines the more serious horror elements underneath. Francis’ direction in both does not seem as rigidly composed as in the earlier Fisher entries but more free flowing which adds a sense of vitality to the features yet somehow makes them feel less artistic. Despite some memorable scenes involving impalements, a stunning presence in Veronica Carlson and interesting and yet underdeveloped questions of the role of faith in the vampiric mythos I consider GRAVE to be the weakest entry in the Dracula series so far, yet it remains enjoyable and most certainly is not the embarrassment I am expecting later entries to be. Likewise, EVIL is the weakest of the stronger Frankenstein series thus far, seeming to rehash questions of morality from the earlier entries without adding anything further to the discussion. As a more straightforward action-horror it again is enjoyable and I especially enjoyed the doting dependency of the deaf-mute girl and the scheming evil of the circus hypnotist; contrary to the title and Cushing playing Frankenstein to be ever-more unhinged, it is this character that truly is the “evil” of the piece.
Finally I saw two noirs, PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET and NIGHT AND THE CITY. I have yet to read either Maurizio’s or Dave’s entries on these two so I am not yet aware of what they or other WitD regulars think of these gems, although I am aware that Maurizio ranked NIGHT as his number one noir so that is probably a good indicator! I believe this is my first viewing of both and at the moment PICKUP is my favourite of the two although they are both noirs of the highest standard.
There are so many memorable shots in PICKUP, from the opening wordless communication between Peters and Widmark, with Widmark secretly interested in the contents of Peters’ bag whilst she is clearly interested in something else altogether, through to the later scene in which a character hides in a laundry elevator whilst one character beneath him and one above converse. Its repeatedly stated message that being a communist is worse than being a pickpocket condemns the picture to a less than noble form of propaganda, contrasting with the real nobility on display here especially from Thelma Ritter’s character when she meets her heartbreaking fate and the Widmark character’s response. Often down and dirty and featuring some of the most shockingly brutal violence in a noir this side of KISS ME, DEADLY, the exquisite photography, sparkling script and electrifying chemistry between the leads elevate this to the league of the greatest films noir.
Whilst I enjoyed it less, I would objectively rank NIGHT AND THE CITY as the better film. As bleak a noir as they come, this film is an hour and a half of watching characters unknowningly commit suicide. By picture’s end, all of the main characters are destroyed either in spirit, finanically or in their very existence and the moral salvation of one character is greeted with his inevitable and unavoidable fate. I also enjoyed the setting of the film; London seems enormous and yet tiny as one character desperately tries to find a place of sanctuary. A multicultural picture must have been rare in 1950 – the featured characters having a variety of different backgrounds adds to its flavour.
Have a great week Sam and I hope you and your family enjoy your holiday!
David—
Sorry for the late response, but I got sidetracked with the comedy thread earlier and domestic preparation for our trip complicated matters, not to mention grass cutting this morning. Ha! Again I can’t thank you enough for entering such a spectacular response here at WitD. Yes FAREWELL MY QUEEN is the one I believe you may appreciate the most, but I’d add that EASY MONEY is roughly as impressive. But I’d love to read your thoughts on the former! Will be starting up with the new Festival tonight at the Film Forum: “The French Old Wave.” I am also no fan of THE BOURNE LEGACY and am pretty much in full agreement with your disclaimers. I never cared much for any in this series myself, though I acknowledge there are fans out there. As always you offer a superb discussion sizing up both Hammers features and I must agree that the sequential order is long since gone at this point, Neither DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE nor THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN could rightfully be spoken of in the pantheon of truly superior Hammers, but both especially the former methinks are at least reasonably entertainment. I would say my favorite Hammers ever would be THE DEVIL RIDES OUT, HORROR OF DRACULA, THE BRIDES OF DRACULA, THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES, TWINS OF EVIL, VAMPIRE CIRCUS and THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Yes NIGHT IN THE CITY is as bleak a noir as there is, and agree it’s one of the best, even if your say here you prefer PICK-UP ON SOUTH STREET, which is another sure classic of the genre. You have some great points, including London in Dassin’s film as a character! In any case you may indeed have re-visions on subsequent movies. Can’t thank you enough my friend! Thanks for the well wishes!
Sam, thanks so much for the great mention.
I hope you and the fam are having a great week in Ohio. I look forward to hearing about it.
It was a non-week of film viewing this past week, unfortunately. But I definitely plan to do something about that very, very soon. LONESOME is a film that I really need to see, and your post reminded me yet again.
Hope you’re having an awesome week. Thanks so much, Sam, for all that you do!