The Resident Bitch's Movie Log

Room at the Top (Jack Clayton, 1959)
Imdb

Date Watched: 08/05/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List, Cricket's recommendation
Rewatch: No


I had some very mixed feelings about this film. The story was quite interesting, with its look at sex, class and social climbing, and the performances were solid. I particularly liked Simone Signoret in her Oscar winning role as Alice.

Excellent too was Laurence Harvey as Joe, the social climbing womanizer with his eyes on the boss's daughter who he sees only as a very pretty dollar sign. The trouble is that I found this character so distasteful that it really affected my enjoyment of the film and had it not been for Alice, he might've been enough to turn me off it.

Still it's pretty solid overall and may ultimately sneak onto the tail end of my ballet.

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I felt a lot like you did with Rebel Without a Cause, similar to how I feel about Easy Rider. I don't think it's great, but there's just something about it that makes it mandatory viewing.

Surprised but happy how much you liked Smiles of a Summer Night, my favorite Bergman out of many I'm fond of. I could've used you when I nominated it for the first 50's HoF.

Glad you enjoyed Room at the Top

I haven't seen Brink of Life, and I was figuring it would be one of the movies I didn't get to. I'm going to watch it now for sure.

It's on YouTube.

I first saw it when it came out, but as a refugee in Vienna because there was a war going on here. It was dubbed in German, so as my German is very poor, I understood only very little. Still, it was a lot of fun. I also like the three actors, and I agree Rickman stole the show. I saw it a number of times since then.

Witness for the Prosecution (Billy Wilder, 1957)
Imdb

Date Watched: 08/06/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List, rauldc14's recommendation
Rewatch: No


I knew pretty much nothing about this film going in and, judging by the title, was expecting a dull courtroom drama. Instead I was treated to an engaging story with a rather generous and unexpected dose of comedy. The main cast of characters are all quite likable and the dialogue is well written and often witty, making for a very entertaining film.

However, the comedy bit went a little too far at times and threatened to push the movie into the realms of cheesy and hokey. This is especially true of the character of Miss Plimsoll, the nurse who treats Barrister Roberts like a child, and also true of the scene involving a cockney woman and some last minute evidence.

But this was a relatively minor annoyance in otherwise very good film.

Nice, didn't think you would like that one. I love Laughton in that film so much. The writing is brilliant. I need to see it again soon. Very high on my list.

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“Except for markf, you’re all a disgrace to cinema.”

Witness For The Prosecution is excellent. Glad you liked it.

I think that's going to do very well in the countdown. Glad you liked it.

I gotta watch that.

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"Well, at least your intentions behind the UTTERLY DEVASTATING FAULTS IN YOUR LOGIC are good." - Captain Steel

I also like Witness for the Prosecution. It's just that I saw it so long ago...I most like the dramatic finish.

Throne of Blood (Kumonosu-jô) (Akira Kurosawa, 1957)
Imdb

Date Watched: 08/06/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List
Rewatch? No.


I started the evening with the intention of watching Joseph Makiewicz's Julius Caesar, but after 30 minutes of that I simply couldn't take the Shakespearean dialogue any longer. So I decided instead to select a different film. Little did I know, the film I chose is actually another Shakespeare adaptation, this time Macbeth.

Overall this is an excellent film. The acting is solid, the costumes are impressive, the cinematography is gorgeous and poetic, and the story - of powerlust, betrayal, and murder - was engaging. I would be lying though if I said I loved it. However, my problems with the film are just that - my problems and not the fault of the film itself. I simply struggle with anything involving the supernatural and found myself rolling my eyes a bit at the whole prophecy/bad omen/evil spirit crap. Ultimately though I'm glad I chose to watch this tale of the bitch that is karma.

+

Pretty much how I felt about Throne of Blood. I liked it, but more than that I appreciated it as a strong film.

East of Eden (Elia Kazan, 1955)
Imdb

Date Watched: 08/07/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List, Sexy Celebrity's Recommendation
Rewatch? No.


Holy *****.

James Dean is absolutely wonderful as Cal Trask, bringing a perfect mix of wildness and vulnerability to the rebellious, motherless, unloved lost boy. I really connected to his feelings of inadequacy and rejection in his relationship with his father and the jealousy he felt about his "good" older brother. It absolutely broke my heart watching him try so hard to win the affection of his father, something that should've been given freely.

The other performances were pretty solid too, particularly Julie Harris as Abra, the only person who really tried to understand Cal, but none affected me quite like Dean.

There was one particular scene though that really hit home in a very different way - the attack on Mr. Albrecht. It absolutely sickened me to see that kind of hatred towards an innocent person and it called to mind the kind of cruelty and prejudice suffered by Japanese Americans during the second World War. And of course, being a Steinbeck adaptation the location of the film lent a more personal air to it as well, since I spent many childhood summers in Salinas and Monterey visiting my grandmother.

All in all this made for a deeply moving film watching experience for me and East of Eden is a strong contender for the number one position on my ballot.

Really glad you liked Throne of Blood, love that film. It was difficult deciding which Shakespeare adaptation i liked better for my list. Good to see you liked East of Eden so much as well, it is the last film for me in the 10th HOF so i'm looking forward to it even more now.

On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan, 1954)
Imdb

Date Watched: 08/07/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List, Marlon Brando
Rewatch? No.


I've wanted to see more 50s era Brando ever since watching A Streetcar Named Desire. (Did I mention just how hot he was in that movie? Because DAMN was he hot!) So I added this one to the watchlist and, seeing as it's from the same director as East of Eden and has a good reputation, I had high hopes.

Unfortunately it just didn't resonate with me. It's a solid film with fine performances and it looks great but there was a distinct emotional disconnect. This was probably not helped by the fact that among its characters redeeming qualities were few and far between. Still, this is a film that I respect even if I don't particularly like it and I'm glad I gave it a shot.

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I thought Miss Vicky only watches crap cinema before I visited this thread...

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San Franciscan lesbian dwarves and their tomato orgies.

Yes! you just made my day East of Eden is my nomination in the 10th Hof, I wish you had joined! I might have had a better chance of winning with it

I know you reviewed Rebel With Out a Cause, have you seen James Dean in Giant?

Giant is actually my favorite of his films, but I think East of Eden is my favorite performance of his. I am so-so when it comes to Rebel Without a Cause. There are things that I really like about it, but it has never been a movie that I make a point of watching whenever it is on (but I have seen it a few times).

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I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity - Edgar Allan Poe

I like all three of his films and all of them are special in different ways. I've only seen Giant and Rebel Without a Cause once and I'd like to watch them again. I think Rebel is a movie that once you know what happens, then the mystery is over. But Giant is a film that's so epic and sweeping that I could watch it multiple times. It's almost like a 1950s version of a mini series. Sort of like The Thornbirds miniseries.