Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Van Heflin was in a lot of great films. I just looked and was surprised at how many there were. Some of his greats, that I've seen are:

Film Noir
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers 1946 (with Barbara Stanwyck)

For anyone who's interested in watching it, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers 1946 (with Barbara Stanwyck) is scheduled to air on TCM tonight (Sunday Aug 13th) at 9:30 PM Eastern Time.
__________________
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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.

Mystery Street (1950)

Director: John Sturges
Writers: Sydney Boehm & Richard Brooks (screenplay), Leonard Spigelgass (story)
Cast: Ricardo Montalban, Sally Forrest, Bruce Bennett, Else Lancaster, Jan Sterling
Genre: Film-Noir




I hadn't heard of Mystery Street, but it sounds like an interesting movie. It's scheduled to air on TCM on Wednesday (Aug 16th) at 12:00 Midnight, (late Tuesday night), so I set my DVR to record it.

It's part of a marathon of Ricardo Montalban movies starting on Tuesday, so are any other Ricardo Montalban movies that you think might be worth watching?



For anyone who's interested in watching it, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers 1946 (with Barbara Stanwyck) is scheduled to air on TCM tonight (Sunday Aug 13th) at 9:30 PM Eastern Time.
I wish I had TCM I've only seen that one once, but it's a good noir!

I hadn't heard of Mystery Street, but it sounds like an interesting movie. It's scheduled to air on TCM on Wednesday (Aug 16th) at 12:00 Midnight, (late Tuesday night), so I set my DVR to record it.

It's part of a marathon of Ricardo Montalban movies starting on Tuesday, so are any other Ricardo Montalban movies that you think might be worth watching?
I was thinking you might like Mystery Street...The only things I remember Ricardo Montalban being in is Fantasy Island and Star Trek. So I just looked at IMDB and he was in two of the original Planet of the Apes movie series, and one of my favorite musicals Sweet Charity and in a decent western Across the Wide Missouri, which he had a small part as an Indian warrior.

I like Wall E much more than The Godfather.
With any luck, I should be watching Wall E tonight



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
I wish I had TCM I've only seen that one once, but it's a good noir!

I was thinking you might like Mystery Street...The only things I remember Ricardo Montalban being in is Fantasy Island and Star Trek. So I just looked at IMDB and he was in two of the original Planet of the Apes movie series, and one of my favorite musicals Sweet Charity and in a decent western Across the Wide Missouri, which he had a small part as an Indian warrior.

I didn't know that Ricardo Montalban was in any musicals until I saw some of the movies listed on TCM's schedule, so I'm looking forward to watching a few of them. Unfortunately, I don't think Sweet Charity was listed.




WALL·E
(2008)

Director: Andrew Stanton
Writers: Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter (story)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Sci Fi
Studio: Disney Pixar

Everyone loves WALL-E, the critics loved it! The fans loved it!..It won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film and was nominated for five other Oscars as well. WALL-E has a very high user rating of 8.4 on IMDB. But why all this love?

Myself, I was amazed at parts of the movie
. I loved certain aspects of it. I enjoyed it, it was fresh (mostly) and yet there were a few things that didn't work for me...and two aspects of the movie that I out right hated.

What did I love? and hate? and what impressed me? Keep reading.

I loved the
...opening scenes on a post apocalyptic Earth. An Earth that seemed to be filled with trash and remnants of some strange future society now vanished...except for one lone robot.

I like WALL-E the robot. He was personable and charming with his childlike curiosity over the discarded junk of a dead society. He was a bit sad too. Seemingly all alone on a planet void of life. I was glad to see his cockroach friend. Not so much so that he wouldn't be all alone, but because one lone cockroach gave a glimmer of hope that the world had not become a barren planet void of all life.
I bet you didn't think of that?



World building
...The movie did world building so well! Each frame of the film was full of detail. Even in the furthest corners of each frame I could see layers of someone's ideas that were put on the screen and yet if you blinked you'd miss them. I love the background sets of films and this movie was richly designed with animation that was a real joy to behold.

I also loved...the way the first scenes on Earth played out like an old Charlie Chaplin film with WALL-E as the little tramp exploring his world in a Chaplinesque type of way. Gosh I wish the film had went with that idea.

Hitchcock once said that the audience is always one step ahead of the film, anticipating what they will see next. I know I often image what the next scene will be like. I was disappointed when the film didn't turn out to be WALL-E going about his daily routines, finally discovering the mystery of what had happened to humanity. I suppose that would be too bleak for Disney, but oh well I can dream can't I.



What I hated it...was Eve. I hated the way the robot looked. It had no charm and looked antiseptic and rather cheaply done too. It moved like a exile from the cartoon The Power Puff Girls, which I actually like but I sure didn't like Eve.

Even worse was Eve's voice, which instantly took me out of the film as it sounded like an actresses voice and not a robot. I bought into WALL-E sounding real as he was mechanical sounding but EVE sounded like a person duping their lines in the studio.

I really didn't care
...about the romance between the two robots. That was cooked and I didn't buy it and didn't care. In fact the romance part was poorly done without much character building...lBy the time they leave Earth and head into space, I was thinking the film was a total loss.

But then it got real good!
...when they got aboard the Axiom. Hot damn! Disney has some guts to do what they did with the humans. I couldn't believe they made their social commentary and satire, so blatant. I approve too! I'm talking of course about the humans who had grown grotesquely fat in the distant future after living a sedentary, self indulgent life abroad the Axiom.


Some of my favorite scenes...Monty Python would've been proud of Disney.

Oh My God! I couldn't believe they showed these people chugging down sugary supersized drinks as they floated on their carts, because they were too fat to walk. Hey, I didn't say that, Disney did!

In one scene a portly human falls out of his cart and couldn't even get up, holly crap, that was bold of Disney! Will anybody take the social message of the film and improve their own life styles? I doubt it, but it was funny none the less.

I doubt anyone got this...but, the Axiom is not a space ship at all, it's a giant cruise ship...complete with a regenerative food buffet none the less, ha. I loved the reference to 'Gopher', I doubt the kiddies got it, but I sure did. I mean all one has to do is look at the ship and see it's a supersized cruise ship. They even had the big pool on the lido deck. So if you've ever been on a cruise you can appreciate just how priceless all that was. Loved this part of it!

But you know what else I hated?...The insidious cat-walling of the two robots saying over and over again E VAAA....WALLLL E....E VAAA... Repeat that a 100 times and I got space sick. I mean I literally got a headache over the dumbnumbdaness of it all.

I didn't really care about the bad robots vs the good robots
...or the Captain vs the AutoPilot, nor did I care that they went back to Earth. I was actually hoping they would stay in space, cause Earth seemed better off without the Humans.

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WALL·E
(2008)

Director: Andrew Stanton
Writers: Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter (story)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Sci Fi
Studio: Disney Pixar
Rating: G
Length: 98 minutes

OK, Citizen, I have to confess that I have tried to watch this movie three times and have never gotten further than 15 minutes in, but based on your review, I promise to give it one more try.



What I hated it...was Eve. I hated the way the robot looked. It had no charm and looked antiseptic and rather cheaply done. It moved like a exile for the cartoon The Power Puff Girls, which I actually like, but I sure didn't like Eve.

Even worse was the voice, which instantly took me out of the film as it sounded like an actresses voice, and not a robot. I bought into WALL-E sounding real, as he was mechanical sounding, but EVE sounded like a person duping their lines in the studio.
Eve is a corporate built robot, completely makes sense it would look slick and boring without much passion behind it. Also Eve is a corporate built robot, it completely makes sense that the people who built it would give it an actress voice. What you wanted to see wouldn't make much sense within the story with how Buy-N-Large are portrayed.

Too bad you didn't like the romance, thought it was excellent and i loved the voices.

Can't believe you like the social commentary so much, that's easily the worst part of the film and i think the vast majority think that way from conversations i've had, reviews i've read, etc. As you said it's blatant it's like a sledgehammer and is a very jarring tonal shift, it's pretty dumb actually but i've gotten more used to it over the years. this part of your post did kinda sound like sarcasm so i've left this here haha

Glad to see you did like certain aspects of it and overall enjoyed it



About right for Wall-E. Now go watch Godfather or I will cut off your horse's head.
Would've given a rep if you left out the first part, disappointed in you

Yeah definitely watch The Godfather soon though.




The Beguiled
(1971)

Director: Don Siegel
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Page, Elizabeth Hartman
Rating: R
Genre: drama, thriller

"While imprisoned in a Confederate girls' boarding school, an injured Union soldier cons his way into each of the lonely women's hearts, causing them to turn on each other, and eventually, on him."

This is one of those movies that I remember watching on TV in my childhood. I liked it, even if I didn't always get what was going on. Well, I watched this for the first time in like 30 years. You know what? it still works!

The Beguiled
is a stay-in-one-place type of film and I like those, as they usually allow maximum character study. Even though this stars Clint Eastwood and is set during the Civil War, it's not a western. In fact it's more of a psychological thriller that twist and turns along the way as Clint who's a wounded Civil War soldier fighting for the North, ends up in a southern school girl plantation, where he's both guest and captive.

What I liked was the way that Clint's character lied, flirted and manipulated his way into the good graces of the young women at the school. First he charms a 13 year old (Pamelyn Ferdin) who has a crush on him, then he sweet talks the young teacher (Elizabeth Hartman) who's shy but wanting to desperately be loved.

If that wasn't enough he also puts the moves on a young wild hussy (Jo Ann Harris), or did she put the moves on him? Finally there's the older woman with a mysterious and sordid past, (Geraldine Page), she's the lynch pin in this 5 way love triangle. The commotions he stirs up by being the only man the girls have seen in a long while all come to head in a very climactic ending.

Good stuff!

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You have a nice style, Citizen. I enjoy the way you talk lightly and direct about movies with no pretense or over the top technical jargon, like a know-it-all. I could learn a thing or two from you. Keep it up, buddy!



You have a nice style, Citizen. I enjoy the way you talk lightly and direct about movies with no pretense or over the top technical jargon, like a know-it-all. I could learn a thing or two from you. Keep it up, buddy!
Thanks Joel, I try to mix it up and use different writing styles on my reviews. I don't know if anyone ever notices that, but from time to time I do different types of things.

When the new Beguiled (2017) comes to DVD I'll have to watch it and compare it to the original. Have you seen either of the Beguilded?



Thanks Joel, I try to mix it up and use different writing styles on my reviews. I don't know if anyone ever notices that, but from time to time I do different types of things. When the new Beguiled (2017) comes to DVD I'll have to watch it and compare it to the original.
I have noticed you stray away from total uniformity, which is refreshing, and makes me forget you may've written another review I liked, too, based on your chameleon review style.

You're like The Red Hot Chili Peppers of movie reviews, except not nearly as obnoxious.

EDIT: I have not seen either. Maybe I will.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.

WALL·E
(2008)

Director: Andrew Stanton
Writers: Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter (story)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Sci Fi
Studio: Disney Pixar
Rating: G
Length: 98 minutes


Everyone loves WALL-E, the critics loved it! the fans loved it!..it won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film and was nominated for five other Oscars as well. WALL-E has a very high user rating of 8.4 on IMDB. But why all this love?

Myself, I was amazed at parts of the movie
, I loved certain aspects of it, I enjoyed it, it was fresh (mostly) and yet there were a few things that didn't work for me...and two aspects of the movie that I out right hated.

What did I love? and hate? and what impressed me? Keep reading.

I loved the
...opening scenes on a post apocalyptic Earth. An Earth that seemed to be filled with trash and remnants of some strange future society, now vanished...except for one lone robot.

I like WALL-E the robot. He was personable and charming with his childlike curiosity over the discarded junk of a dead society. He was a bit sad too. Seemingly all alone on a planet void of life. I was so glad to see his cockroach friend. Not so much so that he wouldn't be all alone, but because one lone cockroach gave a glimmer of hope that the world had not become a barren planet void of all life.
I bet you didn't think of that did ya?



World building
...The movie did world building, so well! Each frame of the film was full of detail. Even in the furthest corners of each frame, I could see layers of someone's ideas that were put on the screen and yet if you blinked you'd miss them. I love the background sets of films, and this movie was richly designed. The animation was a real joy to behold.

I also loved...the way the first scenes on Earth played out like an old Charlie Chaplin film with WALL-E as the little tramp exploring his world in a Chaplinesque type of way. Gosh I wish the film had went with that idea.

Hitchcock once said that the audience is always one step ahead of the film, anticipating what they will see next. I did this too, and I was disappointed when the film didn't turn out to be WALL-E going about his daily routines and in the process discovering the mystery of what had happened to humanity. I suppose that would be to bleak for Disney, but oh well I can dream can't I.



What I hated it...was Eve. I hated the way the robot looked. It had no charm and looked antiseptic and rather cheaply done. It moved like a exile for the cartoon The Power Puff Girls, which I actually like, but I sure didn't like Eve.

Even worse was the voice, which instantly took me out of the film as it sounded like an actresses voice, and not a robot. I bought into WALL-E sounding real, as he was mechanical sounding, but EVE sounded like a person duping their lines in the studio.

I really didn't care
...about the romance between the two robots. That was cooked, I didn't buy it, and I didn't care in fact it was poorly done without much character building..By the time they leave Earth and head into space, I was thinking the film was a total loss.

But then it got real good!
...when the got aboard the Axiom. Hot damn! Disney has some guts to do what they did with the humans. I couldn't believe they made their social commentary and satire, so blatant. I approve too! I'm talking of course about the humans who had grown grotesquely fat in the distant future after living a sedentary, self indulgent life abroad the Axiom.


Some of my favorite scenes...Monty Python would've been proud of Disney.

Oh My God! I couldn't believe they showed these people chugging down sugary supersized drinks as they floated on their carts, because they were to fat to walk. Hey, I didn't say that, Disney did!

In one scene a portly human falls out of his cart and couldn't even get up, wholly crap, that was bold of Disney to show. Will anybody take the social message of the film and improve their own life styles? I doubt it, but it was funny none the less.

I doubt anyone got this...but, the Axiom is not a space ship at all, it's a giant cruise ship...complete with a regenerative food buffet none the less, ha. I loved the reference to 'Gopher', I doubt the kiddies got it, but I sue did. I mean all one has to do is look at the ship and see it's a supersized cruise ship. They even had the big pool on the lido deck. So if you've ever been on a cruise you can appreciate just how priceless all that was. Loved this part of it!

But you know what I hated?...The insidious cat-walling of the two robots saying over and over again E VAAA....WALLLL E....E VAAA... Repeat that a 100 times and I got space sick. I mean I literally got a headache over the dumbnumbdaness of it.

I didn't really care about the bad robots vs the good robots
...or the Captain vs the AutoPilot, nor did I care that they went back to Earth. I was actually hoping they would stay in space, cause Earth seemed better off without the Humans.


I'm glad you finally watched WALL·E, but it's a shame that you didn't like it more, especially the romance part. I think the romance between the two robots is what makes this movie so special.

EVE was supposed to be much more advanced than WALL·E. She's like the newest, top-of-the-line robot, versus WALL·E being the equivalent of an old 286 computer.

Did you at least like M-O? I love the scene when WALL·E and M-O first meet, and M-O tries to clean WALL·E.



I'm glad you finally watched WALL·E, but it's a shame that you didn't like it more, especially the romance part. I think the romance between the two robots is what makes this movie so special.

EVE was supposed to be much more advanced than WALL·E. She's like the newest, top-of-the-line robot, versus WALL·E being the equivalent of an old 286 computer.

Did you at least like M-O? I love the scene when WALL·E and M-O first meet, and M-O tries to clean WALL·E.
I get that EVE was more advanced, I mean she was sent from the Axiom that had been in space for 700 years and they had developed very advanced technology...I wasn't saying her look/design didn't make sense. I said I didn't like the way she was drawn/looked. It's an anesthetic/artistic thing.

Yes, I like M-O...I said this about him:
Seemingly all alone on a planet void of life. I was so glad to see his cockroach friend. Not so much so that he wouldn't be all alone, but because one lone cockroach gave a glimmer of hope that the world had not become a barren planet void of all life.
I bet you didn't think of that did ya?
M-O was like Charlie Chaplin's dog in A Dog's Life.




The Beguiled
(1971)

[font=Georgia]Director: Don Siegel
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Page, Elizabeth Hartman
Rating: R
Genre: drama, thriller
Saw this one when I was a kid too...definitely time for a re-watch.