GBGoodies 2015 Movie Logbook

I loved Lawrence of Arabia but couldn't get into Zhivago, although I'd try it again.

It was the opposite for me. I just couldn't get into Lawrence of Arabia for some reason. I think the romance drew me into the story more in Doctor Zhivago.

I really liked Doctor Zhivago. I actually wish it had been made longer as it was so rich in multi-character stories. I feel there was more to the story to be told. I love sweeping historical epics. So it was right on my alley.

Lawrence of Arabia. I loved it for the cinematography and for the odd character Peter O Toole played. But I could see some people saying it was slow.

Longer? I think both movies were too long, but I also think that movies shouldn't be longer than 2 hours, maybe 2-1/2 hours if the pacing is right.

Yup longer, I'm not kidding. I wanted more of Doctor Zhivago. I guess that's why I like mini series so much.

Mini-series are different though because they air over several days, so you don't have to sit and watch the whole thing all at once. (Maybe I should start doing that with epics too.)

That's what I do, on really long films like 4 hours of Cleopatra, I do half one night, the other half next night.

A Letter to Three Wives (1949) - This is one of those movies that I've always wanted to see, but I just never got around to it, so when it aired on a local cable channel recently, I decided to finally sit down and watch it.

Just as Deborah Bishop (Jeanne Crain), Rita Phipps (Ann Sothern), and Lora Mae Hollingsway (Linda Darnell) are about to leave for the day, they receive a letter from Addie Ross, (voice of Celeste Holm), telling them that she is leaving town, and one of their husbands is leaving with her, but she doesn't tell them whose husband is leaving.

This movie was not what I expected, but it was an excellent movie. I thought this movie was basically going to be the three woman trying to figure out whose husband ran away with Addie, but it wasn't. It was flashbacks about the three wives and their husbands, how they met, and how their marriages are all on the rocks. The movie really leaves it up to us to pay attention, and to try to figure out whose husband won't be home at the end of the day. The movie is all about the characters and the dialogue. The movie just gets better and better as it goes along, and it builds up to a fantastic ending.

+

Attachments

 

The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) - I watched this movie for the upcoming 1965 movie list. It's another movie that I've heard a lot about over the years, but I never got around to watching, so this seemed like a good time to watch it.

A small plane gets caught in a sandstorm and crashes in the desert. They have enough dates for food, but only enough water for about 10-15 days. One of the passengers is an airplane designer, and he comes up with a plan to build a flyable airplane out of the damaged plane, but can they build a flyable plane before their food and water run out?

This is a good movie, but it doesn't have a lot of action. Most of the action is at the very beginning and the very end of the movie, but the movie is kind of slow at times, and just a bit too long. It has some minor plot holes, but nothing so bad that it can't be easily overlooked. The all-star cast includes James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine, and Hardy Krüger.

Attachments

 

Are we even going to have a 1965 tournament? It seems like that has died down. Anyway, overall, I haven't been a big fan of 1965.

I'm not sure what's happening with the 1965 tournament, but either way, I still have to watch a lot of movies for the 1960s list, so I'm doing that by continuing in year order.

I agree that The Flight of the Phoenix is a bit slow, but I loved every minute of it. Of course being that James Stewart is my favorite actor of all-time, I admit to being a bit prejudiced. It's certainly head-and-shoulders above the dreck remake.

__________________
"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."

I haven't seen the remake of The Flight of the Phoenix, but I would recommend the original version. I didn't love it as much as you did, but it's definitely a good movie.

Goodies, I know you like Liar Liar, just a thought, what would you give it a rating of?

Having just watched The Cable Guy, I'm curious to ask.

I would give Liar Liar a rating of . It's one of my favorite comedies, and my favorite Jim Carrey movie. (I haven't seen The Cable Guy yet.)

I'd give Lair Lair the same rating. Here's how I would rank his comedies (I've seen):

1. Liar Liar
2. Me, Myself and Irene
3. The Grinch
4. The Mask
5. Ace Ventura
6. The Cable Guy
7. Bruce Almighty
8. Fun with Dick and Jane
9. A Series of Unfortunate Events
10. Yes Man

I like all to some degree, I've yet to see Dumb and Dumber.

Here's how I'd rank the Jim Carrey comedies that I've seen:

1. Liar Liar
2. Bruce Almighty
3. Mr. Popper's Penguins
4. The Grinch
5. Fun with Dick and Jane
6. Once Bitten
7. Earth Girls Are Easy
8. Me, Myself and Irene
9. Yes Man
10. The Mask

I also liked him in the dramas The Truman Show and The Majestic, but I hated Man on the Moon, (possibly because I was never a fan of Andy Kaufman).

A Perfect World (1993) - I watched this movie for the 6th HoF. It's a movie that I watched a long time ago, but I didn't remember much about it, so I was glad to see it nominated in the HoF.

Robert "Butch" Haynes, (Kevin Costner), a convict who escaped from prison, kidnaps 8 year old Phillip "Buzz" Perry, (T.J. Lowther), and they form a bond while on the run from the law.

I should preface this by mentioning that I'm one of the people who likes Kevin Costner, and I don't understand why some people don't like him. Having said that, I think this is one of his better movies. This is a great story, and possibly Costner's best performance. The movie is very well paced. It's emotional at times, with just the right blend of drama and humor. I was very impressed with young T.J. Lowther as Buzz, and I was surprised to find that he's made very few movies. I thought Clint Eastwood and Laura Dern were kind of wasted in this movie. I expected to see more of them, but the movie focused mainly on the growing relationship between Butch and Buzz.

Attachments

 

Jane Eyre (1943) - This movie is an Orson Welles movie that I hadn't seen before, and it aired on a local cable channel, so I decided to give it a try.

As a child, Jane Eyre, (Peggy Ann Garner), was sent to a cruel boarding school for girls. Ten years later, as an adult, Jane Eyre, (Joan Fontaine), is hired by Edward Rochester, (Orson Welles), as governess for his daughter Adele, (Margaret O'Brien). Despite their differences, Jane and Edward soon fall in love, but he's hiding a secret that could keep them apart.

This is a very good movie with a dark, gloomy feel to it. It's a romance, but there's a feeling of sadness through most of the movie. The performances are excellent, including a young Elizabeth Taylor in an uncredited role as young Jane's friend Helen Burns.

It's not one of my favorite movies because it's a bit too dark and gloomy for my tastes, but it's a good movie, and I would definitely recommend it.

Attachments

 

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) - I watched this movie for the 6th Hall of Fame.

This was a very good movie. However I think I would have preferred if the movie was shown in chronological order. I don't think there was any benefit to showing it out of order, and it was even kind of distracting at times.

I felt bad for Hank, (Ethan Hawke), and his father, (Albert Finney), but I only felt hatred for Andy, (Philip Seymour Hoffman), throughout the movie. Philip Seymour Hoffman was a very good actor, but I've never been a big fan of his, mainly because he tends to play very unlikable characters, so it's always been hard to relate to his character in any movie that I've seen him.

Overall I liked the movie, but it has some nagging loose ends that weren't closed at the end of the movie. Other than that, it's a good movie.

Attachments