GBGoodies 2015 Movie Logbook

Thank you.

I think the revival cast of "Finian's Rainbow" is better than the original (I am not fond of the original female star's voice), but it is perfectly fine to listen to if that is all there. After all, that is all that I had to listen to until the revival opened.

You got to see Michael Crawford as The Phantom? Jealous! I saw him in concert back in 1997. He was so good. And, of course, I managed to get both his and Sarah Brightman's autographs. But somewhere on youtube there is a recording of the entire musical with the original Broadway cast. At least there was a couple of years ago. The picture isn't good at all (it seems the video was recorded from the balcony), but the sound is there and it is fantastic. How I ever found it, I have no idea. It was so good to hear, though.

I know ALW said that he wished he would've filmed Phantom that way, instead of the movie, after he saw "Love Never Dies". I kind of wish so, too, because I like really like filmed stage productions.

And just so you know, I have a record player, too. And a VCR. I have too much music and too many movies that I can't get anywhere else. I have to have those things 2 things in the house just for all of that.

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

That's cool that you got both Michael Crawford's and Sarah Brightman's autographs. I have his autograph, but I didn't get to meet him. My parents met him when he was performing "EFX" in Las Vegas. My father wrote him a letter before they went to Vegas, and he was so touched by the letter that he invited my parents backstage after the show. My mom gave me an autographed "EFX" program and CD.

I saw "Love Never Dies", (on TV), and it was good, but it wasn't as good as "Phantom". There used to be a video on YouTube of the "Phantom" movie with Gerard Butler, but with the audio from the Michael Crawford London version of the play dubbed over the movie. It was amazing how well the songs matched up to the images.

I still have a VCR too, and an 8-track player/recorder. I use the VCR sometimes, but I haven't used the 8-track player in many years. (But as far as I know, it still works.) I'm trying to convert a lot of my VHS tapes to DVD-R, but I have so many that it will take years.

Where Love Has Gone is a guilty pleasure of mine...I read somewhere that Bette Davis only agreed to do the film in order to pay for her daughter's wedding.

I agree with every single word you said about Seems Like Old Times...it's one of my favorites that I NEVER get tired of re-watching.

Where Love Has Gone was okay, but I was hoping it would have been better. I'm not surprised that Bette Davis only did it for the money because it's not one of her better movies.

Mr. Arkadin aka Confidential Report (1955)

This was an interesting movie, but it's not one of my favorites. The first half is kind of slow, and it almost lost me for a while in the middle of the movie, but it picks up again about an hour into the movie, when Guy starts to find out some information about Arkadin.

Some of the weird camera angles had an almost dizzying effect, making it hard to watch.

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Journey Into Fear (1943)

This is a great, suspenseful movie with an exciting ending. Joseph Cotten is terrific, but Orson Welles has a very small part, and he was pretty much wasted in this movie.

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Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957)

This was the first movie that Dean Martin made after Martin & Lewis broke up, so he hadn't quite hit his stride yet. It's an enjoyable movie, but it's kind of slow at times. It's a cute movie, but the ending is kind of predictable. It's also a bit confusing keeping track of who likes who, but if you like Dean Martin, this movie is worth watching.

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Les Misérables (2012)

Les Misérables is one of my favorite Broadway musicals, and they did a great job bringing it to the big screen. For the most part, the cast is excellent, but vocally, Russell Crowe is the weak link. Fortunately, his terrific acting makes up for it.

It was also nice to see Colm Wilkinson (the original Jean Valjean in the London and New York stage shows) playing the Bishop.

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Pocketful of Miracles (1961)

This is a funny and enjoyable movie, but it's not one of Frank Capra's best. The cast is good, but the only real standout is Peter Falk, who easily steals the movie.

This movie is a remake of Frank Capra's movie Lady For a Day (1933). I haven't seen the original movie, but this move made me want to see it.

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Barefoot in the Park (1967)

This is one of my favorite romantic comedies. It's a charming movie about newlyweds who suddenly realize that they are very different people. There are some very funny scenes, and some hysterical one-liners.

Jane Fonda and Robert Redford are wonderful together as newlyweds Corie and Paul Bratter. Charles Boyer is terrific as their crazy neighbor, and Mildred Natwick is great as Corie's mother.

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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) - I watched this movie during a commentary here on the forum. It's my least favorite movie of the trilogy, but it still has some strong points, so the commentary was a lot of fun.

This movie is another exciting Indiana Jones adventure. It has some fun and exciting moments, but it loses points for the sick and disgusting parts. As expected, Harrison Ford is great as Indiana Jones, but Kate Capshaw and Jonathan Ke Quan are both a little bit annoying in the supporting roles.

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North by Northwest (1959)

This movie is a great mystery/thriller. It's one of Hitchcock's best. Don't miss it!

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I try to look over your list and comment, but no matter what I do, I feel like I am so behind reading what you've watched this far into the year.

But I will comment on 4 things.

1. Watch the original "Lady For a Day". I think it is much better than "Pocketful of Miracles" (and Peter Falk stands out in anything he is in ).

2. If "Jane Eyre" was too dark (I believe that was the word you used - sorry if it is wrong), then I don't think you would be too fond of any of the versions. I, for one, love the book. So, I watch every adaptation there is. The Orson Welles version, however, is one of my least favorites.

3. "Gone With The Wind". I actually like the length of it. I am always happy the longer a movie is (granted, I am enjoying the film, of course ), but the actual book was 1,024 pages (at least the one that I read). So, it was going to be a long movie no matter what. As for Vivien Leigh, THANK YOU!!!! Finally someone else sees that she wasn't THAT good in there! She had her scenes where she was OK. But Oscar worthy? Definitely not. I don't think so. Clark Gable on the other hand...well, maybe I will write a review someday on this movie so that I can really go on about how I truly feel about it all. For now, I will say that the man doesn't get enough respect for his work in that movie.

4. "Les Miserables". I am the sole person who wasn't bothered by Russell Crowe. I wasn't all that keen on Anne Hathaway. But I have never really been a fan, anyway. I liked the movie. I don't really know how much, though. I was so sick the day I went to see it (sinus infection). I went because my brother talked me into taking my nephew (he wanted to see it and my brother didn't). I wasn't planning on going at that time, but I did. And the whole time I was so miserable. As I watched Anne Hathaway, I kept wanting to scream at the screen "Just die already!". And I was SO tired of Marius and Cosette. I think I was just so unwell that I wanted to get out of there. I do have the DVD, but I still haven't watched it. I need to so that I can see what it is like when I am healthy. Maybe my opinions will change then. I did wonder in the movie theater if anyone else noticed that was Colm Wilkinson. At least I know that someone else out there knew it, too.

A Star Is Born (1954)

This is a fantastic movie that's a nice blend of drama and romance, with some terrific songs. Judy Garland was amazing in this movie. She was robbed of the Oscar that year.

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I agree about Peter Falk. He was such a terrific actor, and he stole just about every movie that he was in. "Columbo" is one of my favorite TV shows, and he's a big part of the reason for that. I don't think the show would have been as good with someone else in the role.

I'm a fan of almost every Frank Capra movie that I've seen, so I hope to see Lady For a Day soon. It's definitely on my watchlist.


I wasn't really "bothered" by Russell Crowe. I just didn't think that his voice was as good as anyone else in the movie. He's a terrific actor, and he did a great job in the movie, but I would have preferred someone with a better singing voice in such an important role.

Big Night (1996) - This movie was recommended in "Gideon58's Reviews" thread.

I had never heard of this movie until I read about it in "Gideon58's Reviews" thread. This is an charming movie about two brothers who are struggling to save their Italian restaurant. Stanley Tucci and Tony Shaloub are great as the two brothers, and the ending is perfect.

Thank You Gideon58 for this great recommendation.

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Always (1989) - For my birthday, I decided to treat myself by watching one of my all-time favorite movies. This movie is a remake of the 1943 movie A Guy Named Joe, but I saw this movie before seeing the original movie, which might be why I like this version better than the original.

This movie is a romance, but it's also a drama, and it has some comedy too. There are some scenes that are so emotional that they make me cry every time I watch the movie, like when Pete and Dorinda, (Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter), dance together, (sort of), after her date with another man, (Brad Johnson). The ending is exciting and perfect.

Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter are wonderful together. John Goodman is great as Pete's best friend. Brad Johnson is good as Dorinda's new love interest, but I think he's the weak link in the movie. Audrey Hepburn makes her final film appearance with a small role in this movie.

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Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

This is a terrific romantic comedy directed by Frank Capra about a man who inherits a large fortune, then has to prove he's sane when he tries to do good things with the money. The story is complicated when he falls in love with a female reporter who pretends to like him to get close to him and get his story. This is a charming movie with a fantastic ending.

Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur both give amazing performances.

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