Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

Been a couple years but I didn't like the caper aspect of Dreyfuss sneaking in or the musical communication. Yeah, I didn't buy the ending either but I'm not sure it would have bothered me that much if I had liked the stuff leading up to it.

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

All this talk about Close Encounters is really making me want to watch it again...it's been at least a decade since I've watched it.

I've always wondered what happens to the creepy, spindly-legged alien that first comes out of the ship. He seems to be there for shock value as he's neither cute nor friendly looking, but looks more like some kind of tall humanoid spider thing. But then he's just gone when all the little big-head aliens come out.
What happened to Mr. creepy spindly-legs? Did he go back inside? (As if the aliens are saying, don't piss us off or we'll have to "bring out the geek" again?) Did he proceed off camera to confer with Bob Balaban?

Don't like this movie as much as you do, but enjoyed reading your review and am enjoying watching your appreciation of Woody Allen grow.

Gawds! I'm never good at guessing how others feel about movies. I thought for sure you would say because Dreyfuss left his wife and family behind and went off on the space ship. Spielberg in an 1997 interview said that he would never have done that scene the same way and called it a naivety from his youth. I thought that was pretty cool, that 20 years latter Spielberg agreed with me

The creepy spindly leg alien was a giant marionette puppet, the only one in the scene. I thought it was pretty cool, I'd like to have seen more of it. There were actually three different species of aliens that we see.

I'm looking forward to watching another Woody movie, I'm not sure which one it will be.

Have you seen Take The Money and Run (1969), Rules? One of Woody's earlier comedies that is pretty much straight slapstick with tons of memorable sight gags and one liners done in a semi-mockumentary style. It's not one of his cerebral, esoteric, social commentary comedies which is why I like it. It's just silly. I also love the girl who plays his love interest: the late Janet Margolin - she was so beautiful.

No, I haven't seen it. I do know of it, though. Hmm, slap stick and sight gags, I'm not sure if I'm going to like it?

It's kind of Woody Allen light - but it is one of his first solo ventures.
It's "light" only in comparison to his later esoteric style - but it's heavy on outlandish scenarios and laughs (for instance, as a kid, his character played the Cello in a high school Marching Band!)

I think it's way better than Bananas (1971) and even Sleeper (1973) which I like because of its sci-fi angle.
It's filming style - with portions presented as a late 60's crime profile documentary - also makes it unique.
As comedies go, it's one of my all time favorites.

Director: Elia Kazan
Writers: Laura Z. Hobson(novel), Moss Hart(screenplay)
Cast: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield
Genre: Drama, Romance

About: A reporter who takes on a writing assignment to uncover the hidden story of anti-Semitism, by pretending to be Jewish himself.

Review: Unlike some of Elia Kazan's other well known social issues movies, Gentleman's Agreement doesn't pack a lot of emotional punch...but, I came to the conclusion that its lack of strong emotions about racial injustices actually makes it more effective and grounded in reality.

I don't know how many movies I've seen about bigotry that shows the victim being horribly mistreated, which then infuriates the viewer, producing a strong reaction. But that emotional manipulation by directors is a bit like a chief who pours to much Tabasco into their dish. A little is good, a lot isn't.

I felt the kind of anti-Semitism bigotry this film explored was more realistic than the bombastic type that could have been shown. I also liked that it was explored from different angles, including the bigoted Jewish secretary who was bigoted against those she thought was 'too Jewish'...In that way they showed quiet discrimination taking place, which made it seem more grounded to me.

Oddly Elia Kazan thought this was one of his weaker movies.

From IMDB:
Despite winning an Oscar for his direction, Elia Kazan revealed in a later interview that he was never fond of this movie, feeling that it lacked passion on his part and he thought that the romance was too forced.

I have to agree with Kazan that I don't think the romance worked well. Though I don't know what he meant by 'too forced'? I thought the script gave the two leads good reason for falling in love and I think the romance scenes were filmed well.

But IMO, Dorothy McGuire does not have that great of an acting range, she's a bit of a cold fish and had no chemistry with Gregory Peck. She's well cast here as the reserved well to do, country club lady but not real personable, so not much chemistry.

The best romance chemistry was the scenes with Celeste Holm and Gregory Peck and that's thanks to Celeste Holm. I love the subtle way she clues us in on her interest in Peck.

My favorite scene in the film is (the picture above)... is where she's alone with Peck and he's talking about his problems and doesn't have a clue she's interested. I love the way she aimlessly stirs her coffee with a spoon. Her continually stirring really speaks volumes. I wonder if that was Kazan's idea? Hers? or even the script writers?

I'll finish by saying I liked Gregory Peck in this and I liked the way the story was told....Oh and I loved the cottage that they visit in Connecticut. When they enter the house and she shows him around, that's a very long scene take, without an edit, impressive! I'm pretty sure that was a real house and not a studio set too.

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Just tell me it's not like the dreaded Airplane (1980)! and I'll watch it!

Ha! No a different style of humor. Think of it this way - you know how we were saying Woody is basically the same character in every movie? Well, same here, except this time he's a nerdy, failed Cello player who is bullied throughout his youth and ends up turning to a life of crime (and the result is one of the most inept, neurotic & hilarious criminals of all time).

I'll watch it, I'll watch it! You're were spot on about The Big Bus, so I'll take you word for it

Director: Jeff Nichols
Writer: Jeff Nichols
Cast: Ruth Negga, Joel Edgerton, Will Dalton
Genre: Historical Bio-Pic Drama

About: Based on the actual events of Richard and Mildred Loving, who in 1958 drove from their home in Virginia to get married in nearby Washington D.C. Upon returning to Virginia they are quickly arrested for violating Virginia's interracial marriage laws. What follows in this true life story is the couple's fight for civil & personal rights...A harrowing tale of prison and banishment from their own state.


Review: Don't be fooled by the movie's title into thinking this is some touchy-feely romance movie...it's not. Loving...is the last name of the real life interracial couple that the movie is based on. For the most part this is a historical drama. Oh sure we get a few terse moments when the police come looking for the newlyweds, but mostly it's done low-key. It's hard to believe that up until 1967 mixed race marriages were illegal in some southern states and those violating the law could be arrested and sent to jail, sad but true.

I found the film held my interest and the story is a riveting one. Yet the way the director/writer tells the story, left me with a bit of an empty feeling, like there should have been a bit more character development or more to the story. I don't feel I got to know the characters well, and in a film like this, that's very important. Loving is an indie film, so I'm willing to cut it some slack.


Ruth Negga...I was very impressed with her, she gave a compelling yet controlled performance. She made her character seem real and likable. I like to see her in more movies. The only other movie I've seen her in was World War Z. Ruth is worth the price of admission, as someone says.

Joel Edgerton...Playing her husband is Joel Edgerton. I've not seen him in anything that I recall. He really does look a lot like the real Richard Loving. I'd say he did a good job here, except I wish we would have gotten a little more insight into the real Richard. I feel like he gave a strong performance, but didn't let the audience in on it.

Let me say this, whoever cast the young ACLU layer was a fool. He was so comical that he came across like a young Jon Lovitz and I thought the movie was headed into slapstick territory, when the lawyer enters the picture.

I did enjoy Loving and learned something about the past. But ultimately I wanted more of a connection out of this film.

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Review: This was a fun, easy watch. I can't say I loved it, but it had it's moments and always kept me interested. At times it felt like a made for TV movie, but that's not a bad thing as it was trying to be entertaining and it was and at least it never went over the top or got silly. All of the actors were real excellent, especially Ray Sharkey who plays the obsessed with success, rock promoter. Based on the real life Bob Marcucci. Here all the characters have different names than the actual people they are based on.


My favorite part was with Marcia (Maureen McCormick) of The Brady Bunch...and the house band at the small club where the new acts are introduced. I dug the band and the atmosphere. The movie comes back to this hole in the wall, club several times. All nicely done.


I also liked the story of the first performer Tommy Dee, who's first big appearance is in front of jr high school girls, which was funny. The live TV show on Saturday night Bandstand that he does was also fun and well done.


Geez, the promoter was sure a jerk, but the actor did a really excellent job at being a jerk. I wonder if they real promoter was really this jerky? Everybody sang pretty good too, especially his second star Peter Gallagher. It was funny that the songs from the late 50s, early 60s all sounded like the early 80s. But that's not a big deal as they were not original period songs, but wrote for the movie.

Tovah Feldshuh who played Brenda Roberts the magazine lady, really reminded me of Captain Janeway from Star Trek Voyager. I swear they could be sisters.

Overall an entertaining film.








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Take The Money And Run is my favourite Woody Allen film by quite some way. You are completely right, it is one of if not his most shallow films. There's not much beyond the jokes so if you don't find it funny then there's not much you are going to get out of it. I like films with alot of depth but sometimes i think i respect a director more for making something like this, especially a director who usually tries to add more to his films. Take The Money and Run is just supposed to be fun, nothing else, i also think despite it just being a joke machine it gives just as good of an insight into Allen's mind as any other film of his since this is basically a pure showcase of what he finds fun and funny himself. The whole thing is just so silly there's no other word for it, every scene while being technically possible (with the exception of one or two) is so absurd that the film feels really surreal. It also has the joke i laughed at most in an Allen film the first time i saw it; don't read this spoiler Citizen if you are going to watch it because it has to be a surprise for it to work.



Completely agree with your Spielberg posts the last few pages. I don't like E.T, actually i like it a lot less than you and always have since i was a kid, got to have seen the film 10+ times now including as an adult so clearly it is never going to work for me. And Close Encounters may be my favourite Spielberg i'm not sure.

story is mighty interesting, but the execution is lifeless. At least for me. IT was like filmmakers having too aggressive deadlines.

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Excellent, excellent post, Camo! There is something brilliant in the simplicity of the movie's comedy - it's like "pure" unadulterated comedy. If there is a 101 course on comedy, this movie should be a prerequisite. You don't have to engage in a lot of thinking, you just enjoy as the fun is contained in a very simple story under an hour and a half long.
And there's the overall juxtaposition of sticking so many absurd situations into the realistic feeling of a documentary that adds to the overall surreal feeling - some say that Woody Allen made the very first mocumentary with this film that many others have since tried to copy.

Agreed with all of that. Also something that completely cements the absurdity of the film, by that i mean makes it clear that you aren't supposed to take any of it seriously and if you are you are wrong is the fact that Virgil is so damn likable haha. Maybe it was just me, but i completely warmed up to everything he did and even felt for him at times because of the fact that he is the biggest failure and unluckiest character in film history pretty much, and this is taking into account the various crimes he commits including

It is Allen at his least restrained, not to be corny here but he does pretty much takes it and runs (with it) haha.

One of my all-time favorite TV movies is from the mid-90's. It stars Timothy Hutton and it is called Mr. and Mrs. Loving. It is this same story. And because I liked that one so much, I didn't have much interest in watching the version of that story that was out last year.

If you can find a way, you should see if you can obtain Mr. and Mrs. Loving, give it a watch, and tell me what you think about it. I may watch the theatrical film at some time, but I don't think I will like it as much as the TV movie.

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Forgot to mention Loving. I pretty much agree with you, personally i think Jeff Nichols is a very good director and that his understated approach often pays off: especially in Shotgun Stories but Loving was so understated that it has basically blended into nothing in the months since i watched it. I actually think i'd put Midnight Special above it now since that has stuck with me more.