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Whoa, what a weird (but unexpectedly cool) choice; your parents must have awesome taste in movies, yo.
Yeah, and my mom especially is a film buff. We also had the 50s Invasion of the Body Snatchers on tape.



I think this is pretty much exactly how this movie plays today.
There were so many distasteful things to be found in this movie. It's like they had a laundry list of objectionable traits and behaviors. From Chevalier's "I keep my pimp hand strong" shtik to Jourdan's smug entitlement to Caron basically being groomed to be a "side piece". I watched it, registering the opulent costumes and catchy tunes, but running alongside all of this was a curdled sort of detachment.



I think this is pretty much exactly how this movie plays today.
I have to agree...despite the music and all the elegant trappings, the actual story of Gigi contains a lot of unsavory elements...here's a link to my review:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1981537-gigi.html



FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT
(1940, Hitchcock)

That's what newspaper editor Powers asks for, and that's what he gets with John Jones (Joel McCrea) when he sends him as "foreign correspondent" to Europe just before World War II starts. Jones is a no-nonsense crime reporter who approaches the task very much unlike his predecessor. This, in turn, puts him right in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy in this Hitchcock spy thriller.

This is my second watch of this film and I remember being quite impressed by it the first time. This time, it might have gone down a notch or two, but I still think it's a pretty good and thrilling film, and a showcase of Hitchcock's directing abilities. The whole sequence in the first act, starting with the shooting in the steps and ending at the windmill, is masterfully directed. And although it never goes back to that peak, all of the action setpieces are neatly handled and choreographed.

Grade:
I love this film. IMO it's the best of Hitch's second tier pictures. As his second film in Hollywood after Rebecca, he was finally free of David O. Selznik, and he was eager to do a espionage thriller. Hitchcock stated that as soon as the script was finished he took it to Cary Grant. Grant refused to do a thriller, although later he told Hitch that he wished he'd done it. Hitch felt that Joel McCrea was too affable. I personally liked McCrea in the film.

I really like the scenes you mentioned. The important scene for Hitchcock was the entire windmill sequence, which was mesmerizing. I also was amazed at the plane crash scene; and the famous umbrella scene where the assassin is escaping through the bobbling umbrellas has been imitated several times. Great photography!

Oh, and I also love George Sanders. I could listen to him reading the phone book. I liked him in just about everything he did, with the possible exception of The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945). Although it was a good picture directed by the great Robert Siodmak, I thought he wasn't well cast to play that type of role.



I have to agree...despite the music and all the elegant trappings, the actual story of Gigi contains a lot of unsavory elements...here's a link to my review:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1981537-gigi.html
I actively disliked Gigi. It would be more like a
for me, those two popcorns reflecting only the lush set and costume design.

The way it romanticizes a predatory sex trade is awful. But don't worry, ladies. If you're pure of heart enough, someone might lower himself to make you his wife instead of just his side-piece.



Nice! I discovered it several years ago, but this rewatch pushed it into my Top 5. So good. It's also rumored to be Hitchcock's personal favorite out of his filmography.
One of his very best, for sure. I've probably watched it 15 times over the years.

Yes, I have the feeling SOD was his personal favorite, certainly the incestuous attraction between Charlie and Uncle Charlie. He loved that area of Calif. (film is shot in Santa Rosa). In fact he not only made 3 pictures there (SOD, The Birds, and Vertigo), but he bought a home there in the hills.



I love this film. IMO it's the best of Hitch's second tier pictures. As his second film in Hollywood after Rebecca, he was finally free of David O. Selznik, and he was eager to do a espionage thriller. Hitchcock stated that as soon as the script was finished he took it to Cary Grant. Grant refused to do a thriller, although later he told Hitch that he wished he'd done it. Hitch felt that Joel McCrea was too affable. I personally liked McCrea in the film.

I really like the scenes you mentioned. The important scene for Hitchcock was the entire windmill sequence, which was mesmerizing. I also was amazed at the plane crash scene; and the famous umbrella scene where the assassin is escaping through the bobbling umbrellas has been imitated several times. Great photography!

Oh, and I also love George Sanders. I could listen to him reading the phone book. I liked him in just about everything he did, with the possible exception of The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945). Although it was a good picture directed by the great Robert Siodmak, I thought he wasn't well cast to play that type of role.
I definitely agree on all accounts. If you click on my full review on my personal thread, I drool over Sanders quite a bit. He's great in everything I've seen him in, but I definitely need to check out more.

Re: Hitchcock and Selznick, they were definitely at odds with each other starting with Rebecca, but their relationship would continue all through the 40's, pretty much because there was a contract. But Hitchcock would find ways to walk in and out of it to do other stuff, like this. But they collaborated later on Spellbound, The Paradine Case, and Under Capricorn.
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I watched A Talking Cat!?! today. This wasn't that bad. The acting was pretty poor for the most part. I thought it was a cute and interesting story. Some of the dialogue and scenes were a little cheesy, but I have seen worse. Squeaky the cat who played Duffy the cat was clearly the best actor in the film. Eric Roberts was fine as the voice of the cat. I chuckled a couple times. I've only seen one other film by this director, which was Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama (1988). I enjoyed that one and it was a better film than A Talking Cat. But this one was tolerable and mildly amusing. Meow!



PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK
(1975, Weir)
A film that starts with the letters O or P • A film set in school • A film with any of the words "Rock", "Paper", "Scissors" in its title
-- recommended by Tim Daugherty --



"There's some questions got answers and some haven't."

Set in 1900, Picnic at Hanging Rock follows a group of students from Appleyard College, a girls' private school, as they enjoy a, well, picnic at Hanging Rock, a rocky mountain in Australia. When some of the schoolgirls and a teacher disappear, those that remain have to deal with the aftermath.

This is one of Peter Weir's first films, but he directs it like a consumate veteran. He gives the film a certain mistifying feel to it; an ever-present ethereal vibe that hangs above every scene and every interaction. When the girls arrive at the titular mountain, it is as if they were being quietly watched by it. The rock becomes like another character; a millenial rock formation clashing with the youth and fragility of these girls, all propped up in their own facades of "decency".

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot



PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK
(1975, Weir)
A film that starts with the letters O or P • A film set in school • A film with any of the words "Rock", "Paper", "Scissors" in its title
-- recommended by Tim Daugherty --





Set in 1900, Picnic at Hanging Rock follows a group of students from Appleyard College, a girls' private school, as they enjoy a, well, picnic at Hanging Rock, a rocky mountain in Australia. When some of the schoolgirls and a teacher disappear, those that remain have to deal with the aftermath.

This is one of Peter Weir's first films, but he directs it like a consumate veteran. He gives the film a certain mistifying feel to it; an ever-present ethereal vibe that hangs above every scene and every interaction. When the girls arrive at the titular mountain, it is as if they were being quietly watched by it. The rock becomes like another character; a millenial rock formation clashing with the youth and fragility of these girls, all propped up in their own facades of "decency".

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot
Fantastic film. I love this one.



PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK
(1975, Weir)
A film that starts with the letters O or P • A film set in school • A film with any of the words "Rock", "Paper", "Scissors" in its title
-- recommended by Tim Daugherty --





Set in 1900, Picnic at Hanging Rock follows a group of students from Appleyard College, a girls' private school, as they enjoy a, well, picnic at Hanging Rock, a rocky mountain in Australia. When some of the schoolgirls and a teacher disappear, those that remain have to deal with the aftermath.

This is one of Peter Weir's first films, but he directs it like a consumate veteran. He gives the film a certain mistifying feel to it; an ever-present ethereal vibe that hangs above every scene and every interaction. When the girls arrive at the titular mountain, it is as if they were being quietly watched by it. The rock becomes like another character; a millenial rock formation clashing with the youth and fragility of these girls, all propped up in their own facades of "decency".

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot
Aw yeah. This is one of my favorite movies. It's so deeply unsettling and sad on both a plot and a character level.





Starstruck, 1982

Jackie (Joey Kennedy) works at her parents' financially troubled pub, but she dreams of being a big star. Together with her partner-in-crime cousin Angus (Ross O'Donovan) and her backup band the Wombats, Jackie pursues fame first through stunts and then through trying to land an appearance on a popular television show. But will a taste of fame fracture Jackie's relationship with her cousin and bandmates?

Oh my gosh. This was so much fun.

This was a @Rockatansky recommendation after I enjoyed My Brilliant Career, also by director Gillian Armstrong, and I thought that this was an absolute blast.

Musicals are a real hit-or-miss genre for me. When they're great, they're great. And when they're not, well, many a time I've been tempted to hit the fast forward button.

Starstruck was a total hit for me, as a musical and just as a film in general. On the musical front, the songs are a lot of fun. I was surprised to learn that the songs were written for the film--a few of them were strong enough that I assumed they must be covers. I particularly liked the first song performed by Jackie, a number called "Temper, Temper," but they were all good. The performances are all high energy and colorful. A few of the scenes have an almost Rocky Horror vibe in a sort of organized disorganization. The staging of many of the numbers lands on a perfect note of camp, such as a sequence that takes place in a swimming pool featuring male and female synchronized swimmers and several shark inflatables.

I mean come on.

It's also fun to watch a movie that really emphasizes family relationships over romance. Yes, there is a romantic subplot where Jackie develops a crush on the host of the television program (John O'May) and breaks up with her backup band player Robbie (Ned Lander). But the real heart of the movie is the friendship between Jackie and Angus. The chemistry between Kennedy and O'Donovan is absolutely fantastic, and it's really fun to see an engaging friendship get put at the center of a film.

I thought that this movie was really fun and really funny. It's anchored by a great lead performance from Kennedy, but everyone in the movie is good in their roles. The humor is incredibly good natured, and really there aren't villains here outside of the idea of compromising your art to be more palatable to a general audience. Full of color and outlandish musical numbers, I had a great time with this film.

No notes!




I forgot the opening line.
Great seeing all of this love for Picnic at Hanging Rock! One of my absolute all-time favourites.

I nearly died during the part where Arnold tells us the “advice” he gave to the one guy to scream while posing.
Throughout the whole film, Arnold projects a sense of humour and likeableness that's out of this world, and I'm sure nearly everyone walked away from Pumping Iron absolutely loving him.
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I forgot the opening line.

By May be found at the following website: http://www.qetic.jp/?p=73681, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34226524

Himizu - (2011)

Japanese angst and dismay over the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and subsequent disaster at the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant are captured painfully and quite beautifully by Himizu, which focuses on one teenage boy, Yuichi (Shôta Sometani) whose life was brutally hard before all of those things happened to his world. His father continually beats him, and when drunk tells him he wishes he'd died so he could collect on the insurance money. His mother is having an affair and has one foot out the door already. His neighbours inside the disaster zone all live in improvised huts, and the family is getting by hiring out boats. Yuichi also has to endure the attentions of a female classmate who has a crush on him - to an obsessive degree, and will stop at nothing to become part of his life. When Yuichi's rage finally erupts in devastating violence, his whole world is torn asunder and he becomes drawn to a pistol a Yakuza left for him - his only way out of this nightmare. I was quite taken by this film, which has an incredibly powerful ending that it builds towards in a crescendo of emotion, fury, sorrow and hopelessness. A little more of it's 129 minute running time could have been trimmed - but I was left with the impression I'd seen a premier Japanese film based around the events of 2011 - close to being a classic.

8/10



Victim of The Night
Great seeing all of this love for Picnic at Hanging Rock! One of my absolute all-time favourites.
I was gonna watch it this month for my September thread but I adapted my thread into something else.
I'll have to find another good time. I don't feel like it's a movie I can just watch on a Sunday afternoon or something, I have too much invested in its possibility.



Victim of The Night


Starstruck, 1982

Jackie (Joey Kennedy) works at her parents' financially troubled pub, but she dreams of being a big star. Together with her partner-in-crime cousin Angus (Ross O'Donovan) and her backup band the Wombats, Jackie pursues fame first through stunts and then through trying to land an appearance on a popular television show. But will a taste of fame fracture Jackie's relationship with her cousin and bandmates?

Oh my gosh. This was so much fun.

This was a @Rockatansky recommendation after I enjoyed My Brilliant Career, also by director Gillian Armstrong, and I thought that this was an absolute blast.

Musicals are a real hit-or-miss genre for me. When they're great, they're great. And when they're not, well, many a time I've been tempted to hit the fast forward button.

Starstruck was a total hit for me, as a musical and just as a film in general. On the musical front, the songs are a lot of fun. I was surprised to learn that the songs were written for the film--a few of them were strong enough that I assumed they must be covers. I particularly liked the first song performed by Jackie, a number called "Temper, Temper," but they were all good. The performances are all high energy and colorful. A few of the scenes have an almost Rocky Horror vibe in a sort of organized disorganization. The staging of many of the numbers lands on a perfect note of camp, such as a sequence that takes place in a swimming pool featuring male and female synchronized swimmers and several shark inflatables.

I mean come on.

It's also fun to watch a movie that really emphasizes family relationships over romance. Yes, there is a romantic subplot where Jackie develops a crush on the host of the television program (John O'May) and breaks up with her backup band player Robbie (Ned Lander). But the real heart of the movie is the friendship between Jackie and Angus. The chemistry between Kennedy and O'Donovan is absolutely fantastic, and it's really fun to see an engaging friendship get put at the center of a film.

I thought that this movie was really fun and really funny. It's anchored by a great lead performance from Kennedy, but everyone in the movie is good in their roles. The humor is incredibly good natured, and really there aren't villains here outside of the idea of compromising your art to be more palatable to a general audience. Full of color and outlandish musical numbers, I had a great time with this film.

No notes!

This sounds way up my alley. What's it streaming on?