Movie Tab II

Starman (John Carpenter, 1984)

Easily could have been a silly, cheesey film, and it took me a little while to get into Jeff Bridges as the main character, but as I slowly grew to like him, I began to think the film was wonderful, kind of how Karen Allen's character originally acts shocked and unsure how to act, but grows to love him. Both actors give fantastic performances, and there are a number of scenes that are really beautiful and moving, my mum came in for just the end of the film and was almost crying herself. Really restrained and composed direction, a great film.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (Chuck Jones, Ben Washam, 1966)

Was checking all my lists and I remembered this was on the animation one and was only thirty minutes long, not sure why I did not watch it at the time it appeared. Good film, good animation and nice storytelling from Boris Karloff. Maybe if I had not seen Ron Howard's annoying version of the film so many times I would have been able to enjoy the whole thing more, I can see why it is a favourite for some.

Seven Psychopaths (Martin McDonagh, 2012)

Me and my brother both thought In Bruges was a very good film so when I saw this was on television I figured it would be worth a watch. A very funny film with lots of laugh out loud moments, although once they head out of the city and into the desert it kind of runs out of steam and ideas and becomes a little bit of a chore. Seeing Tom Waits as a psychopath was great.

Marty (Delbert Mann, 1955)

Very nice, simple little film with two solid performances at the centre of it. I enjoyed it, but did not fall in love as some people have. Nothing of note really cinematically, but it was a relatable tale told well. I do not understand why everyone hated Betsy Blair's character and thought she was ugly.

Forbidden Planet (Fred M. Wilcox, 1956)

I really loved the story of this, it becomes a bit convoluted and silly towards the end, but the first half was really great a mysterious. It really reminded me of one of my favourite shows, LOST. Weird seeing Leslie Neilsen in a normal role, but I enjoyed him. I didn't really have any problems with the campiness or did not laugh at some of the dialogue like other people seem to suggest they do. Really wanted it to become a favourite, but as I say, the story kind of falls apart in the second half, and a lot of the stuff just straight up does not make sense, also the treatment of the female character is absolutely stupid.

Johnny Guitar (Nicholas Ray, 1954)

This film blew me away. Joan Crawford gives one of the best performances I have seen. There are so many scenes and moments that are memorable, the colours, especially the way Crawford dresses, are fantastic. Mercedes McCambridge really gave a great performance too I thought as her enemy, I can not remember the last time I absolutely despised a character, some of the moments were really tough to watch and I felt devastated for Vienna, honestly.

Ben-Hur (William Wyler, 1959)

Put off watching this for ages because of its length, and it was pretty much exactly how I expected it to be. Really boring for most the part, no idea why it needs to be so long, but there are some good scenes sprinkled throughout.

You won't find a great actress, a leading lady who is ugly. Betsy Blair is very attractive, but it's something Hollywood can get away with. I liked her character, both characters, and I love the movie. I also think "Johnny Guitar" is a top Western, but prefer "Marty".

Dang, Betsy Blair was pretty cute. The one who played her character in the teleplay was nothing to look at though

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The Magnificent Seven (1960) -



John Sturges knew he cant compete with Kurosawa, so he took a different path and totally nailed it! His choice was top notch badassassity with some of the toughest men alive: Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen... and Eli Wallach as bandit leader. Every scene is superb. Either badass or interesting. Too bad it's a remake of a great masterpiece.

七人の侍 [Seven Samurai] (1954) - - REWATCH'



After I saw The Magnificent Seven I knew I had to rewatch this immediately. This is such a masterpiece words mean nothing, but I still prefer Red Beard to it! Mifune was wonderful here. I mean, I still prefer Nakadai, but he was such an unstoppable force here. Pretty funny, too. And the movie is sad at times, too. Some wrecking scenes! Generally, much more developed than American remake, but given the length it's no wonder.

La nuit des traquées [Night of the Hunted] (1980) -



Pulp artsploitation at its best. Boobies! Must-see for Rollin fans!

替天行道之杀兄 [Brother of Darkness] (1994) -



As good as Daughter of Darkness! Anthony Wong is only a prosecutor here as the plot revolves around reminiscences on a trial. The main villain is hilarious with his constant sexual tension and this has some of the best directed erotic scenes I've seen in a while. I still have tons of CAT III films to watch and this one proves there are still great films I haven't seen.

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) -



The mystery part isn't much as I knew what's it about 15 minutes in, but Tracy is such a badass here that any lower rating would've been inexcusable!

Speedy (1928) -



No Jobyna Ralston? Worthless! Seriously, though, the Coney Island part was amazing (so is every amusement park scene in silent cinema - look at Lonesome or The Crowd) and the crab sequence one of the funniest things I've ever seen. It kind of goes downwards from there, but it's still great fun.

二十四の瞳 [Twenty-Four Eyes] (1954) -



Kinoshita is the king of tearjerkness and Takamine is the queen of Japanese cinema. The whole movie is crying, so in this aspect it even beats She Was Like Wild Chrysanthemum. Naturally, the viewer is crying, too. Unless he has no heart.

Contamination [Alien Contamination] (1980) -



Wonderful ending and beginning. So-so middle part! Super-cheesy! Impressively looking eggs and the creature at the end. Not a masterpiece Starcrash is, though!

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.

Whenever I see GF3 being discussed, it makes me think of one question:

Has anyone ever come across a person who prefers Godfather 3 to both 1 and 2?

The Evil Dead (1981)

Ash and his friends first venture out to the cabins in the woods. Seems to be the horror purist's favorite entry in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead Trilogy which spanned from 1983 to 1992, where flesh-possessing demons are unleashed! By Hp Lovecraft's Necronomicon cursed book thing. A retro low budget idea pulled off with wacky camera techniques. It's a pretty good old 80s movie, it at least deserves props for being a pretty original idea that pioneered the genre. I honestly loved Evil Dead 2 that first time I saw it, and Army of Darkness as well. I can't really remember which order I watched them in. So keep an eye out in the Kandarian ruins for a volume of ancient Sumarian burial practices and incantations.

Rating: 7.0 / 10



The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra(2001)

A mindblowing script showing off with lines such as.. Look! Crowbar's changing Animala back into four animals! ... Relax my pet, I can do anything, even I admit that....and, Oh, it's you, the stupid one. A profound homage to the #50 movie in the 50s countdown, Plan 9 From 'Other' Space, where a mad scientist and skeleton, a bad scientist and his wife, two aliens and their pet search for the always elusive element "atmospherium."

Rating: + 6.5 / 10



Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

Twelve year-olds Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade are neighbors and best friends in smalltown autumn Illinois. The boys know everyone in town, their school teacher Miss Foley who misses her beauty of youth, the lonely barber Mr Crosetti, Mr Tetley the greedy cigar store owner, and Ed the disabled bartender with only one arm and a leg who wanted to be a football hero. That's when Mr Dark's autumn festival comes to town. Jason Robards as young Will's father stands out, along with Jonathan Pryce as Dark. Thanks to Funny Face for the recommendation. See all the fun of the fairground.

Rating: 8.0 / 10

Dark's Pandemonium Carnival

That's Livia from The Sopranos! Thought it was her when I saw your post but wasn't sure because of the dates, if you ever watch that show you'll probably hate her

Patti Smith: Dream of Life (Steven Sebring, 2008)

+
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence (Ricardo Cortez, 1939)

+
Charlie Chan in Honolulu (H. Bruce Humberstone, 1939)

-
Jason Bourne (Paul Greengrass, 2016)

+

A super-destructive car chase in Las Vegas is the kind of over-the-top action scene this film excels at, not the “plot” which has pretty much dried up. But this scene had me laughing out loud.
Nineteen Eighty-Four (Michael Radford, 1984)

Roof Tops of Manhattan (Joseph Henabery, 1935)

Love & Friendship (Whit Stillman, 2016)

Road North (Mika Kaurismäki, 2012)

Concert pianist Samuli Edelmann is reunited with his bum-like father (Vesa-Matti Loiri) after 30 years, and they go on a road trip to try to patch things up with other family members with whom they have strained relationships.
The Meddler (Lorene Scafaria, 2016)

+
How to Play Football (Jack Kinney, 1944)

I Like Your Nerve (William McGann, 1931)

Genius (Michael Grandage, 2016)

+

During the 1920s and ‘30s, Scribner book editor Max Perkins (Colin Firth), who has already worked with F. Scott Fitzgerald (Guy Pearce) and Ernest Hemingway (Dominic West), nurtures the verbose, unwanted Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law) into a successful novelist, but can he make him a caring human being?
Hot Money (William McGann, 1936)

Alias a Gentleman (Harry Beaumont, 1948)

Lord Byron of Broadway (William Nigh & Harry Beaumont, 1930)

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (Judy Irving, 2005)

At San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill, a group of wild parrots congregate and are studied by, fed, cared for and loved by musician Mark Bittner.
Full Frontal (Steven Soderbergh, 2002)

-
A Country Coyote Goes Hollywood (Jack Couffer, 1965)

+
Midnight Madness (David Wechter & Michael Nankin, 1980)

+
Those Calloways (Norman Tokar, 1965)

The son (Brandon De Wilde) of an early environmentalist (Brian Keith) struggles with women, although the girl (Linda Evans) he likes is crazy for him.

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

Spione [Spies] (1928) -



Between his two sci-fi masterpieces Lang made this spy thriller. It's a little bit weaker than the two aforementioned movies, but still great cinema. It has some hints of Feuillade and Dr. Mabuse, or even The Trail of the Octopuss, with some wonderful scenes, ideas and twists. Must-see for all Fritz Lang fans.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) -



I love movies based on plays and this one is no different. It's hard to talk about it and not get into spoiling it, but Newman gives a wonderful performance here and everything works just as it should. Like, the children and their respective parents are annoying, their reception of Big Daddy corny etc. I found the scenes of everybody in one room quarrelling about land etc. and Newman with Big Daddy alone in the basement strangely moving. The ending is pretty kinky (sadly, it ends too soon before the proper action starts)!

A Face in the Crowd (1957) -



Oh boy, isn't Patricia Neal the cutest thing alive? Well, actually she died in 2010, but you know what I mean. Elia Kazan is such an impressive director with all 3 films of his I've seen that got a rating and now this is the fourth one. Now I have to watch Network.

Scanners (1981) -



Just your usual Cronenberg. Pretty cool. Of course, the cult exploding head scene and the ending are impressive and the telepathy plot quite imaginative. The medicine is even based on a real medicine (but of course their effects differ). Stephen Lack's protruding eyes lead me to believe he may not only be a scanner, but also a Reptilian!

Minio, "A Face In The Crowd" is one of my favorite (Top 20-30) ever... And I think "Network" is an updated form of the power of media. I think you'll love it. It's a Top 5, and a friend of mine knew Paddy Chayesky and led him to believe it was about him, Mort Sahl (playing the Howard Beale role). Great cast too, great writing, some funny parts, and one of the best speeches ever.

War of the Worlds (Steven Spielberg, 2005) - +
Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss (Yasuharu Hasebe, 1970) - +

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"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the war room."

Absolutely tremendous. I really don't have a lot to say. It is perfect and I wish the visuals in every movie were handled with this much care. Best heist scene ever, best escape ever, and best chase ever. Top ten material.




In Jeff Bridges first scene he asks the rhetorical question "you know what they say about imitation". This line is not by accident. Hell Or High Water is straight up Coen brothers. No Country, Fargo, or True Grit. Take your pick because their is a lot of homage from all those. When you imitate well though, almost no one will mind. That is the case here. In fact if this was a Coen brothers release I probably would be giving it five stars and saying they have done it again. As it is, I absolutely loved my theater experience. The film is funny, thrilling, and at times poignant. I want to see it again to see if my feelings stick but right now it is my favorite of the year thus far.

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Letterboxd

I thought that Le Cercle Rouge would be a film you'd enjoy a lot Sean, I'm glad you loved it. Really is great, a perfect film.

Invitation to the Dance (Gene Kelly, 1957)

Boat Builders (Ben Sharpsteen, 1938)

Three Texas Steers (George Sherman, 1939)

Café Society (Woody Allen, 2016)

+

Young Jesse Eisenberg comes from the Bronx to Hollywood in the 1930s to get a job with his successful agent uncle (Steve Carrell) and immediately falls for his secretary (Kristen Stewart).
Bells Are Ringing (Vicente Minnelli, 1960)

A Day on Treasure Island (James A. FitzGerald, 1939)

Jalopy (William Beaudine, 1953)

+
Springtime in a Small Town (Tian Zhuangzhuang, 2003)

In post-WWII China, a seemingly-ill man (Wu Hun) and his dutiful-but-cold wife (Hu Jingfan) are visited by his good friend (Xin Bai Qing), a doctor who once romanced the wife.
Tugboat Mickey (Clyde Geronimi, 1940)

Mabel's Wilful Way (Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, 1915)

+
Black Eye (Jack Arnold, 1974)

Born to Be Blue (Robert Budreau, 2016)

Chet Baker (Ethan Hawke), the cool purveyor of west coast swing, has to battle his inner demons and drug addiction to express his personal vision.
The Champeen (Robert F. McGowan, 1923)

+
Nelson Mandela Redrawn (Brett Lotriet Best, 2014)

R.F.D. Greenwich Village (No Director Listed, 1969)

Boss Nig#er (Jack Arnold, 1975)

Two black bounty hunters (Fred Williamson & D’Urville Martin) become the law in a white town where most of the white citizens use the “n-word” as naturally as they breathe.
Through the Colorado Rockies (James A. FitzGerald, 1943)

+
Gotta Catch Santa Claus (Peter Lepeniotis, Jin Choi II & Jamie Waese, 2008)

Guns of a Stranger (Robert Hinkle, 1973)

-
”Crocodile” Dundee (Peter Faiman, 1986)

Australian croc survivor Paul Hogan comes to NYC with American journalist Linda Kozlowski and is greeted by a mugger.

What rating do you give the original Spring in a Small Town, Mark? I have a feeling I saw you give it three stars once, but I could just be making that up.

Edit: I didn't even know it had a remake until I saw your post, but I added the most recent one to my watchlist now.

Watching it for the first time now.

Nice! I saw it last year, I think, it was on TV as part of an Asian film season if I recall correctly. I thought it was great, I hope you enjoy it to some degree

Here is your answer http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062229/

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Letterboxd

You and the funny gay guys.