Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

Glad you liked the movie Citizen...hope you'll read my review.

I'll do so right now!

Director: Ben Verbong
Cast: Eliza Bennett, Yvonne Catterfeld, Cornelius Obonya
Genre: Drama

Director Ben Verbong brings to the screen the story of Agathe von Trapp, who was the oldest daughter of that well known musical family that The Sound of Music (1965) was based on. The real Agathe von Trapp was portrayed as Liesl in The Sound of Music. This film is based on Agatha's novel: Agathe von Trapp: Memories Before and After The Sound of Music, and tells the von Trapp story from her viewpoint.

Eliza Bennett, plays Agatha and does an amazing job at being personable while we forget about the famous Julie Andrews vehicle and begin to care about Agatha's plight. The story line is familiar to anyone who's seen The Sound of Music, it's the true story of how the von Trapp family who were gifted musical in Austria come to accept a new woman into their lifes, Maria (Yvonne Catterfeld), who works as a nanny and marries Georg. And of course as history unfolds the Nazis come to Austria and the von Trapps flee to safety.

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I'm surprised you liked Donnie Darko, Citizen, doesn't strike me as your kind of movie...it was in the top five of My Most Disturbing Movie Experiences. if the truth be told, I just don't get the movie at all.

This sounds interesting...I've read for many years about the factual inaccuracies in The Sound of Music and something tells me this look at the same story might be a little more accurate. Will be adding it to my watchlist.

I've never heard of The von Trapp Family: A Life of Music. Is it a true story, or is it also a dramatized version of their lives?

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Oh, I guess that answered my question...it's a true story based on the events as seen from the oldest daughter Agatha who was called Liesel in The Sound of Music. The real Agatha von Trapp wrote a biography of the events and this movie is then based on it. In some ways it's much different than The Sound of Music.

It sounds interesting, so I added it to my watchlist. It will be a while before I get to it, but I'll probably watch it as a double feature with The Sound of Music.

Each to their own but the only double feature I'd ever watch with The Sound Of Music would be the ceiling as my head rolls back and the gun drops from my hand to the carpet

Where on Earth do you uncover some of these odd little fillums CR?

No offence intended with the humour btw - lots of people love TSOM and that's great!

Mostly I found them at the library. They have a list of DVD movies that are on order and occasionally I look at that and request a bunch of them. As they're on order it takes many months until they arrive...but they do...and I see I have another lesser known film waiting for me right now.

So wish I had a facility like that within easy reach - colour me jealous

Doppelgänger (original title)
Director: Robert Parrish
Writers: Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson
Cast: Roy Thinnes, Ian Hendry, Patrick Wymark
Genre: Sci fi

About: A space mission by the European Space Exploration Council decides to send two astronauts to explore a newly discovered planet. The planet is in the exact same orbit as Earth but is located on the opposite side of the sun.


Review: British producer/writer Gerry Anderson sure has a lot of British sci fi under his belt. Before writing and producing Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, he created the cult puppet sci fi TV show Thunderbirds. Later he did another Brit TV sci fi show UFO, that reused some of the sets and ideas from this movie. I use to watch UFO and Journey to the Far Side of the Sun has a very similar feel to it. Like UFO this movie is mostly devoid of character development or deep plots, instead it relies on technical jargon, action and miniature sets. I must say the miniature sets look pretty good.

Later in the 1970s Gerry Anderson would go on to produce and write yet another British sci fi TV show Space:1999.

I couldn't help noticing how 2001 A Space Odyssey directly influenced this movie, especially in the space docking scenes and the scene in the future with an elderly man.


I did find this a dry sci fi and once they get to the other planet, I was disappointed to see not much happened there. The films main claim to fame is the previously mentioned miniature sets...and the women in some very hip and mod 1969 clothing, complete with matching dyed go go boots!

The film looks better than it watches.

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I'd probably check it out despite the low rating!

Caught a couple old episodes of the Thunderbirds recently and it was pretty interesting - it's a bit difficult to get past the puppets, but as far as story progression goes, it's pretty good. I was a bit amazed when I found the first premier episode bears some striking similarities to the movie Executive Decision (one of my favorite action flicks) - it even involves a passenger plane with a bomb on board and an attempt by a smaller aircraft to "dock" with the larger plane in an attempt to board the larger plane and defuse the bomb!

I've never heard of Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, but I've seen some clips from the TV shows "Thunderbirds" and "Space:1999", and neither of them impressed me enough to see this movie.

Maybe if you had given it a better review, I might have given it a chance, but it doesn't sound like you're recommending it very highly anyway.

I use to like Space 1999 when it was on the air. It wasn't nearly as good as Star Trek but I watched a lot of the episodes. I also watched UFO and it was pretty boring, except the purple haired ladies.

Journey to the Far Side of the Sun would have been much better had they not given away the fact that the other planet was a duplicate Earth. If they wouldn't have done that then the movie could have worked as a mystery.

Despite the rating, it sounds up my alley. The stills look great. I'm surprised I wasn't familiar with it before. Thanks for posting it.

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@Captain Steel and Sorry for the late reply guys, my internet was offline this weekend, argh!

If you guys like technical films with some pretty cool sets and ideas, then yeah Journey to the Far Side of the Sun is a pretty decent movie in that regard. As a plus the movie on DVD was fully restored and looked amazing.

Speaking of realistic sci-fi's that aren't very good - there's a British one, but now I can't find the title (it's in color, probably from the late 50's). I tried watching it on TCM but it was one of the few movies I couldn't get through - the first hour or so seemed like it was just watching people in offices. It was another with a spaceship that ends up with a bomb or something that could explosive on board (sounds like my last post here!) Any ideas?

Director: Sam Wood
Writers: Christopher Morley (novel), Dalton Trumbo (screenplay)
Cast: Ginger Rogers, Dennis Morgan, James Craig, Gladys Cooper
Genre: Drama, Romance

On the eve of her marriage, a young woman returns to her apartment only to find a former flame from the past is waiting for her there. Kitty Foyle (Ginger Rogers) then must decide if she will run away with the rich and charming former boyfriend (Dennis Morgan) or marry her steady and true fiance (James Craig), who's waiting at the alter. As she wrestles with her consciousness, she reflects back on her life and who she first meet these two men.

Based on a bestselling 1939 novel by Christopher Morley also titled Kitty Foyle...the movie earned Ginger Rogers an Academy Award for Best Actress.

The film starts off with a prologue that gives the viewer a brief history of women in relationships. It's designed to show us that Kitty Foyle is a modern woman in charge of her own life. I thought the prologue slowed the start of the film down but once we get to Kitty's story the movie takes off.


Kitty is a no non sense woman who knows what she wants and won't take guff from anyone. Ginger is very likable in this role and pulls it beautifully. Her former boyfriend played aptly by Dennis Morgan is a rich 'main liner' from a well to do Philadelphia family. Dennis pairs well with Kitty and the couple have believable chemistry, which is important as their past history and love affair is what drives the movie.

Kudos to Gladys Cooper pictured in the photo above, who gives a believable performance as a wealthy but concerned would be mother in law.

Among the many letters that Ginger Rogers received for her work in the film, this was the one that she treasured the most: "Hello Cutie - Saw "Kitty" last night and must write this note to say "That's it!" Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! You were superb Ginge - it was such a solid performance - the kind one seldom sees on stage or screen and it should bring you the highest honors anyone can win!! Hope to see you soon, As ever your, Fred."

That letter was from Fred Astaire.

Kitty Foyle is one of the must see films of the 1940's. Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay.

Rating+

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Great review Citizen and I agree with just about everything you've said. As I mentioned before, I agree the prologue just slowed the film down and they definitely could have done without it...oh, and thanks for mentioning Gladys Cooper, she was fabulous wasn't she?