"Viy" (aka "Viy or Spirit of Evil")(Georgi Kropachyov, Konstantin Yershov, USSR 1967) Great fantasy movie about sorcery, undeads, temptation. A novice monk has to stand and prey over a young dead woman, in the local church, for three nights... Excellent 8,5/10
"The Killer That Stalked New York" (Earl McEvoy, USA 1950) A small B noir very interresting. A woman comes from Cuba with stolen diamonds... but she contracted smallpox in Cuba... But she's cheated by his husband and daughter. So she only wants to take revenge. POlice and medicals are searching for the sam person for very different reason but without knowing it... A nice suspence and a very good acting of Evelyn Keyes... 8/10
"Two of a Kind" (Henry Levin, USA 1951) A couple of thief Brandy and Vincent looks for a guy Lefty Farrell a loser to make him taker the place of the lost son of a very rich family (he was only three ears old when he dissappeared) ... Indeed Vincent is the lawyer of the family... But to convince him Brandy let him love her but now deosn't know how she feels... Furthermore Lefty seduces the young niece of the rich couple Kathy... Who's double-crossing who ? Good B noir with Edmund O'Brien (D.O.A.). 7,5/10
"Room at the Top" (Jack Clayton, UK 1959) Strong drama about a man who'comes after WWII in a small town and who''l do everything to get rich even sacrifice the woman he loves and his happyness... Great directing, nice photography of Freddie Francis of course and nice acting of Simone Signoret... 9/10
"A Double Life" (George Cukor, USA 1947" Strange film noir about an actor who plays Othello with great success, but slowly the role invades his life and mind and soon the confusion is complete and will lead him tomurder. The plot is a bit strange but wonderfull directing of Cukor in a pure Hollywood-classic style and great acting of Ronald Coleman... 8,5/10
"Vampires" (Vincent Lannoo, Belgium 2010) On screen I watched this chronicle of life of à family of belgian vampires in XXI century... directed like a documentary the film is made in the same way as "C'est arrivé près de chez vous" ("Man Bites Dog" 1992) but less interresting. Some very funny moments but the whole is a bit boring... 7/10
"L'homme du Large" (Marcel L'Herbier, France 1920) Another jewel of silent cinema. Very aesthetic filming for this nice story of a man who only live by and for the sea who'll sacrifices his own son to her after he betray him and prefer the life of the town and all it's vice instead going to the sea... Very nice !! 8,5/10
Then a bunch of Charlie Chan Movies... The inspector Chan is a quiet man but a rough investigator. The serie includes more than 40 movies in the golden age of B. All are quite good quality for B's and often very interesting. People who like TV series like "Columbo" should like Charlie Chan movies...
"Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum" (Lynn Shores, USA 1940) In this one a dangerous murderer escapes and hide in a crime-wax-museum owned by a plastic surgery surgeon dr cream. Further more he wants to revenge Chan who send him to prison but another killer he was supposed to have killed is not dead and want also take revenge on him... Dark and difficult investigation for Chan. 7,5/10
"Murder Over New York" (Harry Lachman, USA 1940) In this investigation Charlie Chan will have to discover mysterious spys that makes sabotage on army bombers... To kill thier ennemy they use glass bulbs full of lethal gaz... 7/10
"Castle in the Desert" (Harry Lachman, USA 1942) In this investigation Chan and some people are trapped in the castle of the great historian Manderley in the californian desert... Manderley's wife belong to the Borgia family.... soon some of the guests die... poisoned, Manderley's wife seem to be a too evident suspects... 7,5/10
"Dark Alibi " (Phil Karlson, USA 1946) An ex-criminal is accused of bank robbery and murder claims is innocence despite his fingerprints are found everywhere in the crime place... To obvious for Charlie Chan who'll discover a dark conspiracy... 7,5/10
"Dangerous Money" (Terry O. Morse, USA 1946) As he travels to Sidney Charlie Chan meets a secret agent who investigates on dirty money. He's killed just after his meeting with Chan... Chan will have to discover the murderers before the end of the stopover in Samoa's Islands... 7,5/10
"The Trap" (Howard Bretherton, USA 1946) A troupe of dancers take vacation in an house at Malibu Beach... Soon one of the girls is found straéngled, another disappears... Most of the members have dark past... A strange case for Charlie Chan... 7/10
"The Chinese Ring" (William Beaudine, USA 1947) A chinese princess is killed at Chan's House... During his investigation he'll discover a trafic of planes and money involving mobs and corrupted sailors... 7/10
"The Blue Bird" (Walter Lang, USA 1940) Mytyl and her Brother Tyltyl in seach of the Blue Bird aka the happiness... Neither in the past nor in the future, neighter possession nor nastiness will give you happynes... Here and now you can find it if you just care... Nice adaptation of the famous play of Maeterlink, great technicolor and acting of Shirley Temple. 8,5/10
Hi ?? Anybody there ?? After one week on the fields back to serious stuff
I decided to watch or re-watch all The Saint Movies. Eight features were directed from 1938 to 1943.
"The Saint in New York" (Ben Holmes, USA 1938) The Saint must eliminate all the mobs of the town, even by means law prohibit the use of them... The most black and violent episode. 7,5/10
"The Saint in London" (John Paddy Carstairs, USA 1939) A complex diplomatic and finacial intrigue for the Saint (George Sanders) with the very cute Sally Gray 7/10
"The Saint Strikes Back" (John Farrow, USA 1939) The Saint must find a way to make the gang war in Chicago to stop... 7/10
"The Saint's Double Trouble" (Jack Hively, USA 1940) The Saint has a double in this episode who is a dangerous burglar, a more funny Saint episode... with Bela Lugosi. 7/10
"The Saint Takes Over" (Jack Hively, USA 1940) Some mebers of the crime syndicat are killed one by one. A dark tale of revenge, mix of The Siant in New York and th Saint Strike Back... 6,5/10
"The Saint in Palm Springs" (Jack Hively, USA 1941) The saint must bring to a cute girl some stamps of great value but someone attack him and steals the stamps... 6,5/10
"The Saint's Vacation" (Leslie Fenton, UK/USA 1941) The Saint has som vacation in swiss alps. But soon he's involved in a strange story in wich everbody's runing after a strange box... 7/10
"The Saint Meets the Tiger" (Paul L. Stein, UK/USA 1943) The saint investigates in a small town of Cornwall to fid who's the Tiger a strange thief who has stollen 1 million pound of gold in the Bank of Bristol... 7,5/10
"Nightfall" (Jacques Tourneur, USA 1957) Excellent film noir about the story of a simple (but tough) guy who's involved in a bank robbery and murder... Nice direction of Tourneur with a nice construction with flashbacks of course. Nice acting of Aldo Ray and Anne Bancroft. Brian Keith and Rudy Bond are excellent as the ambiguous thieves tandem... 8/10
"Teen Kanya" ('aka "Three Daughters") (Satyajit Ray, India 1961) Wonderfull movie indeed three movies inone, all centered on the destiny of a woman. The story of the little girm in the first one is the most moving about the conditon of women of lover castes. The second brings a touch of fantasy with the destiny of a woman mad about her jewels... The Third one is the passage of a girl from childhood to his future life of wife... As usual all is excellent in Ray movies... How to make great movies with soooo simple stories... that's his art... 9/10
"Abismos de pasión" (Luis Buñuel, Mexico 1954) Very dark and powerfull adaptation of the famous novel of Emily Brontë. The nice mix of European and mexican cultures in this story of llove that consumes everyhing and everybody. But everybody knows it. 8,5/10
"Kaitei gunkan" (aka "Atragon") (Ishirô Honda, Japan 1963) The inhabitant of Mu, the mythic lost continent want to invade the earth a group of soldiers and searchers isolated in an island are secretly building a powerful submarine Atragon, which could save the earth but the creator want only Atrogon to be used by japanese navy to continue a fight he can't forget... A mix of spy movie and fantasy as usual in Honda's movies. Very entertaining and a bit kitsch ! 7/10
"Elle voit des nains partout!" (Jean-Claude Sussfeld, France 1982) Pathetic french comedy at it's best... A parody of the feery tales of our childhood, Robin Hood, Snow White, Les Misérables, Little Red Riding Hood... are all mixed up in this ridiculous movie... 3,5/10
"Prometheus" (Ridley Scott, USA 2102) What a deception... It's so sad to see such director to yield to Hollywood's blockbuster tendances. Seriously I was laughting during all the film... I think it was the best thing to do otherwise I had to cry... Empty en ridiculous plot for spotty teens, plot holes bigger than black ones, ridiculoous vision of science, pachydermic religious references... Some will say yes but it's well done. No, it badly done, cinema is supposed to be an industry but also an art, (Hi Cocteau!!) When will they stop to laught at us and taking us for dummies ?? A movie is a collective piece of art here, the failure is collective too, the story is ridiculously childish (even if they try to hide it giving a "dark" tint) the acting is bad, the directing and editing completly mainstream (I mean you don't see any difference with video clips, advertizing, video games, tv series...). And if you think nice computer pictures is enough to call it art, I say NO... it' is definitively not enough... This is a bad movie. 2,5/10. Even if you're a Z fan don't go watching to it it's much too long...
"The Crowd" (King Vidor, USA 1928) Contrary to the previous one, this is a good movie. Good screeplay, Good directing and editing, good acting. Some very impressive travellings. It's part of those late silent movies that reached the summit of the silent art (The Wind, L'Argent, Sunrise, 7th Heaven, Sparrows...) 9,5/10
"The Blue Bird" (Maurice Tourneur, USA 1918) Another masterpiece of silent era. This adaptation is better than Lang's one with Shirley Temple in 1940, especialy because of the huge findings in filming, settings, editing. Also the message of the play is more clear here. Tula Belle as Mytyl is very cute. 8,5/10
"Tangled Destinies" (Frank L. Strayer, USA 1932) Small B movie distributed by the Mayfair Pictures... A nice whodunit about a plane forced to land in the desert one night... the crew and passengers reach an old dark house... Soon someone is murdered.... he was carrying diamonds !! One murderer hides in th twelve survivors... A classic mystery/crime movie with non budget, interresting casting of B stars and old Silent cinema actors finishing thier carreir in poor productions... Entertaining poor B for fans 6,5/10
"The Ox-Bow Incident" (William A. Wellman, USA 1943) I've re-watched this great movie with my sudents last night... I was glad to see that most of those blockbusters victims watched it entierely... 9,5/10
"The Intruder" (Albert Ray, USA 1933) A poor B movie but entertaining about a murder commited in a ship just before wrecking... All the passengers including the murderer arrive on a supposesd-to-be deserted island... For B fans only 6,5/10
"The Gold Racket" (Louis J. Gasnier, USA 1937) Third of the four adventures of the G-Men couple Alan O'Connor (Conrad Nagel) and Bobbie Reynolds (Eleanor Hunt ). In this one they'll have to breack up a gang of gold smugglers through the mexican border... Even if very low budget it's a very entertaining adventure... 7/10
"Gorilla at Large" (Harmon Jones, USA 1954) A great casting for a poor story. In this way the movie sounds very modern and actual.The story of murders in a funfair where people seem to be killed by Goliath a strong gorilla star of the show... but perhaps also by someone wearing a gorilla suite... Cameron Mitchell, Anne Bancroft, Lee J. Cobb, Lee Marvin, Raymond Burr... Lost in this poor movie. But indeed a strange object to watch... 6,5/10
"The Space Children" (Jack Arnold, USA 1958) Good Sci-Fi movie from the golden age. A brain from outer space takes control of the mind of children of sicentists working in a secret missile base by the sea to make them stop the project of launching satellites with warheads... Indeed very interresting movie even if very cheap and low budget and a bit cheesy (at one moment you can see shadows of the actors on the "sky" :D). The movie is in the same way as "The Day the Earth Stood Still" or "The Man from Planet X" with a very pacific message. It is not as bad as the imdb not suggests it. I think it's only because the movie was proposed by MST3K and ridiculized by them. Indeed all comments of people who watched it on screen are good and I agree with them. It was also one of Arnold's favourite movies. 7,5/10
"The Third Man" (Carol Reed, UK/USA 1949) I re-watched this masterpiece with my students. I'm happy to see most of them greatly appreciate even if some fell asleep... But everybody knows it 9,5/10
Fine plot and very good visual effects, art direction. Very imaginative characters also. Liked the Dog and Bread character and the whole sequence of to-be-born babies. Nice message also but felt it went off the track a bit towards the end. And almost all the lady "souls" looks like the fairy so it was kind of difficult to differentiate.Very good movie nonetheless. The child actors have done a good job. It contains the very first instance of "Breaking the fourth wall" I guess.. 7/10
I also liked "The Crowd" but felt the plot remained stagnant in the middle part of the movie and nothing much happened there. And the tragedy also seemed to be forced and kind of out of place. But really liked the events after that scene. The initial shot was cool. Wilder paid a homage to that in The Apartment. 7/10 from me.
And I didn't know Prometheus is going to be remade by Ridley Scott again in 90 years time. :P
Lot of work this summer, so few movies during the season, less than 50 :(
"The Giant Claw" (Fred F. Sears, USA 1957) A classic of Z movies. One of the most ridiculous monster of all cinema history. But indeed it’s very entertaining and I took much fun to re-watch this now classic. 6/10, for B fans a 10/10 !!
"Man from Planet X" (Edgar G. Ulmer, USA 1951) One more time Ulmer was ahead from his time and this little gem was just on screen before Wise’s The Day the Earth Stood Still and deals with the same thema… But with sooo much less budget. Nevertheless the movie is excellent, build like a film noir with a long flashback, in the setting of Joan of Arc, with this dose of expressionist typical of Ulmer’s work… A very good B movie indeed, I re-watched with a lot of pleasure. 9/10
"Letyat zhuravli" (aka : "When Cranes are Flying”) (Mikhail Kalatozov, USSR 1957) Rewatched this masterpiece with my students… They liked it very much, it was for most of them their firs Russian movie… But everybody knows it 10/10
I decided to watch all the 8 features of the serie with Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto. More violent than Charlie Chan’s movies, Mr. Moto’s ones are full of action and with very nice plots. The whole serie is a must for B movies fans
"Think Fast, Mr. Moto" (Norman Foster, USA 1937) In the first movie of the serie Mr. Moto must fight a dangerous gang of smugglers from San Francisco to Shanghai… 8/10
"Thank You, Mr. Moto" (Norman Foster, USA 1937) Seven maps put together allow to reveal the location of Genghis Khan’s tomb and treasures… Many people are interested to gain the last map and are ready to to everything even to commit murder… 8/10
"Mr. Moto's Gamble" (James Tinling, USA 1938) When the world champion of heavyweight is mysteriously poisoned during a bout, Moto must identify the gambler who bet so much money against him… 8/10
"Mysterious Mr. Moto" (Norman Foster, USA 1938) Mr. Moto put himself in prison and escapes with a dangerous murderer to get his trust. Moto wants to stop a dangerous gang of murderers who are planning the murder of a polititian in London which can ruin the peace in the world. 7,5/10
"Mr. Moto Takes a Chance" (Norman Foster, USA 1938) In the jungle near Angkor, Mr. Moto as an archeologist and a mysterious holly pilgrim with “magic” powers will help the government to jugulate two riots… 8/10
"Mr. Moto's Last Warning" (Norman Foster, USA 1939) An agent claimed to be Moto is murdered in Port Said in Egypt by the evil Norvel (George Sanders). Norvel is a foreign agent who wants to create an incident between French and british governents by destroying the French fleet. With the help of a britsh agent infiltrate in the gang (John Carradine) they will save the world !! 8/10
"Mr. Moto in Danger Island" (Herbert I. Leeds, USA 1939) In this episode Mr. Moto must go to Puerto Rico to investigate diamond smuggling. But local authorities don’t seem to appreciate his presence… 7/10
"Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation" (Norman Foster, USA 1939) In this last opus, disguised as an old archeologist, Moto must protect the crown of the queen of Sheba recently discovered in the arabian desert. Many criminals want to get the precious crown… 7,5/10
"Navy Spy" (Crane Wilbur, Joseph H. Lewis, USA 1937) Second adventure of the couple of G-men Alan O'Connor (Conrad Nagel) and Bobbie Reynolds (Eleanor Hunt ). In this one they’ll have to find who kidnapped the girl of a navy scinentist who create a new formula of gaz for the army. Entertaining small seie of four movies with no budget but interesting. The couple of heroes is cute. The first directing of Lewis. 6,5/10
"The astounding She-Monster" (Ronald V. Ashcroft, USA 1957) Yes it’s a pure budget-less movie but not as bas as many say. There are some wonderfull ridiculous dialogs, ridiculous special effects but the whole is entertaining with a surprising ending. I re-watched it with lot of fun. 5/10 for B fans 8/10
"Easy Living" (Jacques Tourneur, USA 1949) A poorly known Tourneur’s drama about the american dream. The fall of a football player after the doctors had detected a heart disease. Victor Mature is very touching. 7,5/10
"7th Cavalery" (Joseph H. Lewis, USA 1956) Nice western of Lewis, with a great role for Randolph Scott as a cavalery officer accused of cowardness in Little Big Horn and who’ll have to accept to do a very perilous mission (bring Custer’s body back from the indian territory) to get redemption. Nice filming and editing. Nice Technicolor too. 7,5/10
"Drive" (Nicolas Winding Refn, USA 2011) With a simple plot a nice movie, well done especialy the filming and editing. Nice sountrack and… the most important. Few dialogs !!! They shut up !! that’s really what makes the movie good !! 8,5/10
"Swamp Water" (Jean Renoir, Irving Pichel, USA 1941) Nice movie about a guy who find an escape prisoner in a Swamp and who fall in love with his daughter. He then try to convince the fugitive to come back… Excellent filming and story. 8,5/10
"Pharaoh’s curse" (Lee Sholem, USA 1957) A small B movie about an expedition in Egypt who discovers the cursed tomb of a Pharaoh. The spirit of the pharaoh take control of the body of a member of the expedition and transforms him in a bloodthirty mummy ! Furthermore a strange an beautifull girl joined the expedition… who’s she really ?? For B fans only 6,5/10
“Black Bart” (George Sherman, USA 1948) Another meeting Sherman/Duryea/De Carlo for a very entertaining movie about a love triangle in the wild west with bank attack, masked thief… A lot of action and an certainly a movie that George Roy Hill certainy watched to make the ending of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid… Nice one 7,5/10
“The Girl Hunters” (Roy Rowland, UK 1963) Nice advendture of Mike Hammer, very dark and violet which is interesting especially beacause Mickey Spillane, the creator of Mike Hammer, plays the role of his “creature” in the movie. Shitrley Eaton is beautiful. A movie to discover. 8/10
“Tomorrow’s children” (Wilbur Crane, USA 1934) This is the only movie which deals with one of the most obscure episode of the story of the United States. The Politics of eugenism developpend in the 20’s to the 40’s in some states. Massive sterilization of deviant people was practiced. The movie shows the insanity of such politics in a particular case, but not fully shows the absurdity of the whole system. But it was very courageous fron Crane to make this budgetless movie at that time and even to play in it… Even if broke this movie deserves a better place. Diane Sinclair is good. 7,5/10
“The Star” (Stuart Heisler, USA 1952) Nice melodrama about a falling Star (Bete Davis) who will find help and love thanks to a young guy (Sterling Hayden) she helped before and who never forget her. 8/10
“Time after Time” (Nicholas Meyer, USA 1979) H.G. Wells (Malcom McDowell) is now the creator of a time machine, Jack the ripper escape from his time by using Well’s machine… A breathless track of the killer in the future begins… Nice screenplay, lot of fun and a dose of humour in the time travel movie ! 8,5/10
"Frankenstein" (James Whale, USA 1931) I rewatched James Whale’s masterpiece with lot of pleasure… But everybody knows it !! 10/10
"Drôle de drame ou L'étrange aventure du Docteur Molyneux" (aka Drole de Drame) (Marcel Carné, France 1937) Great French Comedy completly wierd with huge dialogs of the famous poet Jacques Prévert. A bunch of French stars for a jubilant comedy 8,5/10
"The Thin Red Line" (Terrence Malick, USA 1998) I re-watched for the seventh time this wonderfull movie with my students… Mot of them didn’t know it (incredible). They loved it, even if they needed some explanations. 10/10
"Far from the Madding Crowd" (John Schlesinger, UK 1967) What a discovery ! Incredibly nice movie with a huge screenplay, more complex that it seems to be. An incredible direction and editing and wonderful photography… almost three hours of pure pleasure. 10/10
"The Quiet American" (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, USA 1958) Not the best movie of Joseph L. Mankiewicz, a bit far form the original novel and more politicaly correct but a nice directing and a good acting of Audy Murphy and Michale Redgrave. Giorgia Moll is very touching. 7,5/10
"The Razor’s Edge" (Edmund Goulding, USA 1946) Nice movie about the spiritual quest of an American in India to give sense to his life and make him flee the materialism of the world of his fiancée… Nice one 8/10
"The Damned" (Joseph Losey, UK 1963) A masterpiece of british Sci-Fi a terrifying movie with dramatic and incredible ending. Frightening !! 9/10
"Remorques" (Jean Grémillon, France 1941) A nice drama about the captain of a tug who’llfall in love with a woman he rescued. An impossible love. Nice filming and acting of Jean Gabin, Michèle Morgan and Madeleine Renaud. 8/10
"The Man Who Knew Too Much" (Alfred Hitchcock, UK 1934) Re-watched this first version with an excellent Peter Lorre. Nice filming with lot of invention and boldness. 9/10
"Never Take Sweets from a Stranger" (Cyril Frankel, UK 1960) A rarity and a movie which deals with a rare thema : paedophilia. A well known and respected old man commits sexual aggression against two small little girls… A terrible lead weight falls on the little town and the parents of one of the little girl will have to face all the people, the police, the judge, who don’t want to admit the truth… till a dramatic ending. A movie to discover absolutely 9/10
"One Hour with You" (Ernst Lubitsch, George Cukor, USA 1932) A very good pre-code love comedy/musical already very corrosive with a nice direction and songs. Some scenes and dialogs are still allowed here that, but not for a long time left. 8/10
"1984" (Michael Anderson, UK 1956) This adaptation of the famous Orwell novel is quite good and the filmng is often huge. The only problem are the actors. Only Micheal Regrave is good in his role. Others are a bit “light” but the whole is greatly recommended 8/10
" Le Jeu de la vérité" (Robert Hossein, France 1961) One night some rich people are making a « game of truth » but one is murderd, thanks to the game they discovered that each of them had good reason to kill the victim… Excellent acting, nice b/w photography for this unsusual whodunit. Excellent 8/10
"The World, The Flesh and the Devil" (Ranald MacDougall, USA 1959) A great post-apocalypse movie where three people two men (one is a black) and one women are the last people alive in New-York. A dangerous love triangle with lot of racial involment… Even if the last sequence can be disappointing a very nice movie with oppressives sequences, nice acting of the only threes actors… A great movie 8,5/10
"Wing and a Prayer" (Henry Hathaway, 1944) Yes it’s a propaganda movie but well done. Actors are convincing, directing and filming are good and good use of stockshots. 7/10
"My Friend Flicka" (Harold D. Schuster, USA 1943) Nice movie for children about the friendship between a boy and a horse Flicka who will learn him the sense of responsibility. 7/10
"Adventure in Sahara" (D. Ross Lederman, USA 1938) Nice sall B movie with some nice filming. The stoy of an American pilot who engages in the French foreign legion to get revenge from a cruel captain lost in an outpost in desert. Entertaining. For B fans only 7/10
"It Happened in Hollywood" (Harry Lachman, USA 1937) Excellent small movie about the difficulties of a famous silent western actor (Richard Dix excellent) to go through with talkies… A very nice and touching story with a beautiful fay Wray !! 8,5/10
"The Monolith Monsters" (John Sherwood, USA 1957) I re-watched this excellent Sci-Fi B movie about the stoy of a small town threatened by an incredible monster from outerpace : giant black cristals that grow, grow, grow fall apart and grow…. Endless !!! Excellent and frightening ! 8/10
That's all for the season... Back to the plains... tonight !!
"Super 8" (J.J. Abrams, USA 2011) Produced by Spielberg, for Abrams who made a Spielberg's movie. A cocktail of monster, Sci-Fi, army, and spotty teens who'll save the world. Non sense. 3/10
"The Space Children" (Jack Arnold, USA 1958) Good Sci-Fi movie from the golden age. A brain from outer space takes control of the mind of children of sicentists working in a secret missile base by the sea to make them stop the project of launching satellites with warheads. Indeed very interresting movie [...] 7.5/10
"Super 8" (J.J. Abrams, USA 2011) Produced by Spielberg, for Abrams who made a Spielberg's movie. A cocktail of monster, Sci-Fi, army, and spotty teens who'll save the world. Non sense. 3/10
Wouldn't that be a discrimination against XXIst century movies?
Quite simple 1°) At the time Arnold made his movie it was cold war so the message he gave (a pacifist one) was completly in his time and made sense. I didn't see any message in the Abram's movie except that if you are a lost creature from outerspace children understand you and you can destroy and kill as you want because you're affraid. 2°) Furthermore at his time Arnold's movie had a bad reception because people thought the taking of control of the children by the brain was a symbol of communism and they almost accused Arnold to be a red. Abrams one won't be controversial for sure :) 3°) The acting of the children is much better in Arnold's movie (yes!) 4°) At that time such movies brought something new (The day The Earth Stood Still, the Man from planet X...). Super 8 no. 5°) Less special effects (and money) for a more effective result. The sequence of the train accident is especialy laughtable in Super 8. (And I don't consider the rules of physics and statistics that are ignored here) 6°) Super 8 is almost entierly filmed by night and it becomes quickly boring... 7°) Concerning the relations parents/children, they are already present in Arnold's movie and not so different and perhaps less caricatural at that time. and so on... I've nothing against XXIth century's movie... I liked "Drive" for example... :)
Yes sad... The worst is that I loved 2011 Béla Tarr's "A Torinói ló" too... ;) and Mike Leigh's Another Year, and Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life" itou :) and others... but not Super 8 !!
"Colombiana" (Olivier Megaton, France 2011) A Luc Besson movie is a Luc Besson movie, a skinny girl with a gun (many guns indeed), a story of revenge, a touch of yamakazi and lot of explosions a bunch improbable sequences like old B movies of the 30's but less fun... 4,5/10
"The Flying Deuces" (A. Edward Sutherland, USA 1939) Another funny adventure of Laurel & Hardy... Armless and enjoyable as usual... 7/10
I wasn't saying you can't like a XXIst century movie, I was just pointing the fact that a movie (with 2.9/10 on IMDb) about "An alien intelligence aborts the launching of a rocket with the help of a bunch of children" seems to be really interesting but Super 8 is "nonsense"
I didn't even like "Super 8" that much, but it's just funny to see how much patience you have for 1950s movies about aliens with awful acting, huge editing mistakes, bad special effects, and laughable scenarios but systematically bash on new movies. I get the whole "nostalgia" thing, and I guess it is fun to watch poorly made movies, but I just think sometimes you lack objectivity (children acting better in "The Space Children" than in "Super8" lol) You say "Prometheus" sucks because movies are supposed to be art (Cocteau!!) but I fail to see how poorly made 50s movies about weird aliens are more art than "Prometheus" or "Super 8"
"Stella Maris" (Marshall Neilan, 1918) Wonderfull melodrama of the silent era. Stella Maris is a paralysed rich girl cared o by her family and shielded from out world. She doesn't know anything of the cruel and harsh reallity. Unity is a poor orphan too much aware of that world. They will both fall in love with a married man. But when Stella walks again and dicover the truth and Unity discover she has no chance, the dramis inevitable. Great story and nice filming by Neilan. But the movie is especially interresting by the acting performance of Maryt Pickford who plays the both characters of Stella Maris and Unity (you barely can recognize her indeed). Very good. 8,5/10
"Viridiana" (Luis Buñuel, Spain/Mexico 1961) Re-watched this movie with great pleasure. This dark satire of religion and charity is one of the best movie of Bunuel and perhaps the one in which the "message" is the most obvious. Silvia Pinal is wonderful. 8,5/10
"Crime of Passion" (Gerd Oswald, USA 1957) Unusual movie for that time about a woman (Barbara Stanwick) full of ambition working in a famous newspaper. She abandonns all by marring the man she loves (Sterling Hayden) a cop, and decide to become the perfect wife. But she quicly get bored of this life and transfers all her ambiton on her husband... She will do everything even murder. Great story, great casting (Barbara Stanwick, Sterling Hayden, Fay Wray, Raymond Burr...). Direction is good too. 7,5/10
"Devil's Doorway" (Anthomy Mann, USA 1950) First westen of Mann and first masterpiece. Also one of the first pro-indian western about an indian (Robert Taylor) who'll have to fitght to defend his land against settlers agains racism of the people and racism of the law itself. The violence reminds you the previous Film-Noir Mann directed and you discover already the way Mannwill film the wide landscapes of the west. A wonderfull b&w photography but it's normal John Alton is on command.... Excellent. 9/10
"Vedreba" (Tengiz Abuladze, Georgia/USSR, 1967) I've watched twice on a row this poorly known movie... There is beauty of the barren filming and photography (almost each shot is a beauty), poetry (the movie deals with two poems of georgian poet Vaja-Pshavela), strong reflection on faith, death, culture... The movie takes place in a very ancient time... but is it ? Well a movie which has lot to say and says it well. just watch it ! 10/10
"Alye parusa" (Aleksandr Ptushko, USSR 1961) Very nice faiytale about a poor little girl who lives in a poor fishermen village who's told that later a prince will come too her in a beautifull ship with scarlet sails. Everybody laught at her when she keeps on living lost in her dream. But a beautifull captain see her on day and will make her dream come true. Nice story nicely told and a good direction by Ptushko (nice camera moves) and wonderfull settings and photography. 8/10
The Countess, watched it yesterday. Quite entertaining, only the fact that every actor has to speak english (and some really cant) bugged me a little. Good story and acting though.
"Il mostro dell'opera" (aka "The Vampire of the Opera") (Renato Polselli, Italy, 1964) A nice small exploitaion movie in a gothic style, with a wierd screenplay cheap acting but a nice filming and photgraphy. Story of a company of dancers who comes in a haunted theatre inhabited by a vampire... 6,5/10
"Angst" (aka "Schizophrenia") (Gerald Kargl, Austria 1983) Impressive movie about a serial killer who just after being released from jail have only one idea, kill again. He enter an isolated house inhabited by an old woman, her son and her daughter... Nice filming of Zbigniew Rybczynski. 8/10
"Tretya meshchanskaya" (aka "Bed and Sofa") (Abram Room, USSR 1927) Very nice movie dealing freely with unusual subject for that ime as ménage à 3 and abortion. A young couple live in a small apartment when a friend of the husband comes an live home... Soon The Husband realizes that his wife is in love with his friend, a menage à 3 begins but things are going wrong when three monts later the wife is pregnant... Fine approach, nice filming and nice pictures of Moscow... 8,5/10
"Passage to Marseille" (Michael Curtiz, USA 1944) Another war-era movie gloryfying the courage of french nation of course with many clichés but a bunch of great actors (Bogart, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Michèle Morgan, Peter Greenstreet...). Because of casting the movie is often compared to Casablanca and therefore underated. Yes it's not Casablanca but it's very well done... 8/10
"Sorok pervyy" (aka "The Forty-first") (Grigori Chukhrai, USSR 1956) What a movie !! During the civil war along the desertic coasts of the Aral Sea, the doomed love between a red sniper Maria and her prisonner the white officer Vadim... Great story, lyrical directing, absolutly huge photgraphy of Sergei Urusevsky (he did also "The Crane are Flying"...). Unforgatable movie 10/10
I watched the Five Tarzan's movies produced for RKO by Sol Lesser and introducing Lex Barker as Tarzan. All the serie is nice filmed and very interresting.
"Tarzan’s Magic Fountain" (Lee Sholem, USA 1949) In the first apisode of the serie with Lex Barker who replaced Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan will make a dangerous trip to the Blue Valley whre’s the fountain of Eternal Youth is protected by an ancient tribe. Very good B movie 7,5/10
"Tarzan and the Salve Girl" (Lee Sholem, USA 1950) In this second episode Tarzan will have to rescue Jane and the fiancée of the son of the king of a native tribe who have been kidnapped by strangers and brought to the city of the Lion-Men who are contaminated by a dangerous virus. Nice one 7,5/10
"Tarzan’s Peril" (Byron Haskin, USA 1951) Filmed in Africa, the first Tarzan on location. In this third episode Tarzan will have to fight dangerous murderers who are selling weapon to the king of a riotous tribe. 7/10
"Tarzan’s Savage Fury" (Cy Endfield, USA 1952) Tarzan’s cousin come to Africa but is murdered and replaced by a traitor allied to a Russian spy. They want to get a huge stock of diamond protected by a dangerous tribe… 7/10
"Tarzan and the She-Devil" (Kurt Neumann, USA 1953) In the Last episode, Tarzan will have to fight dangerous ivory hunters leaded by the cruel Lyra. 7/10
"La grande frousse" (aka "The Big Scare") (Jean-Pierre Mocky, France 1964) Nice adaptation of the Jean Ray’s Novel « La cité de l’indicible peur ». Bourvil is an ingenuous. Cop who arrive in a small lost town terrorized by « The Beast » a murderous monster. But he will discover many other hidden secret of the small town. A ferocious satire of the provincial bourgeoisie. A nice mix of comedy, horror and fantasy. Great 8,5/10
"Nez de Cuir" (aka "Leathernose") (Yves Allégret, France 1952) Nice love drama about a beautiful and charmer young man cruelly disfigured at war who has to wear a leather mask to hide his face. But he becomes more and more mysterious and attractive for the women, especialy the married ones… He becomes more and more bitter en cynical. But when he suddently fall in love with Judith… He’s now involved in a games where everybody will lose. Nice filming and good acting of Jean Marais and Françoise Christophe. 7,5/10
"Police Python 357" (aka “The Case Against Ferro “) (Alain Corneau, France 1976) Nice police movie in a pure French style. Montant plays a taciturn cop involved in the murder of a prostitute. Everything seem to accuse him, he’ll has to discover the real murderer before being arrested. Nice one 8/10
"La Métamorphose des Cloportes" (aka "Cloportes") (Pierre Granier-Deferre, France 1965) Nice adaptation of the eponymous novel of Alphonse Boudard. Nice dialogs of Michel Audiard and good acting of Lino Ventura and Charles Aznavour, Pierre Brasseur. Typical French movie. 7,5/10
"De Force" (Frank Henry, France/Belgium 2011) Eric Cantonna and Isabelle Adjani can’t save this poor police movie… Sad. 3,5/10
"Navy Secrets" (Howard Bretherton, USA 1932) Poor B movie but with a nice script about two federal agents who don’t know themselves but who are on the same case… They fall in love but remains suspicious about eachothers till the end… Poorly made but fun. Fay Wray and Grant Witthers are good. 6,5/10
"Black Moon" (Roy William Neill, USA 1934 Poorly known horror movie of the 30’s about a woman who was cursed in her youth by voodoo cult and who decides to come back to Haïti. She becomes slowly a gret voodoo priestress and becomes leader of a riot. Excellent screenplay, very nice filming of Roy William Neill. Fay Wray Jack Holt and Dorothy Burgess are good. A small B gem to discover. 8/10
"12 to the Moon" (David Bradley, USA) A nice screenplay and a wonderful photography of John Alton can’t save the bad acting and awfull direction of David Bradley… 12 astronauts of many nations flight to the moon and discover an alien civilization who wants them to leave. 6/10.
Back to the B vault of forgotten movies of the powerty row
"Jungle Bride" (Harry O. Hoyt, Albert H. Kelley, USA 1933) Directed by the famous Harry O. Hoyt (The Lost World 1925) this broke exotic story is about a Girl, Doris, whom brother is condamned to death and who follows with her boyfreind the supposed true murderer on a trip on a boat which wrecks. They reach the coast of Africa and are forced to live together. A forbidden love story begins... Only for B fans 5,5/10
"Sing Sing Nights" (Lewis D. Collins, USA 1934) As Floyd Cooper is killed by three bullets, three different men come and confess the murder. They are all three condamned to detah sentence. But the Professor Varney is sure only one is guilty. They all tell thier story in front of a lie detector... Who'll be the murderer ?? Nice screenplay acting above the average of usual B's Lotus Long is cute... 6,5/10
"Jaws of Justice" (Spencer Gordon Bennet, USA 1933) Kazan the Wonder Dog was supposed to be a rival for Rin Tin Tin but only made three features... In this one he's the only witness of his owner's murder. How will he make the Sergent Kinkaid of the Royal Mounted Police who's the murderer ? Very Cheap but fun. 6/10
"Flaming Signal" (George Jeske, Charles E. Roberts, USA 1933) Jim Robbins is a famous pilot ! On a trip to Hawai with his famous dog Flash but thier plane crashes on an isolated island. He's rescued by Molly and her father the reverent... But the Island is tyranised by Von Kratz a bad guy who exploits the natives by bying them cheaply pearls and selling them whisky. But one day Von Krantz rape the daughter of the chief and then the natives go on Riot. They are barricaded in the hotel. Flash will have to do much to save them. A cheap dog movie with another rival of Rin Tin Tin. 6,5/10
"Hell's Headquarter" (Andrew L. Stone, USA 1932) A poor jungle story about the dangerous quest of ivory in a dangerous jungle of Congo. Nice story and for one time a good use of stock shots of animals and landscapes. Only for B fans. 6/10
"A Strange Adventure" (aka "The Wayne Case Murder") (Phil Whitman, Hampton Del Ruth, USA 1932) A nice Old Dark House movie with lot of mystery, twists in the screenplay, false guilty people, murders, phantoms, secret passages... A pure B. 7/10
"The Living Ghost" (William Beaudine, USA 1942) An incredible B by a master of the genre. A man dissappears and comes back as a kind of zombie. Nick trayne an ex-detective will hav to find an explanation to this strange phenomenon. Furthermore the zombie can wake up and commit murders... But he'll find the murderer and get the love of the pretty Billie (JOan Woodberry very petty!!) A good B 6,5/10
"The Ghost Walks" (Frank R. Strayer, USA 1934) In a dark Manor, just five years after a dark murder, the guest of Dr. Kent, disappear one by one. At the same time a mad doctor escaped from an asylum... Are the two facts connected ?? A very poor B movie of the golden age, but quite fun with mad ending !! 6/10
"The Shadow Laughs" (Arthur Hoerl, USA 1933) Produced, written and directed by Hoerl, this ultra poor B tells the story of a mysterious bank robber and murdere who kill al the people who could have any idea on his identity... he signs his murders by leaving a grand ! a 1000$ bill in the hand of his victim... Will the famous reporter Robin Dale and Captain Morgan find the murderer before his next victim the cute Ruth Hackett will be killed ?? Not so bad, good story and lot of action and improbable twists and turns... 6/10
"Der müde Tod" (aka "Destiny") (Fritz Lang, Germany 1921) On screen this evening I watched this excellent early Lang movie, vry sad and movins story of love and Death. The Death is tired, a young girl visit him to ask her boyfriend comes back to lofe. The Death gives her three chance to save him only if she can save at least one life upon the three he proposed her... she will fail to defeat Death three times... The re is only one way left to be forever with her lover... Destiny will provide her this chance. Excellent 8,5/10
Last night on scree, I was lucky to watch two old rarities from the silent era
"Verdens undergang" (aka "The End of the World") (August Blom, Denmark 1916) The first movie dealing with the end of the world. A comet approach earth and will cross it's atmosphere. A rich trader speculate on the after and try to protect in an old mine. A sailr is on a trip across the sea and try to come back to save his girl... excellent movie with some very nie sequences. The copy was excellent due to the huge work of retoration of the Danish Film Institute. A nice moment ! 8/10
"La cité foudroyée" (Luitz-Morat, France 1925) An early french Sci-Fi effort. A cheated scientist, everybody laughts about, create an infernal machine who make him the master of the storms and Lightning... If the mayor of Paris don't give him 50,000,000 francs paris will be destroyed... Nobody seems to take him serious... They will regret... A nice movie mix of Sci-Fi and melodrama with a very good twist at the end that nobody can expect !! Great ! 8/10
I love "Der müde Tod". Might be my favorite among the movies Lang made in Germany. Especially the part when Death gives her the chance to get her husband back when she finds someone who would give his life instead. Great film and Bernhard Goetzke was brilliant as Death.
And I also think "Verdens undergang" was very good. The scenes with the flood were very impressive as was the way they conveyed the characters loneliness towards the end. Btw: If your watching some danish classics you should definitely check out "Det hemmelighedsfulde X"
@doooom ! thank you !! I will... yes, the scenes with the candles are also huge... You can see the same approach in the wonderfull mexican movie "Macario" ( Roberto Gavaldón, 1960). I think he watched der müde tod...
"Emperor Jones" (Dudley Murphy, USA 1933) Nice movie that make Paul Robeson a star and one of the first non racial movie with a black actor as leading role. Adapted from the famous plau of Eugene O'Neal, the story of a man who leaves his small village to go to town and it's vices and kill a man, then he escape the jail killing a guard and escape to a caraibean island and who'll become a cruel imperor going mad... But will his sins let him in peace and even an Emperor can be caught back by his past. Great one !! 7,5/10
"The Fallen Idol" (Carol Reed, UK 1948) Great movie adapted by Reed and Greene himself from a novel of Graham Greeene. Great story of incomprehension between a child and adults. A dark tale but treated with lot of humour. Great acting of Ralph Richardson !! 8,5/10
"The Invisible Boy" (Herman Hoffman, USA 1957) This big budget B movier was mad by MGM to secure a return on money on the cost of Robby the robot which was indeed very expensive... So it's a bit cheap but quite enjoyable movie. The story of a giant computer who want to rule the world by taking control of a satellite that have to been launch. (funny cause USSR launched the first sputnik just some times later). and hypnotize some people and takes control of Robby to aim it's goal... Will it succeed ?? 6,5/10
"Jungle man" (aka "Drums of Africa") (Harry L. Fraser, USA 1941) Ultra poor jungle movie of the mythic PRC and directed by a king of the B's. with the wonderful Buster Crabbe and Mr Ming aka Charle Middleton and the beautifull Sheila Darcy. A good story indeed about an expediton in a lost city lost in the jungle. and a love story between Dr. Crabbe a medecine man in the jungle and the preety explorer... Many goofs in this movie (Tigers in Africa, the lost city is Angkor...) but much fun. 6/10
"Jungle Siren" (Sam Newfield, USA 1942) Another PRC's jungle movie and once againwith Buster Crabbe who's a legionair send in the african jungle to foil nazi's agents plan to push some tribes to riot... Crabbe will be helpe by a pretty jungle girl Kulhaya (the pretty Ann Corio). Ultra poor but fun and a good story indeed. 6,5/10
"Forbidden Jungle" (Robert Emmett Tansey, USA 1950) Another budgetlees jungle movie about the story of an explorer in the birman jungle who tries to find the lost son of a tycoon who's supposed to still live in the jungle, raised up by natives... He meets Kirk an old man hidden in a village and the nice Nita (cute Alyce Lewis in her only leading role) who are hiding a jungle boy Tawa who speacks to animals (panther, snakes, lion, gorilla and chimps (yes in asian jungle so what ;). Only for B fans 5/10
"One Frightened Night" (Christy Cabanne, USA 1935) This small B produced for the Mascot Pictures is a nice whodunit with all the ingredient of the genre, big house with secret passages, a masked killer wrong tracks... An old Tycoon promise to give one million dollars to each of his firends before midnight exept if his lost grand daughter comes. In that case she'll have all the money... And of course a Grand daughther comes.... but a second too... Funny small movie for fans of the genre 7/10
"Public Stenographer" (Lewis D. Collins, USA 1934) A nice little romance about a public stenographer in a big hotel, Ann who one day meets a rich boy who fall in love with her. But Freddie is a rival of Marin in affairs and love so thing won't go as Ann suposed they had to. But love will triumph as usual !! Lola lane and Esther Muir are cute and give thier best in this small B romance. For B fans only 6,5/10
"Mystery Street" (John Sturges, USA 1950) Very nice crime movie anticipating today's tv series about scientific police. A nice script about a woman murdered at Cape Cod. Six month later her squeleton is found on a beach... All seem to accuse a young guy who was seen with her a bit drunk. But a wise cop doesn't believe it and h will get help from a teacher of criminology in Harward... A very good crime movie with great photography of John Alton and nice directing of Sturges. Good actors too : Ricardo Montalban, Bruce Bennett as the two investigators, Elsa Lanchester as the cupid landlady is great... 8,5/10
"Black Widow" (Nunnally Johnson, USA 1954) Very good film noir... in scope and technicolor. Nice story that drives you exactly where it wants to. Good casting with Gene Tierney, Van Heflin, Ginger Rogers and George Raft, nice twist at the end. flash backs... A man is wrongly accused of a murder but as usual all seem to accuse him... He'll have to prove himself he's innocent during a race against time and police. 8/10