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"The 12th Man (2017)" WW2 story of 12 Norwegians, trained as saboteurs in Great Britain for a mission against the Germans occupying Norway.  11 were killed, true story of the 12th.

Speaking of Lee Van Cleef, I can see him in this ensemble photo of actors who were in US TV series.


I also see Alan Hale Jr., Larry Storch, Jay Silverheels, Iron Eyes Cody, Clayton Moore, Milburn Stone, Ken Curtis, James Garner, Neville Brand...

I also remember my grandma being so excited she could watch Corrado in person. He was also the host on the radio of a Amateur's Hour weekly show. At the time there were only two national tv channels and two national radio AM channels. Local radio fm and tv's came in the late '70s. So whoever got his mug on tv or his voice on the wireless was a real star.   

As my report was all A it could have been best of the world, but actually it was just some competition for the children of the employees of the Rome power network. And as the US dollar was, if I remember well, about 600 lire, actually my money was even less than $90. But they didn't give me the money, they opened up up a bank account. I don't think it was such a great sum, even for 1966-7. But it sure was for a boy of 10 with no clue how to spend it. I left it untouched for years.

First place is first place!

That's what I meant. Good money for a kid.

P.S. I never got any award or cash myself, but then again I don't believe I ever had all As. Not even in first grade. 

Public Speaking (2010) - 9/10. Scorsese's documentary on Fran Lebowitz, the funniest woman in America. Something to watch while I wait for Netflix to issue Pretend It's a City on disc.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_133/columbia_noir_2_blu-ray.htm

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/As-Tears-Go-By-Blu-ray/167945/#Review
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare7/astearsgoby.htm

4 passi fra le nuvole (1942) Some consider it as some kind of precursor of neo-realism, but actually it's a comedy reminding one of Capra and anticipating the lighter italian comedies of the early '50's. The first part, based on misunderstandings, is pleasing but second is too melodramatic. Still a 6-7/10 thanks to Cervi, great as usual, and to the whole cast. P.S. Edith Piaf liked it.     

Cover Up (1949) - 7/10. A small town murder mystery set at Christmas, with Dennis O'Keefe and William Bendix. The story is pretty hokey, but there's an interesting trick table, and a lot of funny lines. Barbara Britton is easy on the eyes, too. https://ok.ru/video/2091163322907

The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) - 7/10. Blu-ray transfer: 10/10. Michelangelo (Charlton Heston) paints the Sistine Chapel while his patron, warrior-Pope Julius II (Rex Harrison), kibitzes. It's not actually about watching paint dry. It's more like watching people talking about watching paint dry. Still, Carol Reed's direction is terrific, the sets and locations are terrific, the costumes are fugetaboutit good, the Alex North score is better than fantastic, and the art (filmed in Todd AO!) is the greatest in the world. The drama is pretty much reduced to the tug-of-war between the two principals, and of course, since the two depend on each other and have a mutual grudging respect anyway, by the end its revealed we've been watching a buddy picture all along. But the spectacle! For a film about a painter, I don't know how anything grander could have been mounted. At the beginning of the film there's a narrated prologue that introduces the historical Michelangelo and gives us a tour of some of his famous sculptures. This is actually informative and a pleasure, and helps set some context for the film we're about to see. I've read a recent web post about this new Blu-ray release decrying the film's opening, claiming that it stops the story dead. The story hasn't even begun! And, since this was a roadshow release, with an intermission and exit music (but no overture), the prologue simply takes the place of the opening music. (Nothing "stops a story dead" like an overture, what?) Anyway, the new BD provides eye-candy for the ages--we're talking an LoA-level transfer.

Mrs. Jenkins had never seen the Sistine Chapel, so I spun this for her. She was pretty happy with the experience, but at the end she turned to me and asked, "What was Diane Cilento doing in that movie?" Have I ever mentioned that my wife can, on occasion (while watching films or eating pasta, say) channel the great SL? Happily, she never does it for long . . .