Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[cigar joe]

C Man (1949) with Dean Jagger, and John Carradine it was pretty good with some nice vintage NYC footage. 7/10

[dave jenkins]

From the cinema of Raffaello Matarazzo:
Nobody's Children (1951) 7/10. So relentlessly over the top, at some point you can do nothing but begin to laugh uncontrollably. Count Guido Canali(Amedeo Nazzari) is managing his mother's rock quarry, and has taken up with the night watchman's daughter, Luisa (Yvonne Sanson). Needless to say, such a relationship is not what mom has in mind for dear sonny. With the help of evil overseer Anselmo Vannini (Folco Lulli, "Luigi" from The Wages of Fear)--you can tell he's evil because he's mean to the quarry workers he oversees--mom contrives to separate the couple by sending sonny away on a business trip. On the night of Count Guido's departure, the night watchman dies, leaving Luisa without standing within the quarry community. Anselmo Vannini proposes an arrangement which she roundly refuses: she will stay true to Guido. But Anselmo and mom are intercepting all the mail between Guido and Luisa, so after a while Luisa thinks her Count has forgotten her. Anselmo plays to that theme as well, so finally Luisa runs away to live in a mountain cabin with an old woman she finds there. Guido, who has also noticed he hasn't been getting any letters from Luisa, suddenly returns to find out what's up. He arrives just as people have discovered Luisa missing and have wrongly concluded that she has drowned herself. Guido spurs on the searchers, but nothing is found except Luisa's shawl. Meanwhile, Luisa discovers she's pregnant, and has the baby in the cabin. Guido, believing Luisa dead, goes away and finds someone else to marry. One day, out hunting the night watchman's old dog, Anselmo notices it runs to a certain mountain cabin, in which there is a woman with a child, a woman he recognizes. He reports this back to mom, who, for reasons I didn't quite understand, decides to kidnap the child. Anselmo does this, while Luisa and the old lady are out of the cabin, and then starts a fire. The cabin burns, and Luisa returning thinks her child, Bruno, has died. On the point of committing suicide, Luisa hears church bells and decides to join a convent instead. Some time later Guido finally hears what has happened and goes to the convent to talk to Luisa but the interview is not a success: Luisa will not renounce her vows, and anyway, Guido is married to someone else. Both continue to believe that Bruno is dead. However, Bruno is being raised in a Catholic boarding school, and one day, after getting into a fight over being called a bastard by another student, becomes obsessively curious about who his parents are/were. Sneaking into the headmaster's office at night, he discovers his school fees are being paid by a certain Anselmo Vannini . . . . and on and on it goes. But just when you thought the film would eventually have to end, there comes. . . .

The White Angel (1955) 8/10, the sequel to this overcooked stew. At the beginning of which, Guido loses his wife and daughter in a tragic boating mishap. If only Luisa hadn't taken those pesky vows, they could finally be together! Guido's still got the quarry to worry about, however, so he throws himself into his work. On a business trip, he spots a woman who is a dead ringer for Luisa, and before you can say "Holy Vertigo, Batman!" he's following her around. Lina (also Yvonne Sanson) is a much more vulgar woman than Luisa (she's an "artiste" with dodgy associations), and Guido tries to stay away from her, but he just can't help himself. Meanwhile, back at the quarry, the blasting continues. After one more encounter with Lina, and presumably a consummation of their relationship, Guido decides to leave for good. Just then Lina gets into trouble with the law, and then its off to prison, where, Lina discovers, she's pregnant. . . . The fun never stops. Nor my howls of laughter.

[drinkanddestroy]

The Stratton Story (1949) 6/10

True story of Monty Stratton, who rose from back-country farm boy to star major-league pitcher before his career was ended when he accidentally shot himself while hunting and had his leg amputated. He later pitched in the minor leagues, with a prosthetic leg.

Jimmy Stewart plays Stratton, June Allyson (can't stand her) his wife.

The movie is nothing special, but for fans of baseball history, there is a real treat, as 4 real-life major-leaguers play themselves: Merv Shea, Gene Bearden, Jimmy Dykes, and, best of all, Hall of Fame Yankee catcher Bill Dickey 

There is footage from inside the old Comiskey Park and several minor league parks

There is also what appears to perhaps be real footage of The Great DiMaggio hitting a home run; I'm not sure, since DiMag's name is never mentioned.

[cigar joe]

Twilight of Honor (1963) Looks like David Lynch reffed some of Twin Peaks from this. Richard Chamberlain, Nick Adams, Claude Rains, Joan Blackman, Joey Heatherton, Pat Buttram, Jeanette Nolan. Adams is great, Heatherton is smoking. Saw about the last 3/4   of it on TCM.

[drinkanddestroy]

Salesman (1968)

Interesting documentary by the Maysles brothers about the difficult life of door-to-door salesmen; specifically, four men who work for a Bible-publishing company, and travel the country trying to sell fancy Bibles ($49.95 in 1968) to poor Catholics.

I also unintentionally saw like the last half or third of their documentary Grey Gardens (1975) (I was taking the time to set my DVR for the upcoming week to record all the TCM movies i thought would be interesting; and when setting the DVR, the channel has to be on TCM; therefore, my channel was stuck on TCM for like 1/2 hour or 45 mins. or so) Seriously, who would voluntarily want to watch Grey Gardens? Made me wanna puke. Two women living in a rotting mansion in disgusting conditions, with cats and raccoons all over the place? Who would wanna watch that? And just because these women are relatives of Jackie Kennedy? If these were two random women who maybe once had money and now were 2 jackasses living like shit, nobody would give a damn. But because they are related to a .... that magic word.... KENNEDY, people are interested? The Constitution says, "No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States," but it seems some people have granted a title of nobility: "Kennedy." (I'm absolutely NOT criticizing the Maysles brothers, who are brilliant filmmakers, and are making something people are interested in seeing; I am just wondering why people are interested in seeing it. Cuz people are idiots.)

[dave jenkins]

Le salaire de la peur / The Wages of Fear (1953) - 9/10. Sooooo much better than the Friedkin remake. It always helps the dramatic tension between the characters if they first actually are characters. The set pieces are indelibly fixed in my mind: the rickety platform scene, the blowing-up-the-rock scene, the oil hole scene. And the way Clouzot signals that the B team didn't make it--masterful. The ending is silly (although it surely influenced Kubrick), but I gotta hand it to the special effects guys: they really knew how to cream a truck.

[dave jenkins]

Three Outlaw Samurai

I broke my somewhat stringent 'do not blind buy' rule when this was on sale for 15 bucks over the holidays and I'm really glad I did. This is a samurai film for those who hate samurai films. There's no preachy monologues and characters sitting around indian style talking about the plot, just a whole lot of action and a quick moving plot featuring likable characters. The cinematography and fight scenes were gorgeously executed. I'd be surprised if the cinematographer wasn't influenced by John Alton, really special stuff. This is what samurai movies should be - violent, fun and dazzling.

I should have watched this years ago. 9/10

I agree that this is pretty good. It suffers from the fact that the plot seems like something straight from TV. That aside, though, this is a visually rich, kinetic, fast-moving flick with a high body count. The Criterion blu does a good job with the b&w 'scope image, too.

[dave jenkins]

3 Outlaw Samurai (1964) 7/10. First Blu-ray screening. Peasants oppressed by their local magistrate need championing in Hideo Gosha's first feature. Enter the Good Samurai, soon followed by the Goofy-Looking Samurai, and finally, the Bad Samurai (originally working for the magistrate until he too joins the cause). The story was never going to win any awards, but the photography (b&w 'scope) and the fight choreography are first-rate. Nice body count, too.

I agree that this is pretty good. It suffers from the fact that the plot seems like something straight from TV. That aside, though, this is a visually rich, kinetic, fast-moving flick with a high body count. The Criterion blu does a good job with the b&w 'scope image, too.

[moviesceleton]

For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) - 5/10
A trivial adaptation of a great novel. Wrong actors for the parts (both Cooper and Bergman), mediocre lighting at the best, overused score, no sense of grittiness (everything's too nice and clean). Sam Wood fails to really reach any of the emotional or thematic depth of the source material. 5/10 because the story isn't bad and there are some nice touches here and there.

[cigar joe]

For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) - 5/10
A trivial adaptation of a great novel. Wrong actors for the parts (both Cooper and Bergman), mediocre lighting at the best, overused score, no sense of grittiness (everything's too nice and clean). Sam Wood fails to really reach any of the emotional or thematic depth of the source material. 5/10 because the story isn't bad and there are some nice touches here and there.

Could have used more outdoor locations if I remember right too.

[Kurug3n]

Le salaire de la peur / The Wages of Fear (1953) - 9/10. Sooooo much better than the Friedkin remake. It always helps the dramatic tension between the characters if they first actually are characters. The set pieces are indelibly fixed in my mind: the rickety platform scene, the blowing-up-the-rock scene, the oil hole scene. And the way Clouzot signals that the B team didn't make it--masterful. The ending is silly (although it surely influenced Kubrick), but I gotta hand it to the special effects guys: they really knew how to cream a truck.

Did you get the Blu Ray from Criterion? I was actually about to get a copy of Sorcerer since it seems to have gotten released on DVD/Blu-Ray recently but reading this, I should just pick up the Criterion of Wages of Fear.

[dave jenkins]

Did you get the Blu Ray from Criterion? I was actually about to get a copy of Sorcerer since it seems to have gotten released on DVD/Blu-Ray recently but reading this, I should just pick up the Criterion of Wages of Fear.

Well, I certainly think The Wages of Fear is the better film. Whether or not the CC blu will give you better value than the CC DVD--that, I can't tell you. You may want to get the Sorcerer blu as well--but I'd recommend starting with The Wages of Fear.

[dave jenkins]

The Other Love (1947) - 8/10. "A concert pianist [Barbara Stanwyck], faced with a terminal illness, must choose between reckless abandon with a race car driver [Richard Conte] or the kinder, gentler love of her debonair doctor [David Niven]." Gee, do you really wonder who she's gonna end up with? This is one of those great pictures where all the professional people never have to work, but they've always got plenty of dough for dinner and nightclubs. Stany does a great job of selling the idea she knows how to play the piano--her fingers sail over the keyboard, and it's no special effect. Of course, she's a modern woman too: "I can't face an unknown future with an unpowdered nose." Ha! After she meets cute with Conte, Stany has several scenes where she manages to avoid divulging any personal info. However, on the night they are to run away together, the pair have this great exchange: Stany--"By the way, there's something you should know. My name is Karen Duncan." Conte: "Not the Karen Duncan." Stany: "Yes, the." Beat. Conte: "If Chopin could see me now!" Ha! The ending is kind of interesting, perhaps more ambiguous than audiences of the time realized. Prime humans can stream this gem for free here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0097SVUQO

[Groggy]

Newsfront - 8/10 - Aussie epic chronicling the lives and travails of newsreel photographers in the post-World War II era. Phillip Noyce covers lots of ground ('50s Red-baiting, natural disasters, his protagonists' personal troubles) with the sweep of a full-blown epic. It's staged like a Classic Hollywood piece, shifting from black-and-white to color throughout, wipes and editing style and an overall wistful, nostalgic feel that's appealing. The ensemble cast (Bryan Brown, Wendy Hughes, Chris Haywood) is excellent but Bill Hunter's steadfast protagonist dominates the show.

[Tucumcari Bound]

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

A beautiful love letter to the 1960s folk scene. It may be slow moving for some, but I found myself captivated by it. I look forward to my second viewing.

The Grand Duel "Il grande duello" (1972)

Lee Van Cleef. Enough said.