Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Big Magilla »

Precious Doll wrote:
ITALIANO wrote:It was Cukor, as of course you know.
Golly, that was foolish of me given that Cukor & Minnelli are worlds apart as directors and during that period Minnelli was making a whole lot of luridly entertaining films with The Web probably being the pinnacle and in which A Star is Born does not fit into.

My only excuse apart from the close relationship between Garland & Minnelli was what I wrote was very late last night having taken an obscene dose of sleeping pills as I'm battling a bad cold. Thankfully I've made a speedy recovery and am currently enjoyed a couple of gin & tonics which I find as one of the best treatments for a cold.
That must be some cold. Minnelli never made a film called The Web, but he did, of course, make The Cobweb the following year.

The irony is that Cukor making his first widescreen film proved an early master of the process that Minnelli would soon be considered the greatest master of. Both made all types of films. Minnelli's 1954 release was also his first widescreen film, albeit a somewhat disappointing one given the cheesy studio backdrop he was forced to work in on Brigadoon, the first of the Lerner-Loewe musicals to be filmed. Minnelli would later win his only Oscar for directing the original Lerner & Loewe musical, Gigi and Cukor would later win his only Oscar for directing Lerner & Loewe's My Fair Lady so confusing the two is understandable, especially when one has a bad cold!
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

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Fazil (Howard Hawks, 1928) 7/10

Miscegenation gets a workout in this exotic love story between Arab royalty (Charles Farrell) and a lovely french girl (Greta Nissen). The Prince, on a visit to Venice, lays eyes on the girl and is instantly smitten. Charmed by his exotic looks and attention she gets married to him. To her horror she finds out that back in Arabia she has to toe the line, is treated like his possession and has to compete with his harem of women. With American censors always in a tizzy over couplings between different races it is but obvious how the outcome of the relationship is going to be. The film soars in the sequence set in Venice as their tender love story plays out on huge sets with Nissen a charming presence as the lady with a strong mind of her own. The scenes set in Arabia are laughably bad with the screenplay going into overdrive trying to show the racist mentality of the Arabs with little attention to any proper homework on part of the studio - old Hollywood always got it wrong showing a Muslim praying which here consists of the person repeatedly bowing down. And harems in the Middle East never had women dressed in skimpy outfits although Hollywood liked showing a lot of skin. Farrell is stiff throughout playing what is basically a clone of Valentino's "Sheik". Hawks superbly handles the romantic aspect of the plot and the film's production values are impeccable throughout with outstanding sets and costumes. Interesting silent film (with a song thrown into the mix) is a relic from Hollywood's golden era but holds interest throughout.
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

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College Swing (Raoul Walsh, 1938) 5/10

Silly vaudeville routines interspersed with song, dance and comic sequences played by a mostly delightful cast. The jokes come fast and furious with many falling flat but a few involving Gracie Allen (as a dimwit student at college trying to pass an exam to inherit the place) and others - George Burns, Bob Hope and Martha Raye, which click. The musical sequences involve John Payne romancing Florence George and a brief bouncy appearance by Betty Grable. Both Raye and Fields get to sing most of the songs and have standout comic moments. But it's all rather silly and only worth watching to see most of these stars in their early film appearances.
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

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Springtime in the Rockies (Irving Cummings, 1942) 7/10

Typically upbeat and colourful Fox musical with a whiff of a plot - an estranged couple (John Payne & Betty Grable) try to make each other jealous by pretending to be involved with debonair Cesar Romero and a bouncy, over-the-top Carmen Miranda. Set at a resort in the Rockies (all painted backdrops) the entire cast converges singing and dancing to the music of Harry James and Count Basie. Charming froth is stolen by old reliables - droll Edward Everett Horton and whacky Charlotte Greenwood. Great fun with one outstanding dance performed by Romero and Grable not unlike Astaire and Rogers. Miranda manages to upstage the two leads with her crazy antics although both Payne and Grable make a very handsome couple on screen.
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

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Three Identical Strangers (Tim Wardle, 2018) 8/10

Bizarre but incredible true story about three strangers who discover they are identical triplets who were separated at birth 19-years before. The boys, when reunited, became a media sensation during the 1980s with tv appearances and even going into the restaurant business. This riveting documentary starts off like a joyous sitcom and gradually turns into something very sinister, disturbing and tragic as the brothers discover why they were separated by the jewish adoption agency at the behest of a psychologist as they became his subjects under a controversial study which today remains unpublished and locked up at Yale university. The film builds on the story piece by piece through interviews with relatives, staff who worked with the psychologist and the brothers themselves leading up to its shocking but inconclusive ending which hints somewhat at Nazi physician Josef Mengele and his experiments at Auschwitz. The irony of it all is appalling considering the psychologist was a Holocaust survivor. A gripping but disturbing documentary.
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

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Illegal Entry (Frederick De Cordova, 1949) 5/10

Good cast in dull crime programmer with noir overtones courtesy of William Daniels' shadowy cinematography. The chief of the Immigration bureau (George Brent) has a former pilot (Howard Duff) go undercover to investigate human trafficking in Los Angeles. His lead is the beautiful widow (Mårta Torén) of his dead army buddy who may or may not be involved with the smugglers. Gruff Duff and lovely Torén make an appealing couple although its pretty stale stuff.
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

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ITALIANO wrote:
It was Cukor, as of course you know.
Golly, that was foolish of me given that Cukor & Minnelli are worlds apart as directors and during that period Minnelli was making a whole lot of luridly entertaining films with The Web probably being the pinnacle and in which A Star is Born does not fit into.

My only excuse apart from the close relationship between Garland & Minnelli was what I wrote was very late last night having taken an obscene dose of sleeping pills as I'm battling a bad cold. Thankfully I've made a speedy recovery and am currently enjoyed a couple of gin & tonics which I find as one of the best treatments for a cold.
"I want cement covering every blade of grass in this nation! Don't we taxpayers have a voice anymore?" Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) in John Waters' Desperate Living (1977)
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by ITALIANO »

Big Magilla wrote:
ITALIANO wrote:It's an American association. But even if they were Italian, whores are everywhere, Big Magilla. The problem is being a whore and not being paid for the job... Lady Gaga's acting "sublime"? :D Not even her press agent would say that, come on :)
I said she herself was sublime which means "of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe" - I said her acting was "strong" but what made the performance sublime was her way of putting across a song.

Here's my actual comment, which comes after my somewhat mixed assessment of the film and her co-star:

"Lady Gaga, though, is sublime throughout. Her acting is strong and no contemporary singer can put a song across in a way that is as pleasing to fans of any and all musical genres as she can. I think it's safe to say that her Oscar nomination is in the bag, though a win may be a bit of a stretch."
Oh ok. Well you still liked her acting alot. Which by the way isn't a crime :)
But unlike the young film critics (and fans) who treat her with the same kind of blind admiration once reserved for Eleonora Duse, my point is that you should know better. Just this.
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Big Magilla »

ITALIANO wrote:It's an American association. But even if they were Italian, whores are everywhere, Big Magilla. The problem is being a whore and not being paid for the job... Lady Gaga's acting "sublime"? :D Not even her press agent would say that, come on :)
I said she herself was sublime which means "of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe" - I said her acting was "strong" but what made the performance sublime was her way of putting across a song.

Here's my actual comment, which comes after my somewhat mixed assessment of the film and her co-star:

"Lady Gaga, though, is sublime throughout. Her acting is strong and no contemporary singer can put a song across in a way that is as pleasing to fans of any and all musical genres as she can. I think it's safe to say that her Oscar nomination is in the bag, though a win may be a bit of a stretch."
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by ITALIANO »

Big Magilla wrote:Funny, but the only award the film has won so far was in ITALY!!!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517451/aw ... tt_ql_op_1

Venice Film Festival 2018
Winner
Smithers Foundation Award
Collateral Award
Bradley Cooper
It's an American association. But even if they were Italian, whores are everywhere, Big Magilla. The problem is being a whore and not being paid for the job... Lady Gaga's acting "sublime"? :D Not even her press agent would say that, come on :)
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

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Funny, but the only award the film has won so far was in ITALY!!!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517451/aw ... tt_ql_op_1

Venice Film Festival 2018
Winner
Smithers Foundation Award
Collateral Award
Bradley Cooper
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by ITALIANO »

Precious Doll wrote:
ITALIANO wrote:
Precious Doll wrote: A Star is Born (2018) Bradley Cooper 2/10

Yeah. Sad but true. Now just read - if you have the courage - what the Americans on this board think of this movie (in the Star is Born thread). The way they reacted to it (or they say they did - some of them clearly didn't really like it but have to pretend they did) is, I believe, extremely interesting, and a sign of the times.
I'm really amazed at the critical response to the film, particularly from Venice & Toronto but I am of the opinion that professional film criticism is in decline. I think one of the problems facing young critics is that it is impossible now to see all the films of importance from the past as we are talking about over 100 years of cinema. There is also a 'fan-boy' mentality than didn't seem to exist prior to the internet that is playing a part in the overrating of so many mediocre to downright terrible films. Also, some people who see films first tend to overpraise them and in an awful lot of cases I think that has to do with the fact that they are seeing them before anyone else.

I must admit that I went to this with a degree of optimism, primarily due to all the raves. But I found the find a complete mess, unenaging and as a result boring as hell. I looked at my watch an awful lot. On the plus side Lady Gaga was a pleasant enough presence and she can certainly sing (I'm not familiar with her musical career) and I was impressed with Bradley Cooper's accent which was very close to that of Sam Elliott's. Something overlooked so often in cinema is that siblings can actually sound similar and this film pulled that off. I really don't get the acclaim. I can understand that fans of Lady Gaga would probably love it by her presence alone but one could say the same for the 1976 version for fans of Babs & Kris K. Though, I'm the exception. I love Babs but boy most of the films she has made are beneath her talent and ASIB is one of them.

I did though get a kick seeing a credit for great William Wellman on a 2018 film. I certainly don't object to a remake as its a timeless story but this like the 1976 brought nothing new to the table. I don't see any future for Cooper as a director. That scene where he embarrasses Gaga at the Grammys was straight out of a John Waters' film @1970s. But than I think its impossible to top James Mason 'slap' in the Minnelli version. One really feels Garlands utter humiliation.

Ultimately this film is a mess.
It was Cukor, as of course you know.

I think if you are American you are surrounded by so much enthusiasm for this movie (but this can be applied to other movies in the recent past) that you MUST like it. You can express doubts on specific aspects - as some even on this board have tried to do - but in general you have to like it. The amount of praise is so uniform - and let's say it, Americans aren't exactly champions of individual thinking - that nobody, or almost nobody, can rebel to it.
The result is, of course, embarassing. But while the movie is, as you say, a mess, and a bland mess I'd add, as a cultural phenomenon, and a proof of how easily infuenceable people - even expeienced cinemagoers - have become, it IS fascinating.
I won't name names, but if someone who grew up with Katharine Hepburn suddenly finds Lady Gaga's acting "sublime" (not even good, sublime!) you know that there's something wrong, very wrong even, in our perception of today's movies.
Someone else here loved the movie because in some ways it mirrored his past addiction problems. I respect, obviously, such problems which can be terrible and painful. But if someone who's gone through all that can be satisfied by this movie's banal, supeficial treatment of something which is actually very serious, sorry, but I become suspicious. Because anyone who truly experienced any kind of addiction should instantly recognize how easily the movie deals with this theme.
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Uri »

Precious Doll wrote:But than I think its impossible to top James Mason 'slap' in the Minnelli version. One really feels Garlands utter humiliation
Oops. Understandable one, but still an oops.

Other than that, I co-sign your post.
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

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ITALIANO wrote:
Precious Doll wrote: A Star is Born (2018) Bradley Cooper 2/10

Yeah. Sad but true. Now just read - if you have the courage - what the Americans on this board think of this movie (in the Star is Born thread). The way they reacted to it (or they say they did - some of them clearly didn't really like it but have to pretend they did) is, I believe, extremely interesting, and a sign of the times.
I'm really amazed at the critical response to the film, particularly from Venice & Toronto but I am of the opinion that professional film criticism is in decline. I think one of the problems facing young critics is that it is impossible now to see all the films of importance from the past as we are talking about over 100 years of cinema. There is also a 'fan-boy' mentality than didn't seem to exist prior to the internet that is playing a part in the overrating of so many mediocre to downright terrible films. Also, some people who see films first tend to overpraise them and in an awful lot of cases I think that has to do with the fact that they are seeing them before anyone else.

I must admit that I went to this with a degree of optimism, primarily due to all the raves. But I found the find a complete mess, unenaging and as a result boring as hell. I looked at my watch an awful lot. On the plus side Lady Gaga was a pleasant enough presence and she can certainly sing (I'm not familiar with her musical career) and I was impressed with Bradley Cooper's accent which was very close to that of Sam Elliott's. Something overlooked so often in cinema is that siblings can actually sound similar and this film pulled that off. I really don't get the acclaim. I can understand that fans of Lady Gaga would probably love it by her presence alone but one could say the same for the 1976 version for fans of Babs & Kris K. Though, I'm the exception. I love Babs but boy most of the films she has made are beneath her talent and ASIB is one of them.

I did though get a kick seeing a credit for great William Wellman on a 2018 film. I certainly don't object to a remake as its a timeless story but this like the 1976 brought nothing new to the table. I don't see any future for Cooper as a director. That scene where he embarrasses Gaga at the Grammys was straight out of a John Waters' film @1970s. But than I think its impossible to top James Mason 'slap' in the Minnelli version. One really feels Garlands utter humiliation.

Ultimately this film is a mess.
"I want cement covering every blade of grass in this nation! Don't we taxpayers have a voice anymore?" Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) in John Waters' Desperate Living (1977)
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by ITALIANO »

Precious Doll wrote: A Star is Born (2018) Bradley Cooper 2/10

Yeah. Sad but true. Now just read - if you have the courage - what the Americans on this board think of this movie (in the Star is Born thread). The way they reacted to it (or they say they did - some of them clearly didn't really like it but have to pretend they did) is, I believe, extremely interesting, and a sign of the times.
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