Lately I’ve been catching up with a lot of nominated films and performances. By order of viewing:
Autumn Sonata (1978) – My favorite Bergman film. Both Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullman are perfection. 9/10
Brief Encounter (1945) – A very pleasant surprise. Really liked the way the story is presented. 9/10
Shanghai Express (1932) – Iconic for Dietrich performance and its cinematography. 6/10
Notorious (1946) – My least favorite Hitchcock film. Was not impressed. 5/10
Pygmalion (1938) – The first adaptation of My Fair Lady. Pretty enjoyable. 7/10
The Last Command (1928) – A masterpiece. Emil Jannings is spectacular. The whole movie is splendid. A must see 10/10
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) – Entertaining but pretty forgettable. Claude Rains is the best actor playing Claude Rains. 5/10
A Double Life (1947) – Aside from the committed performance by Ronald Colman the film is a snooze fest. 5/10
Of Human Bondage (1934) – The film that launched Bette Davis. Pretty dull overall. 4/10
My Man Godfrey (1936) – Splendid social critique film with a witty screenplay, gracious humor and great performances. 9/10
Cries and Whispers (1973) – I may be in the minority but this film is absolutely insufferable. A pain to watch save for Sven Nykvist cinematograpy. 2/10
How Green was My Valley (1941) – Magnificent film with a masterful John Ford direction. Loved it. 9/10
A Farewell to Arms (1932) – Pretty average considering the source material. No wonder Hemingway did not like the film. 5/10
Cleopatra (1934) – Colbert exhales sexiness in this pre code epic. 6/10
The Little Foxes (1941) – My favorite Bette Davis performance in a very interesting film. 8/10
Kiss of Death (1947) – Great film noir. Richard Widmark is stupendous. 9/10
Pinky (1949) – Rather dated, did not age well. No wonder Jeanne Crain never had a decent career. She is completely wooden. 4/10
The Gay Divorcee (1934) – Entertaining Astaire/Rogers film. The “The Continental” scene runs for too long. 7/10
Pick Up on South Street (1953) – After Kiss of Death I had high expectations for this one but was utterly disappointed. 4/10
Suspicion (1941) – Cary Grant is very good in this. Top tier Hitchcock for me. 7/10
Farewell My Lovely (1975) – 70’s film done in 50’s noir B film mode this has not aged well. 2/10
A Thousand Clowns (1965) – Overlong, boring trying to be funny filmed play. Balsam’s Oscar is pretty ridiculous. He has one scene in the film. 3/10
My Cousin Rachel (1952) – Competent direction by Henry Koster. De Havilland and Burton are good in it. 5/10
The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) – Nice performance from Paul Muni. 6/10
The Entertainer (1960) – Pretty average film with an over the top Olivier. 5/10
The OX Bow Incident (1942) – This little movie was a very pleasant surprise. A very relevant story that still seems fresh. 9/10
Broken Arrow (1950) – Good western with a fine James Stewart performance. 6/10
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1968) – Had issues with the pacing but Alan Arkin is very good as a deaf character. 7/10
Morning Glory (1933) – Loved it. Hepburn, in her first Oscar winning role, is superb. The Romeo and Juliet's balcony scene at a party is beautiful. 9/10
Dangerous (1935) – Clearly a consolation win for Bette Davis after a rising to fame one year earlier. Rather dull overall 2/10
Going My Way (1944) – The feel good movie America needed at the time. 4/10
Rebecca (1940) – Excellent in every way. My favorite Olivier performance. 9/10
Robinson Crusoe (1954) – Not much to say about this one. Watchable. 5/10
Bad Girl (1931) – Borzage won best director for this competent film. It has aged well. 6/10
The Philadelphia Story (1940) – Cary Grant deserved the Oscar for this instead of Stewart. Tremendously well written and 80 after it was made it still feels fresh. 9/10
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) – By far this is Sinatra’s best film role. Liked it a lot. 8/10
Morocco (1930) – Another iconic Dietrich role and Claude Rains againg playing Claude Rains. 6/10
The Spiral Staircase (1946) – Pretty entertaining film. Ethel Barrymore is the stand out even if she is playing her routine “stuck in bed” character. 6/10
The Crucible (1996) – Other than Ryder atrocious performance it is pretty watchable. 6/10
The Go Between (1971) – 1971 is a tremendous year and this film is another good example. Was lucky enough to watch this in a theater screen during a Joseph Losey revival festival. 7/10
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) – Jose Ferrer really deserved his Oscar for this performance. 8/10
Resurrection (1980) – On paper the story seems atrocious but I was surprised by the execution and Burstyn commitment to the role.7/10
Never on Sunday (1960) – Apparently this was a cultural phenomenon but I did not like it. 4/10
Becky Sharp (1935) - The first film shot in technicolor. Other than that, pretty dated. 3/10
Wuthering Heights (1939) – Given the source material I was expecting much more from this rather dull adaptation. Olivier and Merle Oberon have zero chemistry on film. 4/10
Country (1984) – Typical 80’s farming film with a good Jessica Lance performance who also executive produced the film. 4/10
Rob Roy (1995) – Tim Roth is fantastic as the villain. Although rather long I was very entertained by it. 6/10
Alfie (1966) – Struggled to understand Caine’s accent and felt some animosity towards the character. 5/10
Body and Soul (1947) – Probably the best boxing movie only second to Raging Bull. Garfield’s career looked promising. 8/10
Claudine (1974) – Really entertaining little film. Liked it a lot. James Earl Jones was overlooked for a nomination on this. 9/10
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) – Smith’s performance is a bit histrionic at times. Pamela Franklin is really good. 6/10
Charly (1968) – Dreadful piece of garbage. A chore to sit through. 1/10
The Happy Ending (1969) – Conrad Hall shot this film exactly the same way he shot American Beauty 30 years later. A movie that reflected the current society. 5/10
Quills (2000) – Phoenix was clearly miscast. Rush is very good in the third act. Passable. 5/10
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
I saw this in the movies when I was 9 years old, and was utterly traumatized by the scene where a guy is tortured, having a giant bell put over his head and bonged. When they remove the bell, blood is pouring out his ears. The memory is so intense, I've literally made ear doctors promise me it could never actually happen.Reza wrote: Il colosso di Rodi / The Colossus of Rhodes (Sergio Leone, 1961) 6/10
Sergio Leone's official directorial debut is a lavish Italian sword-and-sandal epic set during the Hellenistic era - the time following Alexander the Great's death but before the rise of the Roman empire. The story is set on the island of Rhodes with its newly constructed colossal statue of the god Apollo standing 300 ft high (three times the size of the original) stradling the main harbour (also a point of contention as nobody really knows where it actually stood). A greek war hero (Rory Calhoun) arrives on the island to visit his uncle and not only falls in love with the beautiful daughter (Léa Massari) of the statue's architect but also gets involved with rebels revolting against the tyrannical king. At the same time the king's second-in-command is also plotting against the king by smuggling Phoenician soldiers onto the island and having them pose as slaves. They occupy the interior of the gigantic statue awaiting the Phoenician fleet to enter the harbour. There are various double and triple crosses as the rebels and the slaves clash which is followed by a violent storm and a devastating earthquake which topples the Colossus into the harbour thus destroying one of the wonders of the ancient world. Sets and costuming overshadow the narrative which perks up during the scenes of disaster deftly handled by Leone. Calhoun, a last minute replacement for John Derek (who clashed with Leone), moves through the film smiling like the Cheshire Cat.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Typhoon (1940) - 7/10 - A bad storm is sinking a ship in the Pacific so the captain puts his young daughter on a life raft to save her. 10 years later, the girl has grown up to be Dorothy Lamour and lives on an otherwise deserted island with a chimpanzee for company. She's built herself a nice little hoe with what she has scavenged from things thrown up on shore. She helps a sailor who ends up on her island and then his friend who is the victim of a mutiny. The movie is a bit nonsensical, but I thought it was fun and the special effects were pretty good. We get a big storm that sinks a ship, a forest fire, and a typhoon.
Ferry Tales (2003) - 8/10 - A group of women meet every day in the women's restroom on the 8:15 Staten Island Ferry while on their way to work. Over the years, these women have formed bonds from this part of their daily routine. This film takes a peek inside and interviews the women as well. It was pretty well done.
George Grosz’ Interregnum (1960) - 7/10 - Artist George Grosz fled Germany and emigrated to the United States with his family in 1933 just before the Nazis took control. The Nazis were certainly not fans of his artwork from the previous 15-20 years which were critical of German society and showed the brutality and corruption of those in power. I'm not a big fan of his style of artwork, though it grew on me a bit. I think that the narration got somewhat tedious by the end. Overall, a decent film, though.
Sing! (2001) - 8/10 - This is a very nice film about the Los Angeles Children's Chorus. They have four choirs for students from ages 6-18 and the film shows part of the audition process along with practices, performances, evaluations, and more. Students and directors are interviewed about their experiences and what the program means to them. We also get to see a small group of students rehearse with Placido Domingo prior to a performance of La Boheme, which they have roles in. Definitely an interesting film if you have any interest in children and the arts.
Never Give Up: The 20th Century Odyssey of Herbert Zipper (1995) - 8/10 - Herbert Zipper was born in Vienna in 1904 and educated in an upper middle class Jewish home. He ended up in Dachau in 1938, but was released a year later so that he could join family in London. He moved to Manila, got married, led a symphony, and then was a Japanese prisoner for four months when they took over the country. After emigrating to the U.S., he worked toward promoting music education for the next five decades. This was a nice look at his life and his work that continued into his 90s.
General Spanky (1936) - 6/10 - This was the only Our Gang feature length film and it was okay, though setting it during the Civil War with Spanky, Buckwheat, and Alfalfa on the Confederate side seems on odd choice that doesn't hold up well today, especially with Buckwheat looking for a master to take him as a slave. Other than that, the antics and other situations are generally mildly amusing.
Scared Straight! (1978) - 7.5/10 - A group of juvenile delinquents are taken into a prison to have a 3 hour session with prisoners who are each serving 25 years or longer for armed robbery, murder, or other serious crimes in an attempt to get them onto a better path.
The Battle of the Bulge…The Brave Rifles (1965) - 6/10 - This documentary looks at Germany's last big push during WWII. The footage was okay, but the narration was overmelodramatic and pretty bad.
With These Hands (1950) - 4/10 - A garment worker is about to retire and he thinks back to his long career and the rise of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. He thinks of the poor conditions and steps that the union took to help the workers. Unfortunately, the scenes which don't use archival footage are generally poorly acted and seem like they are out of a bad stage play.
Ferry Tales (2003) - 8/10 - A group of women meet every day in the women's restroom on the 8:15 Staten Island Ferry while on their way to work. Over the years, these women have formed bonds from this part of their daily routine. This film takes a peek inside and interviews the women as well. It was pretty well done.
George Grosz’ Interregnum (1960) - 7/10 - Artist George Grosz fled Germany and emigrated to the United States with his family in 1933 just before the Nazis took control. The Nazis were certainly not fans of his artwork from the previous 15-20 years which were critical of German society and showed the brutality and corruption of those in power. I'm not a big fan of his style of artwork, though it grew on me a bit. I think that the narration got somewhat tedious by the end. Overall, a decent film, though.
Sing! (2001) - 8/10 - This is a very nice film about the Los Angeles Children's Chorus. They have four choirs for students from ages 6-18 and the film shows part of the audition process along with practices, performances, evaluations, and more. Students and directors are interviewed about their experiences and what the program means to them. We also get to see a small group of students rehearse with Placido Domingo prior to a performance of La Boheme, which they have roles in. Definitely an interesting film if you have any interest in children and the arts.
Never Give Up: The 20th Century Odyssey of Herbert Zipper (1995) - 8/10 - Herbert Zipper was born in Vienna in 1904 and educated in an upper middle class Jewish home. He ended up in Dachau in 1938, but was released a year later so that he could join family in London. He moved to Manila, got married, led a symphony, and then was a Japanese prisoner for four months when they took over the country. After emigrating to the U.S., he worked toward promoting music education for the next five decades. This was a nice look at his life and his work that continued into his 90s.
General Spanky (1936) - 6/10 - This was the only Our Gang feature length film and it was okay, though setting it during the Civil War with Spanky, Buckwheat, and Alfalfa on the Confederate side seems on odd choice that doesn't hold up well today, especially with Buckwheat looking for a master to take him as a slave. Other than that, the antics and other situations are generally mildly amusing.
Scared Straight! (1978) - 7.5/10 - A group of juvenile delinquents are taken into a prison to have a 3 hour session with prisoners who are each serving 25 years or longer for armed robbery, murder, or other serious crimes in an attempt to get them onto a better path.
The Battle of the Bulge…The Brave Rifles (1965) - 6/10 - This documentary looks at Germany's last big push during WWII. The footage was okay, but the narration was overmelodramatic and pretty bad.
With These Hands (1950) - 4/10 - A garment worker is about to retire and he thinks back to his long career and the rise of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. He thinks of the poor conditions and steps that the union took to help the workers. Unfortunately, the scenes which don't use archival footage are generally poorly acted and seem like they are out of a bad stage play.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
In the Heights (Jon M. Chu, 2021) 7/10
A plaintive cry of despair through song by the ethnic community in the United States - the story is centered around a mostly Latino neighborhood in Washington Heights at the northern tip of Manhattan - but since the underlying theme is American patriotism there is always the promise of a better day and a better future. A young bodego owner (Anthony Ramos) is infatuated with a hot beautician (Melissa Barerra) who works at the local parlor, looks after the old Cuban lady (Olga Merediz) next door and dreams of winning the lottery and one day returning to the Dominican Republic to restore his late father's business. Meanwhile his childhood friend (Leslie Grace) returns from Stanford University and tells her proud father (Jimmy Smits) that she wants to drop out due to the constant racism she encounters. This energetic film version of the hit Broadway play is brought to the screen with 17 songs on the soundtrack. None of the songs are particularly memorable but they have an infectious quality which the actors elevate while dreaming (of a better life) and dancing. The rousing anthem, "Paciencia y Fe", sung by Olga Meredez, pretty much sums up the ethnic experience in the United States - a life spent dreaming of a better place, landing as an immigrant in America, the constant struggle there against rampant racism and for opportunities which are few and far between and a sad end for many with dreams unfulfilled. Message laden film has something to say to every person of ethnicity living in the United States. Looks kinda promising when seen through singing and dancing.
Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (Patrick Hughes, 2021) 8/10
When the hitman (Samuel L. Jackson) is kidnapped on the eve of his honeymoon his wife (Salma Hayek) grabs hold of his former bodyguard (Ryan Reynolds) and goes gun blazing looking for her man. This sequel to the previous action comedy moves like a live-action cartoon on heat. When the situation turns tense in a film it is a pathetic low when the screenplay uses the "F" word to bring on laughs. Yet it works everytime as the cast here goes into overdrive with that word resulting in many laughs. The outrageous Hayek has a field day brandishing guns, her boobs and the "F" word as she leads her depressed bodyguard on a journey fraught with danger, violence and outright mayhem. The film works due to the great chemistry between the three stars - sexual between Jackson and Hayek, a combination of hatred and friendship between Jackson and Reynolds and of a weird sort of maternal chemistry between Hayek and Reynolds. Adding spice to this oddball fray are a Liberace-like villain (Antonio Banderas) who has a past history with the hitman's wife and an ageing black AAA-grade hitman (Morgan Freeman) who just happens to have a past history with the bodyguard which the hitman finds hilariously incredulous. Plenty of action of the absurd variety - shootouts, car chases, stabbings, gouging, murder and every possible violent act under the sun - makes this one of the silliest but funniest rides this summer. And Hayek is still THE babe!!
The Raiders (Leslie Selander, 1952) 6/10
Richard Conte's presence boosts this minor Western's stature - a B-film with a generic revenge theme. A gold prospector (Richard Conte) in California seeks revenge when his brother and wife are murdered by the henchman (Hugh O'Brian - despicably evil and unsubtly dressed in black) of a greedy Mayor who has illegally usurped land belonging to many people. Joining hands with a Mexican and his sister (Viveca Lindfors), who have also been swindled, he turns outlaw to ruin the Mayor. Action packed western also has pretty Barbara Britton as the evil Mayor's daughter who takes a shine to the man hell bent on ruining her father. An intense steel-jawed Conte pulls this little film out of its minor league status and its screenplay throws in a little bit of history as well - California joining the Union. Predictable yet enjoyable.
Wrath of Man (Guy Ritchie, 2021) 7/10
Slick revenge thriller is old hat as far as the plot is concerned but it's a return to form for Ritchie as he juggles the film's convoluted framing using flashbacks and flash-forwards. And he jolts things up by teaming with an old mate after a long time. A mysterious man (Jason Statham) starts working for an armed vehicle company which had the misfortune of losing two staff during an earlier robbery. He is a gruff man of few words but soon turns hero when he handles with superb aplomb a second robbery attempt by single handedly shooting dead the six robbers. A flashback explains his presence at the company - an innocent bystander shot dead during the previous robbery was his son. Hence the revenge angle of the plot as Stathman turns into a killing machine in his quest to find the man who shot his son in cold blood and also shot him at the same time leaving him for dead. When the gang strikes again using an insider in the company all hell breaks loose into a horrific bloodbath with Statham bang in the center. The action is amped up by Christopher Benstead’s ominous score and the film's outstanding sound design. Statham plays his badass character completely deadpan as always and Richie dispenses with humour which he used to great effect in his last film "The Gentlemen". Humour is not needed here (although there are a few scattered laughs) as Ritchie concentrates instead on bloody carnage which would make Tarantino squeal with delight. Nothing new really but still an effective thriller as you root for the Stath to get his revenge.
Haseen Dillruba (Vinil Mathew, 2021) 7/10
A woman (Taapsee Pannu) is relentlessly interrogated by the police who suspect she murdered her husband (Vikrant Massey). As the investigation drags on the woman keeps pleading her innocence while relating the facts how she met her husband, married him, their eventual marital differences, clashes with her mother-in-law and her sexual involvement with her husband's visiting virile cousin (Harshvardan Rane). The screenplay has three acts. In the first we see the crumbling relationship between a newly married couple. She is gregarious and obsessed with reading crime novels and he is a reticent shy man madly in love with her yet too intimidated by her to consummate their marriage. The second act involves a visitor who arrives and further disrupts the couple's waning relationship. The third act involves a twist ending but not before venturing into grand guignol territory as the screen is awashed in blood, a limb is severed and there is a terrible gas explosion which results in a burnt dead body. I enjoyed the problematic third act but was a bit bored by the often very repetitious middle section. Taapsee Pannu, who is usually always very good, here seems out of sorts as she fails to bring to surface her character's different arcs. And what's with all those sexy sarees? They somehow don't quite fit in with her character's background. The film is stolen by Vikrant Massey who goes from being a hesitant young groom crazy in love to a man whose disappointment, anger and jealousy break loose in a fury he can no longer contain. His ultimate sacrifice for his love turns him into exactly the man his wife got turned on by in novels. The film's fantastic setting is a major plus as the film's prime location is a house overlooking a flowing river as most scenes are shot on balconies overlooking the running water which also plays an important part in the plot.
French Exit (Azazel Jacobs, 2020) 5/10
Quirky but uneven little film has Michelle Pfeiffer's return to the screen as a leading lady after years of brief parts in assorted franchises. An ageing, bored Manhattan socialite (Michelle Pfeiffer) sells what liitle remains of her inheritance and moves to Paris with her son (Lucas Hedges) and family cat who just happens to be her reincarnated husband. Surreal story is filled with oddball characters who all converge at the apartment in Paris - the son's girlfriend (Imogen Poots), her new lover, a detective, a medium who communicates with the dead husband through the cat and a kooky fellow expatriate widow (Valerie Mahaffey). Dirty linen is aired, the cat goes missing, the flamboyant widow doles out the last of her cash to strangers at the park and an ambivalent ending adds to the mystery surrounding the widow. Pfeiffer underplays throughout yet livens things up with every caustic remark that exits her lips. Hedges, as the sad sack son who has spent his whole life overwhelmed by his mother, looks catatonic throughout. The film somewhat archly resembles the films of Whit Stillman and Wes Anderson and the sudden different tracks it takes - the tone swinging from farce to absurdism to satire to domestic drama - is a case of a few too many cooks spoiling the broth.
La ronde / Circle of Love (Roger Vadim, 1964) 7/10
Arthur Schnitzler's highly provocative and controversial 1897 play, "Reigen", closely observes sexual morality and class ideology of its day. The story focuses on the sexual activities of a group of characters across all levels of society and offers social commentary on how sexual contact transgresses class boundaries. Max Ophüls adapted the play into a witty and elegant film in 1950. Vadim, the enfant terrible of 60s cinema, leaves nothing to the imagination and comes up with this soft porn version (with a screenplay by the distinguished french playwright Jean Anouih) starring an eclectic french cast who were then at the top of their game along with American starlet Jane Fonda who was having an affair with Vadim on the side and would get married right after the film's release. It is no wonder that she has his full attention because she easily steals the film with her delightful performance. It was also the first time an American movie star had appeared nude in a foreign film which added to the film's controversy. Fonda later sued the producers when the movie was advertised in New York with a giant eight-storey billboard in Times Square that displayed her naked body. The plot is a veritable merry-go-round as "love" goes round and comes full circle. During the summer of 1914 a sentimental prostitute (Marie Dubois) picks up a soldier (Claude Giraud), who seduces a housemaid (Anna Karina), who seduces the son of her employer (Jean-Claude Brialy), who visits his lover (Jane Fonda), who sleeps with her husband (Maurice Ronet), who casually picks up and takes a shopgirl (Catherine Spaak) to a private dining room. The pickup is promoted by a playwright (Bernard Noël), who renews an old affair with an actress (Francine Bergé), who is visited by a Count (Jean Sorel), who meets the sentimental prostitute. "La ronde", presented as a cycle of seduction and pleasure, is superbly photographed in stunning colour by the great Henri Decaë with eye catching costumes and production design. Apart from the wickedly funny Fonda there are also excellent performances by Spaak, Karina, Dubois and Bergé. Compared to Ophül's version this comes up short but the plot bounces along in typical 1960s sexual mode (despite the period setting) and there is enough eye candy on display to keep you riveted to the screen.
Madigan (Don Siegel, 1968) 7/10
Gritty police procedural set the tone for numerous later tv cop shows including its own namesake which Richard Widmark took to the small screen for a few equally gritty weekly shows some years later. Numerous plots run simultaneously in this neo-noir as it focuses on cops at a precinct in New York. A tired cop, Madigan (Richard Widmark), finds himself in a jam both at work and home. A murder suspect gets the better of him and his partner (Harry Guardino) when he escapes capture and runs off with their guns. In his private life he is juggling two dissatisfied women - his sexually frustrated wife (Inger Stevens) and a mistress (Sheree North). Meanwhile the strait-laced Commissioner (Henry Fonda) is hypocritically involved with a married woman (Susan Clark) and has discovered that the Chief Inspector (James Whitmore) - his childhood friend - is on the take. The screenplay not only tackles action but also delves into problems related to love, infidelity and friendship. Fast paced thriller makes good use of the New York City locations.
Il colosso di Rodi / The Colossus of Rhodes (Sergio Leone, 1961) 6/10
Sergio Leone's official directorial debut is a lavish Italian sword-and-sandal epic set during the Hellenistic era - the time following Alexander the Great's death but before the rise of the Roman empire. The story is set on the island of Rhodes with its newly constructed colossal statue of the god Apollo standing 300 ft high (three times the size of the original) stradling the main harbour (also a point of contention as nobody really knows where it actually stood). A greek war hero (Rory Calhoun) arrives on the island to visit his uncle and not only falls in love with the beautiful daughter (Léa Massari) of the statue's architect but also gets involved with rebels revolting against the tyrannical king. At the same time the king's second-in-command is also plotting against the king by smuggling Phoenician soldiers onto the island and having them pose as slaves. They occupy the interior of the gigantic statue awaiting the Phoenician fleet to enter the harbour. There are various double and triple crosses as the rebels and the slaves clash which is followed by a violent storm and a devastating earthquake which topples the Colossus into the harbour thus destroying one of the wonders of the ancient world. Sets and costuming overshadow the narrative which perks up during the scenes of disaster deftly handled by Leone. Calhoun, a last minute replacement for John Derek (who clashed with Leone), moves through the film smiling like the Cheshire Cat.
A plaintive cry of despair through song by the ethnic community in the United States - the story is centered around a mostly Latino neighborhood in Washington Heights at the northern tip of Manhattan - but since the underlying theme is American patriotism there is always the promise of a better day and a better future. A young bodego owner (Anthony Ramos) is infatuated with a hot beautician (Melissa Barerra) who works at the local parlor, looks after the old Cuban lady (Olga Merediz) next door and dreams of winning the lottery and one day returning to the Dominican Republic to restore his late father's business. Meanwhile his childhood friend (Leslie Grace) returns from Stanford University and tells her proud father (Jimmy Smits) that she wants to drop out due to the constant racism she encounters. This energetic film version of the hit Broadway play is brought to the screen with 17 songs on the soundtrack. None of the songs are particularly memorable but they have an infectious quality which the actors elevate while dreaming (of a better life) and dancing. The rousing anthem, "Paciencia y Fe", sung by Olga Meredez, pretty much sums up the ethnic experience in the United States - a life spent dreaming of a better place, landing as an immigrant in America, the constant struggle there against rampant racism and for opportunities which are few and far between and a sad end for many with dreams unfulfilled. Message laden film has something to say to every person of ethnicity living in the United States. Looks kinda promising when seen through singing and dancing.
Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (Patrick Hughes, 2021) 8/10
When the hitman (Samuel L. Jackson) is kidnapped on the eve of his honeymoon his wife (Salma Hayek) grabs hold of his former bodyguard (Ryan Reynolds) and goes gun blazing looking for her man. This sequel to the previous action comedy moves like a live-action cartoon on heat. When the situation turns tense in a film it is a pathetic low when the screenplay uses the "F" word to bring on laughs. Yet it works everytime as the cast here goes into overdrive with that word resulting in many laughs. The outrageous Hayek has a field day brandishing guns, her boobs and the "F" word as she leads her depressed bodyguard on a journey fraught with danger, violence and outright mayhem. The film works due to the great chemistry between the three stars - sexual between Jackson and Hayek, a combination of hatred and friendship between Jackson and Reynolds and of a weird sort of maternal chemistry between Hayek and Reynolds. Adding spice to this oddball fray are a Liberace-like villain (Antonio Banderas) who has a past history with the hitman's wife and an ageing black AAA-grade hitman (Morgan Freeman) who just happens to have a past history with the bodyguard which the hitman finds hilariously incredulous. Plenty of action of the absurd variety - shootouts, car chases, stabbings, gouging, murder and every possible violent act under the sun - makes this one of the silliest but funniest rides this summer. And Hayek is still THE babe!!
The Raiders (Leslie Selander, 1952) 6/10
Richard Conte's presence boosts this minor Western's stature - a B-film with a generic revenge theme. A gold prospector (Richard Conte) in California seeks revenge when his brother and wife are murdered by the henchman (Hugh O'Brian - despicably evil and unsubtly dressed in black) of a greedy Mayor who has illegally usurped land belonging to many people. Joining hands with a Mexican and his sister (Viveca Lindfors), who have also been swindled, he turns outlaw to ruin the Mayor. Action packed western also has pretty Barbara Britton as the evil Mayor's daughter who takes a shine to the man hell bent on ruining her father. An intense steel-jawed Conte pulls this little film out of its minor league status and its screenplay throws in a little bit of history as well - California joining the Union. Predictable yet enjoyable.
Wrath of Man (Guy Ritchie, 2021) 7/10
Slick revenge thriller is old hat as far as the plot is concerned but it's a return to form for Ritchie as he juggles the film's convoluted framing using flashbacks and flash-forwards. And he jolts things up by teaming with an old mate after a long time. A mysterious man (Jason Statham) starts working for an armed vehicle company which had the misfortune of losing two staff during an earlier robbery. He is a gruff man of few words but soon turns hero when he handles with superb aplomb a second robbery attempt by single handedly shooting dead the six robbers. A flashback explains his presence at the company - an innocent bystander shot dead during the previous robbery was his son. Hence the revenge angle of the plot as Stathman turns into a killing machine in his quest to find the man who shot his son in cold blood and also shot him at the same time leaving him for dead. When the gang strikes again using an insider in the company all hell breaks loose into a horrific bloodbath with Statham bang in the center. The action is amped up by Christopher Benstead’s ominous score and the film's outstanding sound design. Statham plays his badass character completely deadpan as always and Richie dispenses with humour which he used to great effect in his last film "The Gentlemen". Humour is not needed here (although there are a few scattered laughs) as Ritchie concentrates instead on bloody carnage which would make Tarantino squeal with delight. Nothing new really but still an effective thriller as you root for the Stath to get his revenge.
Haseen Dillruba (Vinil Mathew, 2021) 7/10
A woman (Taapsee Pannu) is relentlessly interrogated by the police who suspect she murdered her husband (Vikrant Massey). As the investigation drags on the woman keeps pleading her innocence while relating the facts how she met her husband, married him, their eventual marital differences, clashes with her mother-in-law and her sexual involvement with her husband's visiting virile cousin (Harshvardan Rane). The screenplay has three acts. In the first we see the crumbling relationship between a newly married couple. She is gregarious and obsessed with reading crime novels and he is a reticent shy man madly in love with her yet too intimidated by her to consummate their marriage. The second act involves a visitor who arrives and further disrupts the couple's waning relationship. The third act involves a twist ending but not before venturing into grand guignol territory as the screen is awashed in blood, a limb is severed and there is a terrible gas explosion which results in a burnt dead body. I enjoyed the problematic third act but was a bit bored by the often very repetitious middle section. Taapsee Pannu, who is usually always very good, here seems out of sorts as she fails to bring to surface her character's different arcs. And what's with all those sexy sarees? They somehow don't quite fit in with her character's background. The film is stolen by Vikrant Massey who goes from being a hesitant young groom crazy in love to a man whose disappointment, anger and jealousy break loose in a fury he can no longer contain. His ultimate sacrifice for his love turns him into exactly the man his wife got turned on by in novels. The film's fantastic setting is a major plus as the film's prime location is a house overlooking a flowing river as most scenes are shot on balconies overlooking the running water which also plays an important part in the plot.
French Exit (Azazel Jacobs, 2020) 5/10
Quirky but uneven little film has Michelle Pfeiffer's return to the screen as a leading lady after years of brief parts in assorted franchises. An ageing, bored Manhattan socialite (Michelle Pfeiffer) sells what liitle remains of her inheritance and moves to Paris with her son (Lucas Hedges) and family cat who just happens to be her reincarnated husband. Surreal story is filled with oddball characters who all converge at the apartment in Paris - the son's girlfriend (Imogen Poots), her new lover, a detective, a medium who communicates with the dead husband through the cat and a kooky fellow expatriate widow (Valerie Mahaffey). Dirty linen is aired, the cat goes missing, the flamboyant widow doles out the last of her cash to strangers at the park and an ambivalent ending adds to the mystery surrounding the widow. Pfeiffer underplays throughout yet livens things up with every caustic remark that exits her lips. Hedges, as the sad sack son who has spent his whole life overwhelmed by his mother, looks catatonic throughout. The film somewhat archly resembles the films of Whit Stillman and Wes Anderson and the sudden different tracks it takes - the tone swinging from farce to absurdism to satire to domestic drama - is a case of a few too many cooks spoiling the broth.
La ronde / Circle of Love (Roger Vadim, 1964) 7/10
Arthur Schnitzler's highly provocative and controversial 1897 play, "Reigen", closely observes sexual morality and class ideology of its day. The story focuses on the sexual activities of a group of characters across all levels of society and offers social commentary on how sexual contact transgresses class boundaries. Max Ophüls adapted the play into a witty and elegant film in 1950. Vadim, the enfant terrible of 60s cinema, leaves nothing to the imagination and comes up with this soft porn version (with a screenplay by the distinguished french playwright Jean Anouih) starring an eclectic french cast who were then at the top of their game along with American starlet Jane Fonda who was having an affair with Vadim on the side and would get married right after the film's release. It is no wonder that she has his full attention because she easily steals the film with her delightful performance. It was also the first time an American movie star had appeared nude in a foreign film which added to the film's controversy. Fonda later sued the producers when the movie was advertised in New York with a giant eight-storey billboard in Times Square that displayed her naked body. The plot is a veritable merry-go-round as "love" goes round and comes full circle. During the summer of 1914 a sentimental prostitute (Marie Dubois) picks up a soldier (Claude Giraud), who seduces a housemaid (Anna Karina), who seduces the son of her employer (Jean-Claude Brialy), who visits his lover (Jane Fonda), who sleeps with her husband (Maurice Ronet), who casually picks up and takes a shopgirl (Catherine Spaak) to a private dining room. The pickup is promoted by a playwright (Bernard Noël), who renews an old affair with an actress (Francine Bergé), who is visited by a Count (Jean Sorel), who meets the sentimental prostitute. "La ronde", presented as a cycle of seduction and pleasure, is superbly photographed in stunning colour by the great Henri Decaë with eye catching costumes and production design. Apart from the wickedly funny Fonda there are also excellent performances by Spaak, Karina, Dubois and Bergé. Compared to Ophül's version this comes up short but the plot bounces along in typical 1960s sexual mode (despite the period setting) and there is enough eye candy on display to keep you riveted to the screen.
Madigan (Don Siegel, 1968) 7/10
Gritty police procedural set the tone for numerous later tv cop shows including its own namesake which Richard Widmark took to the small screen for a few equally gritty weekly shows some years later. Numerous plots run simultaneously in this neo-noir as it focuses on cops at a precinct in New York. A tired cop, Madigan (Richard Widmark), finds himself in a jam both at work and home. A murder suspect gets the better of him and his partner (Harry Guardino) when he escapes capture and runs off with their guns. In his private life he is juggling two dissatisfied women - his sexually frustrated wife (Inger Stevens) and a mistress (Sheree North). Meanwhile the strait-laced Commissioner (Henry Fonda) is hypocritically involved with a married woman (Susan Clark) and has discovered that the Chief Inspector (James Whitmore) - his childhood friend - is on the take. The screenplay not only tackles action but also delves into problems related to love, infidelity and friendship. Fast paced thriller makes good use of the New York City locations.
Il colosso di Rodi / The Colossus of Rhodes (Sergio Leone, 1961) 6/10
Sergio Leone's official directorial debut is a lavish Italian sword-and-sandal epic set during the Hellenistic era - the time following Alexander the Great's death but before the rise of the Roman empire. The story is set on the island of Rhodes with its newly constructed colossal statue of the god Apollo standing 300 ft high (three times the size of the original) stradling the main harbour (also a point of contention as nobody really knows where it actually stood). A greek war hero (Rory Calhoun) arrives on the island to visit his uncle and not only falls in love with the beautiful daughter (Léa Massari) of the statue's architect but also gets involved with rebels revolting against the tyrannical king. At the same time the king's second-in-command is also plotting against the king by smuggling Phoenician soldiers onto the island and having them pose as slaves. They occupy the interior of the gigantic statue awaiting the Phoenician fleet to enter the harbour. There are various double and triple crosses as the rebels and the slaves clash which is followed by a violent storm and a devastating earthquake which topples the Colossus into the harbour thus destroying one of the wonders of the ancient world. Sets and costuming overshadow the narrative which perks up during the scenes of disaster deftly handled by Leone. Calhoun, a last minute replacement for John Derek (who clashed with Leone), moves through the film smiling like the Cheshire Cat.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Several days worth of films:
Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018) - 7/10 - This is an unconventional film. It is beautifully shot, but lacks a narrative structure. As such, it can be somewhat unfocused. It is a slice of life film that takes place in Alabama. There are a few people who get more attention, such as Daniel, a student starting school at Selma University to play basketball. I started losing interest around 2/3 of the way through, but still liked it overall.
Zelig (1983) - 6/10 - This mock documentary stars Woody Allen as a man who came to fame in the 1920s/30s due to his unique chameleonlike ability to alter his appearance and abilities to fit in with his surroundings. Allen is inserted into a variety of archival pictures and video. There are also contemporary interviews with a variety of people. It was interesting at times, but is far from my favorite Allen film.
Victory Through Air Power (1943) - 7.5/10 - This Disney animated film is based on a book and is about long range strategic bombing, though they also get in a history of aviation as well. I thought it was pretty good.
James and the Giant Peach (1996) - 6/10 - James' parents are killed by a rhinoceros so he has to live with two horrible aunts who mistreat him. With the aid of magic crocodile tongues and a giant peach (along with insect and arachnid friends), he sets out for New York City to fulfill a dream that he shared with his parents. It was a bit underwhelming, but okay.
The Flame of New Orleans (1941) - 7.5/10 - Marlene Dietrich stars as a Countess who spawned a legend for having disappeared on her wedding day in 1840 only to have her wedding gown found in the water. The film tells her story as she is romanced by a sea captain (Bruce Cabot) and a wealthy banker (Roland Young). The movie is fun and the stars do a pretty nice job in their roles. I also liked Theresa Harris as Dietrich's maid, Clementine.
Helicopter Canada (1966) - 8/10 - Created in advance of the Centennial celebration, this movie was filmed entirely from helicopters and it gives a sky view of Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific, including the major cities, tourist attractions, and examples of popular Canadian activities such as skiing, fishing, dog-sledding, etc. The narration is good and there is even a cameo by the Beatles. My favorite bit was when one kid gives a two handed shove to another kid to knock them off the top of a big snow mound.
Union Maids (1976) - 7.5/10 - Three women are interviewed about the working conditions they experienced in the early 1930s and the birth of the labor unions, including their roles in the C.I.O. Archival footage is interspersed with their stories to add context. It was interesting, though similar to a couple of other films that I've seen recently.
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner (2009) - 7.5/10 - Booth Gardner was the Governor of Washington from 1985 to 1993. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease about a year after leaving office. In 2008, he led a campaign to get physician assisted suicide on the November ballot. This documentary does a pretty balanced job showing Gardner's reasons and campaign as well as the opposition. Gardner gets more air time since he is the primary focus, but the other side isn't neglected. Gardner's Parkinson's does become a factor during the campaign in a few ways. The documentary probably could have gone into more depth, but it is a short film of just under 40 minutes rather than a feature length film.
Why Girls Leave Home (1945) - 5/10 - A young nightclub singer is fished out of the river and many people assume that it was an attempted suicide, but a newspaper reporter doesn't believe it and sets out to find the truth. This was mostly a dull and uninteresting film.
The Living Desert (1953) - 8/10 - This Disney True-Life Adventure explores the life found within the deserts of the American West: Insects, birds, mammals, flowers, and more. I thought it was pretty interesting.
The Vanishing Prairie (1954) - 7.5/10 - This Disney True-Life Adventure moves to the east of the Rocky Mountains to what is left of the Great Plains. The film is similar to The Living Desert, though the focus this time is on the buffalo, prairie dogs, badgers, mountain lions, and other animals that live there. There is a struggle for survival at times, but life goes on. The views inside the burrows were interesting.
The Man Who Walked Alone (1945) - 7.5/10 - Dave O'Brien stars as Marion, a soldier with a medical discharge who is trying to hitch a ride into town. Kay Aldridge is the woman who nearly runs him down before giving him a ride. The two end up in jail briefly a couple of times in this romantic comedy. The little sister (Nancy June Robinson) holds her own in her scenes and is pretty funny as well. I enjoyed this B-movie quite a bit.
Say Goodbye (1971) - 6/10 - This film is about wildlife conservation, though somewhat indirectly. There is some overlap with The Vanishing Prairie in terms of the animals and their behavior. There is an interesting battle between a mountain lion and a deer. They show, though, that the greatest threat to animals is man in a variety of ways. There is some good footage in here, but I didn't like the narrator at all.
Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018) - 7/10 - This is an unconventional film. It is beautifully shot, but lacks a narrative structure. As such, it can be somewhat unfocused. It is a slice of life film that takes place in Alabama. There are a few people who get more attention, such as Daniel, a student starting school at Selma University to play basketball. I started losing interest around 2/3 of the way through, but still liked it overall.
Zelig (1983) - 6/10 - This mock documentary stars Woody Allen as a man who came to fame in the 1920s/30s due to his unique chameleonlike ability to alter his appearance and abilities to fit in with his surroundings. Allen is inserted into a variety of archival pictures and video. There are also contemporary interviews with a variety of people. It was interesting at times, but is far from my favorite Allen film.
Victory Through Air Power (1943) - 7.5/10 - This Disney animated film is based on a book and is about long range strategic bombing, though they also get in a history of aviation as well. I thought it was pretty good.
James and the Giant Peach (1996) - 6/10 - James' parents are killed by a rhinoceros so he has to live with two horrible aunts who mistreat him. With the aid of magic crocodile tongues and a giant peach (along with insect and arachnid friends), he sets out for New York City to fulfill a dream that he shared with his parents. It was a bit underwhelming, but okay.
The Flame of New Orleans (1941) - 7.5/10 - Marlene Dietrich stars as a Countess who spawned a legend for having disappeared on her wedding day in 1840 only to have her wedding gown found in the water. The film tells her story as she is romanced by a sea captain (Bruce Cabot) and a wealthy banker (Roland Young). The movie is fun and the stars do a pretty nice job in their roles. I also liked Theresa Harris as Dietrich's maid, Clementine.
Helicopter Canada (1966) - 8/10 - Created in advance of the Centennial celebration, this movie was filmed entirely from helicopters and it gives a sky view of Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific, including the major cities, tourist attractions, and examples of popular Canadian activities such as skiing, fishing, dog-sledding, etc. The narration is good and there is even a cameo by the Beatles. My favorite bit was when one kid gives a two handed shove to another kid to knock them off the top of a big snow mound.
Union Maids (1976) - 7.5/10 - Three women are interviewed about the working conditions they experienced in the early 1930s and the birth of the labor unions, including their roles in the C.I.O. Archival footage is interspersed with their stories to add context. It was interesting, though similar to a couple of other films that I've seen recently.
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner (2009) - 7.5/10 - Booth Gardner was the Governor of Washington from 1985 to 1993. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease about a year after leaving office. In 2008, he led a campaign to get physician assisted suicide on the November ballot. This documentary does a pretty balanced job showing Gardner's reasons and campaign as well as the opposition. Gardner gets more air time since he is the primary focus, but the other side isn't neglected. Gardner's Parkinson's does become a factor during the campaign in a few ways. The documentary probably could have gone into more depth, but it is a short film of just under 40 minutes rather than a feature length film.
Why Girls Leave Home (1945) - 5/10 - A young nightclub singer is fished out of the river and many people assume that it was an attempted suicide, but a newspaper reporter doesn't believe it and sets out to find the truth. This was mostly a dull and uninteresting film.
The Living Desert (1953) - 8/10 - This Disney True-Life Adventure explores the life found within the deserts of the American West: Insects, birds, mammals, flowers, and more. I thought it was pretty interesting.
The Vanishing Prairie (1954) - 7.5/10 - This Disney True-Life Adventure moves to the east of the Rocky Mountains to what is left of the Great Plains. The film is similar to The Living Desert, though the focus this time is on the buffalo, prairie dogs, badgers, mountain lions, and other animals that live there. There is a struggle for survival at times, but life goes on. The views inside the burrows were interesting.
The Man Who Walked Alone (1945) - 7.5/10 - Dave O'Brien stars as Marion, a soldier with a medical discharge who is trying to hitch a ride into town. Kay Aldridge is the woman who nearly runs him down before giving him a ride. The two end up in jail briefly a couple of times in this romantic comedy. The little sister (Nancy June Robinson) holds her own in her scenes and is pretty funny as well. I enjoyed this B-movie quite a bit.
Say Goodbye (1971) - 6/10 - This film is about wildlife conservation, though somewhat indirectly. There is some overlap with The Vanishing Prairie in terms of the animals and their behavior. There is an interesting battle between a mountain lion and a deer. They show, though, that the greatest threat to animals is man in a variety of ways. There is some good footage in here, but I didn't like the narrator at all.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Devil Pays Off (1941) - 5/10 - A disgraced naval officer is recruited by his former captain for an espionage assignment aboard a cruise ship. He heads to Havana and finds himself with two women, including the wife of the cruise line owner. There are spies and traitors and so on, but much of the plot is pretty nonsensical. There are things to enjoy here and there, but it isn't a very good film.
Unfinished Business (1986) - 8/10 - This is a pretty good film about three men who defied the orders for curfew or evacuation of Japanese Americans during WWII and how the internment camps still affect their lives 40 years later. Min Yasui's family was the subject of a similar film a couple of years later.
$1000 a Minute (1935) - 7/10 - Wally Jones wastes a lot of his salary and is always broke. He can't afford to finish paying off the engagement ring for his girlfriend, Dorothy. He gets involved in a bet between two millionaires and has to spend $720,000 in 12 hours. If he succeeds, he earns $10,000. If he fails, he gets nothing. Meanwhile, the police are after him because they think he was involved in a bank robbery. What follows is a decent comedy while he tries to spend the dough.
The Lady Objects (1938) - 6/10 - A former All-American halfback is finding it difficult to find advancement in his career as an architect. His wife, though, is a lawyer who suddenly finds stardom within her field and starts bringing home a lot of money. He gets upset about the disparity in income and takes to nightclub singing so that he can earn more. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either.
The Lost Patrol (1934) - 7/10 - A British patrol in the Mesopotamian desert during WWI is lost once their officer is killed. They end up at an oasis, but are surrounded by an unseen enemy who slowly starts killing them off. John Ford directed. It was a good film.
The Horse with the Flying Tail (1960) - 6/10 - Nautical was an international show jumper in the 1950s who started out as a cow pony in New Mexico. This film chronicles his life.
Chasing Ice (2012) - 8.5/10 - An excellent documentary about photographer James Balog who spent several years photographing glaciers using time lapse photography in order to document how climate change was affecting them.
Unfinished Business (1986) - 8/10 - This is a pretty good film about three men who defied the orders for curfew or evacuation of Japanese Americans during WWII and how the internment camps still affect their lives 40 years later. Min Yasui's family was the subject of a similar film a couple of years later.
$1000 a Minute (1935) - 7/10 - Wally Jones wastes a lot of his salary and is always broke. He can't afford to finish paying off the engagement ring for his girlfriend, Dorothy. He gets involved in a bet between two millionaires and has to spend $720,000 in 12 hours. If he succeeds, he earns $10,000. If he fails, he gets nothing. Meanwhile, the police are after him because they think he was involved in a bank robbery. What follows is a decent comedy while he tries to spend the dough.
The Lady Objects (1938) - 6/10 - A former All-American halfback is finding it difficult to find advancement in his career as an architect. His wife, though, is a lawyer who suddenly finds stardom within her field and starts bringing home a lot of money. He gets upset about the disparity in income and takes to nightclub singing so that he can earn more. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either.
The Lost Patrol (1934) - 7/10 - A British patrol in the Mesopotamian desert during WWI is lost once their officer is killed. They end up at an oasis, but are surrounded by an unseen enemy who slowly starts killing them off. John Ford directed. It was a good film.
The Horse with the Flying Tail (1960) - 6/10 - Nautical was an international show jumper in the 1950s who started out as a cow pony in New Mexico. This film chronicles his life.
Chasing Ice (2012) - 8.5/10 - An excellent documentary about photographer James Balog who spent several years photographing glaciers using time lapse photography in order to document how climate change was affecting them.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Journey Into Self (1968) - 5.5/10 - A 16 hour group therapy session with 8 fairly well adjusted individuals and a psychologist is condensed to 45 minutes. It was interesting at times, but I didn't find myself all that invested in it.
Report from the Aleutians (1943) - 5.5/10 - After the Japanese captured Kiska Island in 1942, U.S. forces set up an airfield on another Aleutian Island in order to conduct bombing raids on Kiska before ultimately recapturing it (after being abandoned by Japanese forces). There is decent footage here, but the film itself isn't all that interesting.
War Department Report (1943) - 7/10 - A propaganda film directed to the workers supporting the war from the home front. It does a pretty good job making its case as to the course of the war and some of the logistical difficulties that they face.
The Circus (1928) - 8/10 - The tramp intrudes on the acts at a struggling circus and gets a lot of laughs so he is hired. It had plenty of laughs and was a fun movie. My favorite scene was the early chase sequence.
Report from the Aleutians (1943) - 5.5/10 - After the Japanese captured Kiska Island in 1942, U.S. forces set up an airfield on another Aleutian Island in order to conduct bombing raids on Kiska before ultimately recapturing it (after being abandoned by Japanese forces). There is decent footage here, but the film itself isn't all that interesting.
War Department Report (1943) - 7/10 - A propaganda film directed to the workers supporting the war from the home front. It does a pretty good job making its case as to the course of the war and some of the logistical difficulties that they face.
The Circus (1928) - 8/10 - The tramp intrudes on the acts at a struggling circus and gets a lot of laughs so he is hired. It had plenty of laughs and was a fun movie. My favorite scene was the early chase sequence.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Crack USA: County Under Siege (1989) - 6/10 - The crack epidemic in Palm Beach, Florida seemed to really be out of control back in the late 1980s based on this documentary. Lots of sad stories, many of them involving teens hooked on crack.
With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women’s Emergency Brigade (1978) - 8/10 - A group of women are interviewed about their role in the GM strike of 1936-1937 as the 40 the anniversary of that strike approaches. Their stories were pretty interesting and the archival footage from the strike was also pretty good. Those were the early days of the UAW as they fought for changes to improve working conditions and pay for their workers.
Daybreak in Udi (1949) - 5/10 - The 'wonders' of British colonialism are on display here as a government official helps the natives build a maternity home in Nigeria, despite some opposition. As a short film, it was okay, though it certainly wasn't a documentary, which was what the Academy gave it an Oscar for. There seem to have been a fair number of non documentaries (or fictionalized documentaries) in the documentary category over the years.
The War Game (1966) - 9/10 - This film shows the effect that a hypothetical nuclear war might have on the people of Great Britain. In the scenario, the U.S. is battling China in Vietnam and the use of nuclear weapons is authorized leading to an escalation and eventual Soviet attack. Preparations for war are shown, including evacuation of part of the population to lower priority target areas. The attack and its aftermath are also shown in fairly realistic detail. They did a pretty good job on this film.
With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women’s Emergency Brigade (1978) - 8/10 - A group of women are interviewed about their role in the GM strike of 1936-1937 as the 40 the anniversary of that strike approaches. Their stories were pretty interesting and the archival footage from the strike was also pretty good. Those were the early days of the UAW as they fought for changes to improve working conditions and pay for their workers.
Daybreak in Udi (1949) - 5/10 - The 'wonders' of British colonialism are on display here as a government official helps the natives build a maternity home in Nigeria, despite some opposition. As a short film, it was okay, though it certainly wasn't a documentary, which was what the Academy gave it an Oscar for. There seem to have been a fair number of non documentaries (or fictionalized documentaries) in the documentary category over the years.
The War Game (1966) - 9/10 - This film shows the effect that a hypothetical nuclear war might have on the people of Great Britain. In the scenario, the U.S. is battling China in Vietnam and the use of nuclear weapons is authorized leading to an escalation and eventual Soviet attack. Preparations for war are shown, including evacuation of part of the population to lower priority target areas. The attack and its aftermath are also shown in fairly realistic detail. They did a pretty good job on this film.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Ice Road (Jonathan Hensleigh, 2021) 5/10
I found the ice road fascinating. Not this predictable thriller but what the title of the film represents - the North American roads that form over frozen bodies of water in the continent's coldest regions, and are less than three feet thick. Truckers maneuver these “ice roads” in vehicles that weigh up to 65,000 pounds or more. The action sequences in this Liam Neeson vehicle - yes still in slumming mode for his paycheck - are all built around a hair raising truck ride across these frozen roads which are liable to crack anytime under the huge weight of the careening trucks. When a mine collapses in Manitoba, trapping 26 men, it becomes a race against time to get equipment across to them to save their lives before they die of asphyxiation. An out-of-work trucker (Liam Neeson) and his PTSD suffering brother are hired by another trucker (Laurence Fishburne) to carry wellheads to the mine. Also accompanying them is a third trucker, a female Native American. A representative of the mine company is also along for the ride and who turns out to be a vicious killer hell bent on sabotaging the mission. Between the cracking ice and a drowning there are attempts on their lives, a second near drowning, one truck falling through the ice, an avalanche and a precarious bridge crossing. The film mixes elements from the classic french film "Le salaire de la peur" with outlandish stunts and unbelievable heroics. Neeson for the last many years has been carrying the flag for every type of blue collar worker via the characters he is stuck playing on screen. He goes through the motions yet again with a permanent scowl on his face with his sad eyes seemingly imploring any producer out there to get him out of this career rut. This action packed film is strictly by the numbers although the scenes shot on location are incredibly beautiful with miles and miles of bleak icy roads with the camera sometimes eerily looking up at the underside of the racing trucks through the water under the ice. And what has happened to the career of Laurence Fishburne? He is billed above the title here along with Neeson but gets shafted by the script as he barely has any quality screen time.
Wrath of Man (Guy Ritchie, 2021) 7/10
Slick revenge thriller is old hat as far as the plot is concerned but it's a return to form for Ritchie as he juggles the film's convoluted framing using flashbacks and flash-forwards. And he jolts things up by teaming with an old mate after a long time. A mysterious man (Jason Statham) starts working for an armed vehicle company which had the misfortune of losing two staff during an earlier robbery. He is a gruff man of few words but soon turns hero when he handles with superb aplomb a second robbery attempt by single handedly shooting dead the six robbers. A flashback explains his presence at the company - an innocent bystander shot dead during the previous robbery was his son. Hence the revenge angle of the plot as Stathman turns into a killing machine in his quest to find the man who shot his son in cold blood and also shot him at the same time leaving him for dead. When the gang strikes again using an insider in the company all hell breaks loose into a horrific bloodbath with Statham bang in the center. The action is amped up by Christopher Benstead’s ominous score and the film's outstanding sound design. Statham plays his badass character completely deadpan as always and Richie dispenses with humour which he used to great effect in his last film "The Gentlemen". Humour is not needed here (although there are a few scattered laughs) as Ritchie concentrates instead on bloody carnage which would make Tarantino squeal with delight. Nothing new really but still an effective thriller as you root for the Stath to get his revenge.
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960) 10/10
Iconic film that blazed a bloody trail for the much-loved slasher cycle of films. All it took was a knife, a scream, and some chocolate sauce that doubled for blood to create one of the most blood-curdling murder sequences in film history. It was conceived by Alfred Hitchcock (based on the book by Robert Bloch) as a departure from his previous films, as it was shot on a very low budget, in black and white and minus his usual A-list cast. The studio was not in favour of the film so Hitchcock, in order to keep costs down, took most of his crew from his television series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Both Tony Perkins and Janet Leigh were signed on at a fraction of their usual salaries. The plot centers on an encounter between an on-the-run platinum blonde embezzler, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), and a shy motel proprietor Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and its aftermath, in which a private investigator (Martin Balsam), Marion's lover (John Gavin) and her sister (Vera Miles) all investigate the cause of her disappearance. The film is now considered one of Hitchcock's best films and is arguably his most famous work. It has been praised as a major work of cinematic art by critics and scholars due to its slick direction, tense atmosphere, impressive camerawork, memorable music score, and iconic performances. Often ranked among the greatest films of all time, it set a new level of acceptability for violence, deviant behaviour, and sexuality in American films. It was also the first film ever to show a toilet being flushed thus allowing other filmmakers to freely delve into the taboo field of human scatolgy which soon came right out into the open as films took on bolder strokes during the following decades.
Carry On Henry (Gerald Thomas, 1970) 6/10
Cockney King Henry VIII (Sidney James) has his wife beheaded and heads straight for the marriage bed again, arranged for him by the bumbling Cardinal Wolsey (Terry Scott), to lusty, busty Marie of Normandy (Joan Sims). The randy King refuses to consummate his marriage because, to his horror, she has garlic breath. To ease matters Sir Roger de Lodgerley (Charles Hawtrey), the King's official taster, sample's the very willing Queen's ample wares and gets her pregnant. The King falls for the charms of Bettina (Barbara Windsor) and urges the Cardinal to get rid of garlic breath while wily Thomas Cromwell (Kenneth Williams) plots with Lord Hampton of Wick (Kenneth Connor) to have the King kidnapped and killed. When the plot fails the King discovers his Queen's infidelity and has Cromwell extract a confession under torture from Sir Roger. Typical shenanigans by the memorable "Carry On" regulars as they send up history. Hawtrey (while still in his camp persona) runs off with the film playing against type a ladies man. Amusing screenplay is laced with double entendres which the cast spout with great glee.
Mare of Easttown (Craig Zobel, 2021) 7/10
Extremely dour 7-part miniseries with every character in a spiral of angst dealing with bad relationships, divorce, alcoholism, drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, suicide, suspected incest, kidnappings and murder. A small-town cop (Kate Winslet), with her personal life unravelling, investigates a series of missing persons and a murder. She is dealing with her son's suicide, her recent divorce, her ex-husband's upcoming marriage, an opinionated and garrulous mother (a superb Jean Smart), her neglected lesbian daughter, her best friend (Julianne Nicholson) and a child custody tug of war for her grandson with her cocaine addicted daughter-in-law. Through this haze of personal issues she hooks up with a writer (Guy Pearce), has a young out of town investigator (Evan Peters) forced onto her as a partner and relentlessly pursues clues looking for two missing girls and trying to find out who shot a young woman in the face and found dumped naked in a creek. Winslet totally immerses herself in the role looking disheveled and depressed and she gets excellent support from a huge ensemble cast. There is also a twist ending which I managed to guess long before this overlong story's conclusion.
A Quiet Place II (John Krasinski, 2021) 7/10
Sequel to the surprise hit film has more of the same as survivors of the family from the first film try to navigate in a post apocalyptic world inhabited by blind monsters with an acute sense of hearing. The screenplay starts with a flashback which reveals how the Abbot family (and the rest of humanity) got into this mess. The patriarch (John Krasinski), who sacrificed himself at the end of the first film, is briefly seen as he and his family witness a flaming object hurtling towards earth from the sky followed by the monsters going on a killing rampage. With her husband dead its left to his tough widow (Emily Blunt) to guide and try and save her newborn son, her deaf daughter and older son. Like the first film this too relies on nerve-wracking set pieces which pits the humans against the monsters. The plot introduces a family friend (Cillian Murphy) who, along with the deaf girl, manages to find an island of survivors where the monsters have not managed to invade. The film ends with a cliffhanger as the widow and her two sons are separated from the daughter and their family friend as both parties simultaneously battle the monsters. The film's outstanding sound design once again proves to be the main ingredient helping to create suspense and the open ended conclusion clearly signals yet another sequel.
I found the ice road fascinating. Not this predictable thriller but what the title of the film represents - the North American roads that form over frozen bodies of water in the continent's coldest regions, and are less than three feet thick. Truckers maneuver these “ice roads” in vehicles that weigh up to 65,000 pounds or more. The action sequences in this Liam Neeson vehicle - yes still in slumming mode for his paycheck - are all built around a hair raising truck ride across these frozen roads which are liable to crack anytime under the huge weight of the careening trucks. When a mine collapses in Manitoba, trapping 26 men, it becomes a race against time to get equipment across to them to save their lives before they die of asphyxiation. An out-of-work trucker (Liam Neeson) and his PTSD suffering brother are hired by another trucker (Laurence Fishburne) to carry wellheads to the mine. Also accompanying them is a third trucker, a female Native American. A representative of the mine company is also along for the ride and who turns out to be a vicious killer hell bent on sabotaging the mission. Between the cracking ice and a drowning there are attempts on their lives, a second near drowning, one truck falling through the ice, an avalanche and a precarious bridge crossing. The film mixes elements from the classic french film "Le salaire de la peur" with outlandish stunts and unbelievable heroics. Neeson for the last many years has been carrying the flag for every type of blue collar worker via the characters he is stuck playing on screen. He goes through the motions yet again with a permanent scowl on his face with his sad eyes seemingly imploring any producer out there to get him out of this career rut. This action packed film is strictly by the numbers although the scenes shot on location are incredibly beautiful with miles and miles of bleak icy roads with the camera sometimes eerily looking up at the underside of the racing trucks through the water under the ice. And what has happened to the career of Laurence Fishburne? He is billed above the title here along with Neeson but gets shafted by the script as he barely has any quality screen time.
Wrath of Man (Guy Ritchie, 2021) 7/10
Slick revenge thriller is old hat as far as the plot is concerned but it's a return to form for Ritchie as he juggles the film's convoluted framing using flashbacks and flash-forwards. And he jolts things up by teaming with an old mate after a long time. A mysterious man (Jason Statham) starts working for an armed vehicle company which had the misfortune of losing two staff during an earlier robbery. He is a gruff man of few words but soon turns hero when he handles with superb aplomb a second robbery attempt by single handedly shooting dead the six robbers. A flashback explains his presence at the company - an innocent bystander shot dead during the previous robbery was his son. Hence the revenge angle of the plot as Stathman turns into a killing machine in his quest to find the man who shot his son in cold blood and also shot him at the same time leaving him for dead. When the gang strikes again using an insider in the company all hell breaks loose into a horrific bloodbath with Statham bang in the center. The action is amped up by Christopher Benstead’s ominous score and the film's outstanding sound design. Statham plays his badass character completely deadpan as always and Richie dispenses with humour which he used to great effect in his last film "The Gentlemen". Humour is not needed here (although there are a few scattered laughs) as Ritchie concentrates instead on bloody carnage which would make Tarantino squeal with delight. Nothing new really but still an effective thriller as you root for the Stath to get his revenge.
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960) 10/10
Iconic film that blazed a bloody trail for the much-loved slasher cycle of films. All it took was a knife, a scream, and some chocolate sauce that doubled for blood to create one of the most blood-curdling murder sequences in film history. It was conceived by Alfred Hitchcock (based on the book by Robert Bloch) as a departure from his previous films, as it was shot on a very low budget, in black and white and minus his usual A-list cast. The studio was not in favour of the film so Hitchcock, in order to keep costs down, took most of his crew from his television series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Both Tony Perkins and Janet Leigh were signed on at a fraction of their usual salaries. The plot centers on an encounter between an on-the-run platinum blonde embezzler, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), and a shy motel proprietor Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and its aftermath, in which a private investigator (Martin Balsam), Marion's lover (John Gavin) and her sister (Vera Miles) all investigate the cause of her disappearance. The film is now considered one of Hitchcock's best films and is arguably his most famous work. It has been praised as a major work of cinematic art by critics and scholars due to its slick direction, tense atmosphere, impressive camerawork, memorable music score, and iconic performances. Often ranked among the greatest films of all time, it set a new level of acceptability for violence, deviant behaviour, and sexuality in American films. It was also the first film ever to show a toilet being flushed thus allowing other filmmakers to freely delve into the taboo field of human scatolgy which soon came right out into the open as films took on bolder strokes during the following decades.
Carry On Henry (Gerald Thomas, 1970) 6/10
Cockney King Henry VIII (Sidney James) has his wife beheaded and heads straight for the marriage bed again, arranged for him by the bumbling Cardinal Wolsey (Terry Scott), to lusty, busty Marie of Normandy (Joan Sims). The randy King refuses to consummate his marriage because, to his horror, she has garlic breath. To ease matters Sir Roger de Lodgerley (Charles Hawtrey), the King's official taster, sample's the very willing Queen's ample wares and gets her pregnant. The King falls for the charms of Bettina (Barbara Windsor) and urges the Cardinal to get rid of garlic breath while wily Thomas Cromwell (Kenneth Williams) plots with Lord Hampton of Wick (Kenneth Connor) to have the King kidnapped and killed. When the plot fails the King discovers his Queen's infidelity and has Cromwell extract a confession under torture from Sir Roger. Typical shenanigans by the memorable "Carry On" regulars as they send up history. Hawtrey (while still in his camp persona) runs off with the film playing against type a ladies man. Amusing screenplay is laced with double entendres which the cast spout with great glee.
Mare of Easttown (Craig Zobel, 2021) 7/10
Extremely dour 7-part miniseries with every character in a spiral of angst dealing with bad relationships, divorce, alcoholism, drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, suicide, suspected incest, kidnappings and murder. A small-town cop (Kate Winslet), with her personal life unravelling, investigates a series of missing persons and a murder. She is dealing with her son's suicide, her recent divorce, her ex-husband's upcoming marriage, an opinionated and garrulous mother (a superb Jean Smart), her neglected lesbian daughter, her best friend (Julianne Nicholson) and a child custody tug of war for her grandson with her cocaine addicted daughter-in-law. Through this haze of personal issues she hooks up with a writer (Guy Pearce), has a young out of town investigator (Evan Peters) forced onto her as a partner and relentlessly pursues clues looking for two missing girls and trying to find out who shot a young woman in the face and found dumped naked in a creek. Winslet totally immerses herself in the role looking disheveled and depressed and she gets excellent support from a huge ensemble cast. There is also a twist ending which I managed to guess long before this overlong story's conclusion.
A Quiet Place II (John Krasinski, 2021) 7/10
Sequel to the surprise hit film has more of the same as survivors of the family from the first film try to navigate in a post apocalyptic world inhabited by blind monsters with an acute sense of hearing. The screenplay starts with a flashback which reveals how the Abbot family (and the rest of humanity) got into this mess. The patriarch (John Krasinski), who sacrificed himself at the end of the first film, is briefly seen as he and his family witness a flaming object hurtling towards earth from the sky followed by the monsters going on a killing rampage. With her husband dead its left to his tough widow (Emily Blunt) to guide and try and save her newborn son, her deaf daughter and older son. Like the first film this too relies on nerve-wracking set pieces which pits the humans against the monsters. The plot introduces a family friend (Cillian Murphy) who, along with the deaf girl, manages to find an island of survivors where the monsters have not managed to invade. The film ends with a cliffhanger as the widow and her two sons are separated from the daughter and their family friend as both parties simultaneously battle the monsters. The film's outstanding sound design once again proves to be the main ingredient helping to create suspense and the open ended conclusion clearly signals yet another sequel.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Journey Into Medicine (1947) - 7/10 - This documentary follows a medical student named Mike who is studying at Columbia Medical School. He moves into pediatrics at Cornell and later into public health in Baltimore. He works to prevent kids from dying due to diphtheria. It was a decent film.
The Stratford Adventure (1954) - 7/10 - In 1952, a journalist in Stratford, Ontario came up with the idea of a Shakespearean Festival. He got others involved, gained the support of the city council, recruited a famous British director and star (Alec Guinness), and the idea became reality. The inaugural season of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival took place during the summer of 1953 and its success was by no means certain. Ticket sales were good, though, and the festival was a success. I've never been there, but I know many people who have traveled there from the Detroit area to enjoy the plays, including a few fellow teachers who chaperoned field trips with our students who had a great time.
Robert Frost: A Lover’s Quarrel with the World (1963) - 8/10 - 88 year old Robert Frost was filmed giving a speech to students at Sarah Lawrence College and was also filmed talking with a small group of students at Amherst College. I'm not a big fan of poetry, though I've heard some of Frost's poems over the years, of course. It turns out that he is a pretty interesting and entertaining public speaker. Interspersed with the above are scenes with Frost at his farm in New Hampshire.
The Stratford Adventure (1954) - 7/10 - In 1952, a journalist in Stratford, Ontario came up with the idea of a Shakespearean Festival. He got others involved, gained the support of the city council, recruited a famous British director and star (Alec Guinness), and the idea became reality. The inaugural season of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival took place during the summer of 1953 and its success was by no means certain. Ticket sales were good, though, and the festival was a success. I've never been there, but I know many people who have traveled there from the Detroit area to enjoy the plays, including a few fellow teachers who chaperoned field trips with our students who had a great time.
Robert Frost: A Lover’s Quarrel with the World (1963) - 8/10 - 88 year old Robert Frost was filmed giving a speech to students at Sarah Lawrence College and was also filmed talking with a small group of students at Amherst College. I'm not a big fan of poetry, though I've heard some of Frost's poems over the years, of course. It turns out that he is a pretty interesting and entertaining public speaker. Interspersed with the above are scenes with Frost at his farm in New Hampshire.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Witness to Apartheid (1986) - 7.5/10 - A documentary filmed in secret in South Africa about the repression and murders committed against black residents by police and soldiers. Witnesses are interviewed and some of the injuries are shown. It was fairly effective.
In Our Water (1982) - 7.5/10 - Frank Kaler of South Brunswick, New Jersey fought a a 5 year battle against contaminated well water due to hazardous waste in a nearby landfill. The state and local authorities proved to be no help, but he persisted in his efforts, including taking a trip to Washington, D.C. to testify before Congress. Some of the government officials interviewed on film or captured on film at public meetings seem fairly unconcerned about health effects incurred by residents.
Joanna (2013) - 7.5/10 - Joanna Salyga was a mother in her mid-30s and dying of cancer. This film follows her everyday life, focusing on time spent with her young son. She's fighting the disease, but eventually gets the terminal diagnosis. The film does a good job capturing the relationships and emotion without being intrusive.
Killing in the Name (2010) - 7.5/10 - Ashraf Al-Khaled got married in Amman, Jordan in 2005. The celebration after was interrupted by a suicide bomber who ended up killing more than 25 members of his wedding party, including three of the parents of the bride and groom. Since then, Ashraf has traveled to a number of countries speaking to students, victims, and even some of the perpetrators of the violence to try and bring an end to the terrorism that some radical Muslim groups engage in. It was an interesting film.
Chaos Walking (2021) - 5.5/10 - I read the first book in the series back in 2017 and wasn't really a huge fan of it so I didn't read the rest. I didn't have high hopes for this film, but thought that I'd give it a try. It isn't great, but it was better than I expected. Tom Holland stars as the only boy in a town full of men on a colony world in 2257. The women were all killed by aliens when he was a baby or at least that is what he has always been told. Daisy Ridley is the only survivor of a scout ship sent in advance of the second wave of colonization. The two of them have to evade the men of the town.
G.I. Honeymoon (1945) - 4/10 - An army lieutenant gets recalled just as his wedding ceremony is about to start. They rush through with it and his bride decides to follow him so that they can have some time together now that they are married. However, things keep popping up to prevent their together time. This is a comedy that unfortunately isn't very funny.
In Our Water (1982) - 7.5/10 - Frank Kaler of South Brunswick, New Jersey fought a a 5 year battle against contaminated well water due to hazardous waste in a nearby landfill. The state and local authorities proved to be no help, but he persisted in his efforts, including taking a trip to Washington, D.C. to testify before Congress. Some of the government officials interviewed on film or captured on film at public meetings seem fairly unconcerned about health effects incurred by residents.
Joanna (2013) - 7.5/10 - Joanna Salyga was a mother in her mid-30s and dying of cancer. This film follows her everyday life, focusing on time spent with her young son. She's fighting the disease, but eventually gets the terminal diagnosis. The film does a good job capturing the relationships and emotion without being intrusive.
Killing in the Name (2010) - 7.5/10 - Ashraf Al-Khaled got married in Amman, Jordan in 2005. The celebration after was interrupted by a suicide bomber who ended up killing more than 25 members of his wedding party, including three of the parents of the bride and groom. Since then, Ashraf has traveled to a number of countries speaking to students, victims, and even some of the perpetrators of the violence to try and bring an end to the terrorism that some radical Muslim groups engage in. It was an interesting film.
Chaos Walking (2021) - 5.5/10 - I read the first book in the series back in 2017 and wasn't really a huge fan of it so I didn't read the rest. I didn't have high hopes for this film, but thought that I'd give it a try. It isn't great, but it was better than I expected. Tom Holland stars as the only boy in a town full of men on a colony world in 2257. The women were all killed by aliens when he was a baby or at least that is what he has always been told. Daisy Ridley is the only survivor of a scout ship sent in advance of the second wave of colonization. The two of them have to evade the men of the town.
G.I. Honeymoon (1945) - 4/10 - An army lieutenant gets recalled just as his wedding ceremony is about to start. They rush through with it and his bride decides to follow him so that they can have some time together now that they are married. However, things keep popping up to prevent their together time. This is a comedy that unfortunately isn't very funny.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
It rained all day today so I stayed in and watched movies for most of the day.
Bill and Coo (1948) - 7/10 - The town of Chirpendale is filled with a variety of small birds and they go about their daily lives like many other small towns in the U.S. However, a crow threatens the town and is named 'The Black Menace' by residents. Bill runs a taxi service and is a volunteer firebird. Coo is his girlfriend. The movie was filmed on a miniature set with trained birds plus a few other small animals. The gimmick starts to wear a bit thin after the halfway point, but it is still an enjoyable movie overall.
Eyes on the Prize: Bridge to Freedom 1965 (1987) - 7.5/10 - Selma in 1965 became the focus of the Civil Rights Movement in the South. A lot of this has been covered in other documentaries, but it was a good film.
For Better or for Worse (1993) - 7/10 - Five couples who have each been married for ver 50 years are interviewed about a number of aspects in their respective relationships. It was an interesting documentary.
The Olympics in Mexico (1969) - 7/10 - This movie is largely a highlight reel for the 1968 Olympic Games with the winning performances for many of the events shown. There is also some footage from the opening and closing ceremonies plus a bit about life in the Olympic Village and cultural performances brought in for the games. It was a decent window into the games, but was both too long (at two hours and 40 minutes) and too short (lots of stuff had to be left out since there were so many events). I think it did a decent job overall.
Who are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids? (1977) - 8/10 - Dorothy Atwood had five children and adopted two others from Korea before her husband died. She adopted two more children from Vietnam before marrying Bob DeBolt who already had one daughter of his own. Together, they adopted 10 more children, many of whom had physical handicaps of one sort or another. The blended family was the subject of the documentary and they seem to get along great and are pretty happy. I enjoyed the film a lot.
Stepping Out: The DeBolts Grow Up (1980) - 7/10 - This takes place a few years later after the DeBolts have adopted their 20th child, a boy from Mexico with one leg partially paralyzed due to polio. The film is shorter than the original documentary and doesn't really stand on its own very well. It does work okay as a supplement to the previous film and it is nice to get caught up a bit with the kids. Without the previous film, though, it would definitely rate lower.
The Yanks are Coming (1963) - 6.5/10 - A documentary about WWI and the U.S. entry into the war, though it features significant points from the beginning of the was through the end. The narration can be a bit dull at times, but the footage is pretty good and there are a few interesting points.
Waldo Salt: A Screenwriter’s Journey (1990) - 7/10 - Waldo Salt started as a screenwriter in Hollywood in the 1930s, but was blacklisted for 11 years thanks to his membership in the Communist Party and his refusal to name names before the HUAC. He did manage to get some work under a pseudonym, but got back under his own name with Taras Bulba. He went on to receive Oscar nominations for Midnight Cowboy, Serpico, and Coming Home, winning for two of those. He didn't win for Serpico, which was my favorite from all of his films. This was a good look at his screenwriting career.
Bill and Coo (1948) - 7/10 - The town of Chirpendale is filled with a variety of small birds and they go about their daily lives like many other small towns in the U.S. However, a crow threatens the town and is named 'The Black Menace' by residents. Bill runs a taxi service and is a volunteer firebird. Coo is his girlfriend. The movie was filmed on a miniature set with trained birds plus a few other small animals. The gimmick starts to wear a bit thin after the halfway point, but it is still an enjoyable movie overall.
Eyes on the Prize: Bridge to Freedom 1965 (1987) - 7.5/10 - Selma in 1965 became the focus of the Civil Rights Movement in the South. A lot of this has been covered in other documentaries, but it was a good film.
For Better or for Worse (1993) - 7/10 - Five couples who have each been married for ver 50 years are interviewed about a number of aspects in their respective relationships. It was an interesting documentary.
The Olympics in Mexico (1969) - 7/10 - This movie is largely a highlight reel for the 1968 Olympic Games with the winning performances for many of the events shown. There is also some footage from the opening and closing ceremonies plus a bit about life in the Olympic Village and cultural performances brought in for the games. It was a decent window into the games, but was both too long (at two hours and 40 minutes) and too short (lots of stuff had to be left out since there were so many events). I think it did a decent job overall.
Who are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids? (1977) - 8/10 - Dorothy Atwood had five children and adopted two others from Korea before her husband died. She adopted two more children from Vietnam before marrying Bob DeBolt who already had one daughter of his own. Together, they adopted 10 more children, many of whom had physical handicaps of one sort or another. The blended family was the subject of the documentary and they seem to get along great and are pretty happy. I enjoyed the film a lot.
Stepping Out: The DeBolts Grow Up (1980) - 7/10 - This takes place a few years later after the DeBolts have adopted their 20th child, a boy from Mexico with one leg partially paralyzed due to polio. The film is shorter than the original documentary and doesn't really stand on its own very well. It does work okay as a supplement to the previous film and it is nice to get caught up a bit with the kids. Without the previous film, though, it would definitely rate lower.
The Yanks are Coming (1963) - 6.5/10 - A documentary about WWI and the U.S. entry into the war, though it features significant points from the beginning of the was through the end. The narration can be a bit dull at times, but the footage is pretty good and there are a few interesting points.
Waldo Salt: A Screenwriter’s Journey (1990) - 7/10 - Waldo Salt started as a screenwriter in Hollywood in the 1930s, but was blacklisted for 11 years thanks to his membership in the Communist Party and his refusal to name names before the HUAC. He did manage to get some work under a pseudonym, but got back under his own name with Taras Bulba. He went on to receive Oscar nominations for Midnight Cowboy, Serpico, and Coming Home, winning for two of those. He didn't win for Serpico, which was my favorite from all of his films. This was a good look at his screenwriting career.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
She Married a Cop (1939) - 5.5/10 - Executives at a cartoon studio are looking for somebody to provide the singing voice for their new character, Paddy the Pig. They find their man in the form of an Irish cop named Jimmy (Phil Regan) who happens to have a nice voice. Linda (Jean Parker) is one of the people in charge of the project and she gets Jimmy to perform, but without telling him what his voice will actually be used for. This leads to a number of complications. It isn't a great film, but it is an entertaining enough B-movie.
Storm Over Bengal (1938) - 4/10 - This low budget picture crams a lot into its short runtime. There are the daily lives of the Bengal Lancers, plenty of battles between the British and the rebels in India, a spy mission, and a bit of romance. It isn't really that interesting a movie for all that and I don't think that the acting was all that great either.
Storm Over Bengal (1938) - 4/10 - This low budget picture crams a lot into its short runtime. There are the daily lives of the Bengal Lancers, plenty of battles between the British and the rebels in India, a spy mission, and a bit of romance. It isn't really that interesting a movie for all that and I don't think that the acting was all that great either.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Brooklyn Bridge (1981) - 7.5/10 - Ken Burns directed this film about the Brooklyn Bridge. The first part details the building of the bridge, which was interesting, but most of which I already knew. The second part focuses more on the impact the bridge has had on art and people. I liked the first part a bit more than the second.
Flying with Music (1942) - 3/10 - A very minor Hal Roach musical comedy that managed to snag a couple of Oscar nominations for its music. The story involves a singer in Latin America who flees from a man trying to serve him something from his ex-wife. He escapes by becoming a tour guide for five young American women with their own (gigantic) private plane. Unfortunately, the story isn't all that interesting and the music is rather pedestrian.
The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter (1993) - 7.5/10 - Peter Jepson-Young was a Canadian doctor who came down with AIDS in the 1980s. During the last two years of his life, he taped a weekly segment CBC News about his life and living with the disease. It turned out to be a popular segment and this film was cut together from his 100+ broadcasts plus his funeral. They did a good job putting it together.
Flying with Music (1942) - 3/10 - A very minor Hal Roach musical comedy that managed to snag a couple of Oscar nominations for its music. The story involves a singer in Latin America who flees from a man trying to serve him something from his ex-wife. He escapes by becoming a tour guide for five young American women with their own (gigantic) private plane. Unfortunately, the story isn't all that interesting and the music is rather pedestrian.
The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter (1993) - 7.5/10 - Peter Jepson-Young was a Canadian doctor who came down with AIDS in the 1980s. During the last two years of his life, he taped a weekly segment CBC News about his life and living with the disease. It turned out to be a popular segment and this film was cut together from his 100+ broadcasts plus his funeral. They did a good job putting it together.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Changing Our Minds: The Story of Dr. Evelyn Hooker (1992) - 7/10 - A decent documentary about the psychologist whose work in the 1950s in regard to homosexuality led to homosexuality being removed from a list of mental disorders by the American Psychiatric Association. Her studies helped advocates for gay rights to push their case.
Target for Tonight (1941) - 6/10 - The planning and execution of a bombing raid on a priority target in Germany is shown here along with the return of one of the bombers and the after action report.
The Statue of Liberty (1985) - 8.5/10 - Ken Burns directed this documentary while the Statue of Liberty was undergoing restoration prior to her centennial celebration. There were interviews, archival photographs and footage, and current footage as well. I thought it was very interesting.
Other shorter documentaries watched:
Baptism of Fire (1943) - 7/10 - An army training film about a soldier's first combat experience.
The Last Bomb (1945) - 8/10 - This film came out just after WWII ended and shows bombers and their escorts attacking Japan along with preparations for the attack. They appeared to use a lot of real combat footage.
Terminus (1961) - 7.5/10 - A day in the life of Waterloo Station in London.
A Few Notes on Our Food Problem (1968) - 5/10 - The problems with feeding the increasing population of the world are discussed and shown. There were some interesting parts, but overall a bit dull.
Fires of Kuwait (1992) - 7.5/10 - When Iraq's forces retreated from Kuwait during Desert Storm, they set over 700 oil wells on fire and damaged a lot of infrastructure. Those fires were doing a lot of environmental damage and were hard to put out.
Target for Tonight (1941) - 6/10 - The planning and execution of a bombing raid on a priority target in Germany is shown here along with the return of one of the bombers and the after action report.
The Statue of Liberty (1985) - 8.5/10 - Ken Burns directed this documentary while the Statue of Liberty was undergoing restoration prior to her centennial celebration. There were interviews, archival photographs and footage, and current footage as well. I thought it was very interesting.
Other shorter documentaries watched:
Baptism of Fire (1943) - 7/10 - An army training film about a soldier's first combat experience.
The Last Bomb (1945) - 8/10 - This film came out just after WWII ended and shows bombers and their escorts attacking Japan along with preparations for the attack. They appeared to use a lot of real combat footage.
Terminus (1961) - 7.5/10 - A day in the life of Waterloo Station in London.
A Few Notes on Our Food Problem (1968) - 5/10 - The problems with feeding the increasing population of the world are discussed and shown. There were some interesting parts, but overall a bit dull.
Fires of Kuwait (1992) - 7.5/10 - When Iraq's forces retreated from Kuwait during Desert Storm, they set over 700 oil wells on fire and damaged a lot of infrastructure. Those fires were doing a lot of environmental damage and were hard to put out.