last movie you watched

[pmp]

Tonight I saw The Bad Seed (1956), a film that's been sitting on my shelf for a while now, but which I hadn't got around to. Based on the play, this tells the story of a mother who slowly comes to the realisation that her eight-year-old daughter is becoming a serial killer. Rather like Damn Yankees, which I watched a few weeks ago, the film sticks very closely to the play. Only occasionally does the film "open out" from the basic living room set, and most of the cast of the play are transferred to the film. It's also fair to say that the style of acting is more associated with the stage than film. Despite this and its surprisingly-long 130 minute running time, this really is an excellent piece of work - and survives the stagey elements much better than Damn Yankees. Patty McCormack as the child is excellent, but it's Nancy Kelly as the mother that holds the whole piece together, and she really is excellent. The most well-known face is William Hopper, but his role is much smaller than his billing might suggest. This might sound like a horror movie - The Omen without the supernatural elements, basically - but it's played as a psychological drama. Once again, the production code intervened and said the film couldn't end the same way as the play - why it thought adults watching a play were able to watch something with dubious morals but those watching a film were not is anybody's guess. But the ending of the film is actually fine - unlike the Strange Affair of Uncle Harry we discussed here recently. The Warner blu ray is good. I've seen crisper transfers, but it's still on par with what we expect.

[Walter Hale 4]

Watched Captain Newman M.D. last night, for the umpteenth time

An all star cast led by Gregory Peck , Tony Curtis , Angie Dickinson, James Gregory and Robert Duvall.

But, especially liked the roles by Bobby Darin and Eddie Albert.

Anyone here seen and enjoyed the movie as much as I did?


spoiler alert...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Newman,_M.D.

[pmp]

Watched Captain Newman M.D. last night, for the umpteenth time

An all star cast led by Gregory Peck , Tony Curtis , Angie Dickinson, James Gregory and Robert Duvall.

But, especially liked the roles by Bobby Darin and Eddie Albert.

Anyone here seen and enjoyed the movie as much as I did?


spoiler alert...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Newman,_M.D.

I think it's a very good film, and I have enjoyed it both times I have seen it. It's also quite forward-thinking in its treatment of people with mental health issue in a humane and sympathetic way. I'm not fond of Bobby Darin's cameo, though. It all seems a little over-the-top, although it reflects in many respects the hire-wire act that that he tread throughout his career. He was never afraid to put himself "out there." In the case of Captain Newman, it earned him a best supporting actor Oscar nomination, although I think he was far better in Pressure Point, made around the same time.

Last night I rewatched Hitchcock's I Confess, a film that I have seen more than most, but which always has something to offer, no matter how familiar I become with it. It's quite unusual for Hitchcock in that it's filmed on location for the most part, and it's a very different feel to those awful back projections Hitch so often used. Montgomery Clift is perfectly suited to the role of the troubled priest accused of murder, and knowing himself who the real culprit is but unable to divulge the information because it was told to him in confession. The blu ray release is excellent.

Today I watched a film that, oddly, I haven't seen for nearly thirty years. I remember Mum and Dad being out one night and catching (probably by accident) a channel 4 showing of The Hurricane (1937). I loved the film then, and I loved it tonight, too, so I have no idea why I haven't got around to watching it before now. Luckily, I picked up the Kino blu ray when it was released, as it was only available for a year or two. It's an atypical John Ford in many ways, not least through the anti-racism/anti-coloniolism narrative. Ford was often criticised for his portrayals of Native Americans, and so it's rather a surprise that the coloniolists are the villains here.

Jon Hall stars as the young south sea islander who ends up in prison after he punches a man who is racist towards him. He tries to escape multiple times, but it just results in his prison sentence being extended from six months to sixteen years. Dorothy Lamour stars as his wife, and there is very fine support from the ever-reliable Thomas Mitchell, Raymond Massey, Mary Astor, and C. Aubrey Smith. Jon Hall was never the best actor (but my, he was beautiful), but he is good here in a role that is less demanding with regards to acting than physically.

The Hurricane of the title is a remarkable feat for a film in 1937. Today, most of it would be done with special effects. Heaven knows how the twenty minute sequence was achieved in the 1930s. It must have been hell for the actors (just as Noah's Ark was eight years earlier).

At the end of last week, I saw the third season of Heartstoppers on Netflix, the queer-themed drama series for teenagers that appears to be loved by almost everyone who watches it, no matter what their age. The first episode of the new season is decidedly lacklustre, and I admit to having fears that this series might be the one where the standard drops. Thankfully, that's not the case, and it picks up again in episode 2. This season is darker than the previous two, with one character's mental health and eating disorder being front and centre for much of the time, and it's handled sensitively and without kid gloves. There are lighter moments, too, but the final episode ends with a whimper rather than a bang, and that's a shame. Yes, there'll probably be a fourth and final season eventually, but season 3 could have ended better. That fourth season might take a long while to reach screens (if commissioned), with Kit Connor on Broadway and Joe Locke now part of the Marvel franchise in Agatha All Along.

[Walter Hale 4]

Well yes, Bobby Darin's roles in Pressure Point and also Hell is for Heroes, were better. I agree.

[pmp]

Three more Hitchcock films over the last few days.

Sabotage from 1936 is one of my favourite Hitchcock movies. It's based on The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad, but it couldn't be called The Secret Agent because Hitch had already made a film with that title based on a book by Somerset Maugham. Sabotage is one of the best of the 1930s Hitch movies. He's seemingly brimming with confidence here after The 39 Steps and The Man Who Knew Too Much, and he's experimenting with montage techniques here, too. The "bus" sequence remains shocking and audacious even now.

Blackmail is from 1929, and was released in both silent and sound versions. I used to think the silent version was better, but having seen it again yesterday, I don't think that's the case. Although the sound version is rather primitive, and has some rather awkward moments, the narrative is helped along by the dialogue, and the silent version of the "knife" sequence at the breakfast table is not a patch on the sound one.

Tonight was the turn of Shadow of a Doubt, starring Teresa Wright as the teenaged girl who learns that her beloved uncle is actually a serial killer. This was supposedly Hitch's favourite of his own movies, and it is good, but I think he made better as I don't think the suspense is all that great. It's one of the relative few cases, though, where the Universal blu ray is excellent, and there's barely a mark on the print that is used.

[latebloomer]

Now I'll have to watch Captain Newman again! Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis, and Bobby Darin are favorites of mine, actors I felt we never saw enough of; and the story line was more accurate than fanciful, I think.

Most of the (Navy) Corpsmen I knew were nuts, but serious about their work, and I assume (Army) Medics are the same. Military medicine is different than civilian practice. Its sole function is to assure that our fighting force is fit to fight; everything else is secondary. Leads to some appalling happenings, and lots of absurdity: fertile ground for humor. Military humor is different, too, as, I suspect, is humor among any tight, very specifically-oriented group: pilots, firefighters, law enforcement, musicians, bridge-builders, etc.

I rate Captain Newman four star.

[pmp]

Tonight I got to see the thoroughly-bonkers "Man in Search of His Murderer," a 1931 German comedy drama about a man who arranges to have himself killed as he doesn't have the nerve to kill himself...but then falls in love and wants to call off the hitman. The story has been told many times, perhaps most notably as the first film in The Whistler series in the 1940s. Man in Search of His Murderer is first and foremost a comedy, though, and a manic one at that - if you've never heard a swannee whistle before (or a slide whistle as it's mostly called these days), you'll certainly here enough of it as sound effects in this movie. It's certainly not the type of movie associated with director Robert Siodmak, who would become a master of film noir, making The Killers, Phantom Lady, The Spiral Staircase, and The Suspect (which I discussed here last week). It's written by Billy Wilder. Sadly, Man in Search of His Murderer is missing quite a bit of its footage, but it still holds together well, and I confess I was rather taken in by the sheer lunacy of it - not something I associate with German films of the period. It's available on Kino blu ray - and quite expensive for 53 minutes, but who can resist scenes like these (see below).

[pmp]

Just announced: Hitchcock -The Beginning.
Out in December.
I already have most of the films on blu ray, but will probably grab this and sell my other copies.

The following is the description from Amaxon, although I think the special features are sometimes with the wrong film!

*

T N E S S T H E B I R T H O F A C I N E M A T I C L E G E N D For the first time on Blu-ray, featuring new restorations and scores, experience 10 of Alfred Hitchcock’s early works. From the silent film era to the first talkies, this 11-disc set also contains a newly commissioned, full-length documentary, Becoming Hitchcock, exploring the director’s first sound picture, Blackmail. In 1929, Hitchcock directed Blackmail, the first British sound feature, hailed as a film which “used sound and dialogue with more flair and imagination than any Hollywood or European film of the time.” Hitchcock’s inventive and expressionist use of sound demonstrated that the new technology opened a new realm of possibilities.

The Ring (1927) The Ring is a love triangle melodrama set in the world of boxing: the title refers not just to the boxing ring, but also to the wedding ring which unites Jack ‘one round’ Sander (Carl Brisson) and his girlfriend Mabel (Lilian Hall-Davis). / runtime: 106 mins EXTRAS: A Knockout Score: Neil Brand on The Ring, Hitchcock / Truffaut: Archival Audio Interview, Audio commentary by film critic Nick Pinkerton, Introduction by Director & Film Historian Noël Simsolo, Stills Gallery

The Farmer's Wife (1928) The Farmer’s Wife concerns the search of a widowed farmer, Samuel Sweetland (Jameson Thomas), for a new wife, approaching four local spinsters with arrogant expectation, only to be wounded by rejection each time. / runtime: 112 mins EXTRAS: Hitch in the Countryside: Neil Brand on The Farmer's Wife, Extract from BEHP Audio interview with Ronald Neame, Hitchcock / Truffaut: Archival Audio Interview, Introduction by Director & Film Historian Noël Simsolo, Stills Gallery

Champagne (1928) Disapproving of her love affair, a millionaire (Gordon Harker) sets out to teach his irresponsible daughter (Betty Balfour) a lesson by pretending to lose all his money in Champagne. / runtime: 106 mins EXTRAS: Hitch & Champagne: Neil Brand on music for Silent Film, A Heady Cocktail: Charles Barr on Champagne, Hitchcock/Truffaut: Archival Audio Interview, Audio commentary by film historian Farran Smith Nehme, Introduction by Director & Film Historian Noël Simsolo, Stills Gallery

The Manxman (1929) (NEW SCORE) In a remote Isle of Man fishing community, two men, friends since childhood, find themselves in love with the same woman. / runtime: 101 mins EXTRAS: Melodrama à la Manx: Stephen Horne on scoring Hitchcock, Hitch's Leading Ladies by Davina Quinliven, Audio commentary by film historian Farran Smith Nehme, Hitchcock/Truffaut: Archival Audio Interview, Introduction by Director & Film Historian Noël Simsolo, Stills Gallery

Blackmail (1929) - SILENT VERSION (new 4K restoration and NEW SCORE ) Grocer’s daughter Alice White (Anny Ondra) kills a man in self-defence when he tries to sexually assault her. Her policeman boyfriend covers up for her, but she has been spotted leaving the scene by a petty criminal who tries to blackmail her. / runtime: 76 mins EXTRAS: Silent into Sound: Neil Brand on Blackmail, Anny Ondra’s Screen Test, Extract from BEHP Audio interview with Ronald Neame, Audio Commentary by Film Historian Tim Lucas, Hitchcock/Truffaut: Archival Audio Interview, Introduction by Director & Film Historian Noël Simsolo, Stills Gallery

Blackmail (1929) - TALKIE VERSION (new 4K restoration) runtime: 86 mins EXTRAS: Hitch & The Irish Players - An Interview with Charles Barr, Hitchcock/Truffaut: Archival Audio Interview, Stills Gallery

Juno and the Paycock (1930) Starring Barry Fitzgerald, Marie O’Neill, Edward Chapman, Sara Allgood. During the Irish Civil War in 1922, a family earns a big inheritance. They start leading a rich life, forgetting what the most important values are. Based on the successful play by Seán O'Casey, Hitchcock filmed a faithful reproduction of the play using fewer of his directorial touches than he usually incorporated, often asking cinematographer Jack Cox to hold the camera for long single shots. / runtime: 96 mins EXTRAS: MARY: 1931 German version of 'Murder! ', Alternate Ending, Audio Commentary by film critic Nick Pinkerton, Hitchcock/Truffaut: Archival Audio Interview, Introduction by Director & Film Historian Noël Simsolo, Stills Gallery

Murder! (1930) Starring Herbert Marshall, Nora Baring, Edward Chapman, Phyllis Konstam. An actress is convicted of the murder of another actress in the same touring company. But the distinguished actor Sir John Menier (Herbert Marshall), who served on the jury at her trial, becomes convinced of her innocence. One of Hitchcock’s few whodunits, MURDER! is a fascinating, multi-layered study of the role played by performance in public and private life, and features long, carefully choreographed takes, as well as an intriguing take on sexuality. Included as an extra is MARY the German language version of MURDER!, made at the same time as the English original and boasting not only top actor Abel (Phantom, Metropolis, L’Argent) but mysterious silent-era star Tchekowa. The film reflects the influence of German Expressionism on Hitchcock’s lighting. / runtime: 103 mins EXTRAS: Alma Hitchcock: Jo Botting & Natalie Morris in Conversation, Hitchcock/Truffaut: Archival Audio Interview, Introduction by Director & Film Historian Noël Simsolo, Stills Gallery

The Skin Game 1931) - REMASTERED FOR 2024 Starring Edmund Gwenn, Helen Haye, C V France, Jill Esmond, John Longden, Phyllis Konstam. The rivalry between a gentrified family and a wealthy tradesman turns to tragedy when the former use their discovery of the dark past of the tradesman's daughter-in-law to thwart his building plans. Adapted by Hitchcock with a script by Alma Reville, from the successful stage play by John Galsworthy, THE SKIN GAME presents a powerful and convincing portrayal of industrial encroachment on the rural gentry with a mix of long-take dialogue scenes and montage. / runtime: 83 mins EXTRAS: Unexpectedly Personal: Charles Barr on Rich and Strange, Audio Commentary by film historian Troy Howarth, Hitchcock/Truffaut: Archival Audio Interview, Introduction by Director & Film Historian Noël Simsolo, Stills Gallery

Rich and Strange (1931) Starring Henry Kendall, Joan Barry, Percy Marmont, Betty Amann, Elsie Randolph. 83min. Aspect Ratio: 1.19:1 Married couple Fred and Emily Hill (Henry Kendall and Joan Barry) go on a world cruise to escape their humdrum lives. Their relationship begins to fall apart when they both become attracted to other people. A charming film that possesses many of Hitchcock’s signature touches and with a somewhat daring theme which Hitchcock would return to in THE 39 STEPS./runtime: 84 mins EXTRAS: From Silent Film Idol to Superman: John Stuart by Jonathan Croall, Audio Commentary by film, historian and critic Peter Tonguette, Hitchcock/Truffaut: Archival Audio Interview, Introduction by Director & Film Historian Noël Simsolo, Lobby Cards Gallery

Number Seventeen (1932) (new 4K restoration) Starring John Stuart, Anne Grey, Leon M Lion. A detective (John Stuart) tracks a group of criminals to a deserted house above a rail depot which they are using to escape to the continent. A comedy thriller, adapted from Joseph Farjeon’s play, Hitchcock was initially unhappy with the project as he considered the story to be riddled with cliches, so the script written by Rodney Ackland with Hitchcock and Alma Reville takes on a satirical and entertaining tone and contained the first appearance of what was to become a characteristic of Hitchcock’s work – a MacGuffin – in this case a stolen necklace. / runtime: 64 mins approx. EXTRAS: FROM SILENT FILM IDOL TO SUPERMAN: JOHN STUART BY JONATHAN CROALL, AUDIO COMMENTARY BY FILM HISTORIAN AND CRITIC PETER TONGUETTE, HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT: ARCHIVAL AUDIO INTERVIEW, INTRODUCTION BY DIRECTOR & FILM, HISTORIAN NOËL SIMSOLO, LOBBY CARDS GALLERY

BRAND-NEW DOCUMENTARY - BECOMING HITCHCOCK THE LEGACY OF BLACKMAIL (2024) Directed by Laurent Bouzereau, Narrated by Elvis Mitchell, Produced by Studiocanal in association with Nedland Films, 72min.BECOMING HITCHCOCK – THE LEGACY OF BLACKMAIL, a brand new 72-minute documentary from award-winning filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau (Faye, Music by John Williams, Five Came Back) and narrated by historian, critic and filmmaker Elvis Mitchell, reflects the development of Alfred Hitchcock’s signature style, through the making of one of his benchmark films, Blackmail (1929). The documentary highlights the birth of the “Hitchcock Touch” at a period when talking pictures first emerged and explores his trademark themes, such as murder, suspense and cool blondes. While focusing on Blackmail, the documentary reveals how this film also foreshadows the director’s later masterpieces, from Psycho to North by Northwest and from The Birds to Frenzy. / runtime: 70 mins

[Walter Hale 4]

Now I'll have to watch Captain Newman again! Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis, and Bobby Darin are favorites of mine, actors I felt we never saw enough of; and the story line was more accurate than fanciful, I think.

Most of the (Navy) Corpsmen I knew were nuts, but serious about their work, and I assume (Army) Medics are the same. Military medicine is different than civilian practice. Its sole function is to assure that our fighting force is fit to fight; everything else is secondary. Leads to some appalling happenings, and lots of absurdity: fertile ground for humor. Military humor is different, too, as, I suspect, is humor among any tight, very specifically-oriented group: pilots, firefighters, law enforcement, musicians, bridge-builders, etc.

I rate Captain Newman four star.

please add The Train (1964) and The Caine Mutiny (1955) to your list of legendary films to watch

[Walter Hale 4]

and, as for me, I'll have to re-watch Shadow of a Doubt, a Hitchcock masterpiece, following pmp's earlier review.

Good one , pmp

[Walter Hale 4]

last night i watched The Train (1964), a black and white wartime epic that starred Burt Lancaster , Paul Scofield and Suzanne Flon.
John Frankenheimer directed it.

It's a bit long (but then again what War-related production, wasn't?) at 133 minutes but it does grow in tension as the movie's storyline develops. Loved the black-and-white photography. Not to give away much of the plot, it's based on stolen historical artwork and efforts by the enemy to have these sent to germany.

spoiler alert...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Train_(1964_film)


good one here:

The Making of "The Train" (1964) 16mm HD Burt Lancaster

[Walter Hale 4]

this (sunday) morning watched SEPARATE TABLES (1958), another Burt Lancaster film i like.
Cast includes Rita Hayworth, Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Burt Lancaster , Wendy Hiller and Rod Taylor.

Anyone here seen and liked Separate Tables ?

spoiler alert...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separate_Tables_(film)

[Greystoke]

last night i watched The Train (1964), a black and white wartime epic that starred Burt Lancaster , Paul Scofield and Suzanne Flon.
John Frankenheimer directed it.

It's a bit long (but then again what War-related production, wasn't?) at 133 minutes but it does grow in tension as the movie's storyline develops. Loved the black-and-white photography. Not to give away much of the plot, it's based on stolen historical artwork and efforts by the enemy to have these sent to germany.

spoiler alert...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Train_(1964_film)


good one here:

The Making of "The Train" (1964) 16mm HD Burt Lancaster

The Train is a big favourite of mine, and, coincidentally, I was at a screening of this film just a few weeks ago. Kino's 4K Blu-ray is very good, too, incidentally.

[Greystoke]

Over the past few weeks I've seen Megalopolis, Anora, A Different Man, The Apprentice, Joker: Folie à Duex, Blitz, and I'm sure a few other films at the cinema that aren't coming to mind right now. I've also been enjoying The Penguin series and thought the second series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was very good.

I'm quite eager to get hold of the recently announced Hitchcock Blu-ray box set that Shane mentioned above, although I might have to pick up the Frank Capra at Columbia box set first. As we've been discussing lately, there's a lot of appealing new releases due between now and Christmas. I'm actually quite glad that the BFI's 4K releases of Watership Down and Seven Samurai were pushed back.

Talking of Hitchcock, I took a risk of sorts on the new 4K release of To Catch a Thief, considering the previous Blu-ray release, which we also discussed a few weeks ago. I liked the way this film looked in 4K on Sky, and I still have the earlier Blu-ray release in any regard. Hopefully this will be delivered today.

[pmp]

Over the past few weeks I've seen Megalopolis, Anora, A Different Man, The Apprentice, Joker: Folie à Duex, Blitz, and I'm sure a few other films at the cinema that aren't coming to mind right now. I've also been enjoying The Penguin series and thought the second series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was very good.

I'm quite eager to get hold of the recently announced Hitchcock Blu-ray box set that Shane mentioned above, although I might have to pick up the Frank Capra at Columbia box set first. As we've been discussing lately, there's a lot of appealing new releases due between now and Christmas. I'm actually quite glad that the BFI's 4K releases of Watership Down and Seven Samurai were pushed back.

Talking of Hitchcock, I took a risk of sorts on the new 4K release of To Catch a Thief, considering the previous Blu-ray release, which we also discussed a few weeks ago. I liked the way this film looked in 4K on Sky, and I still have the earlier Blu-ray release in any regard. Hopefully this will be delivered today.

I'm not sure where to get the Capra set from. WowHD aren't shipping it to the UK due to its weight. Amazon.com are charging £155 inclusive of shipping and VAT, which is pretty good, but I'm never very sure about Amazon packaging.

[Greystoke]

Over the past few weeks I've seen Megalopolis, Anora, A Different Man, The Apprentice, Joker: Folie à Duex, Blitz, and I'm sure a few other films at the cinema that aren't coming to mind right now. I've also been enjoying The Penguin series and thought the second series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was very good.

I'm quite eager to get hold of the recently announced Hitchcock Blu-ray box set that Shane mentioned above, although I might have to pick up the Frank Capra at Columbia box set first. As we've been discussing lately, there's a lot of appealing new releases due between now and Christmas. I'm actually quite glad that the BFI's 4K releases of Watership Down and Seven Samurai were pushed back.

Talking of Hitchcock, I took a risk of sorts on the new 4K release of To Catch a Thief, considering the previous Blu-ray release, which we also discussed a few weeks ago. I liked the way this film looked in 4K on Sky, and I still have the earlier Blu-ray release in any regard. Hopefully this will be delivered today.

I'm not sure where to get the Capra set from. WowHD aren't shipping it to the UK due to its weight. Amazon.com are charging £155 inclusive of shipping and VAT, which is pretty good, but I'm never very sure about Amazon packaging.

There's a few eBay sellers I'll have an eye on. One in particular, called "jacksawesomegoods," has really impressed me with their packaging. I recently bought the 4K "Project A" box set that 88 Films released, and they went above and beyond with the packaging. If they get it in stock, I'll buy from eBay.

IMG_20241010_170723379.jpg

[ForeverElvis]

Over the past few weeks I've seen Megalopolis, Anora, A Different Man, The Apprentice, Joker: Folie à Duex, Blitz, and I'm sure a few other films at the cinema that aren't coming to mind right now. I've also been enjoying The Penguin series and thought the second series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was very good.

I'm quite eager to get hold of the recently announced Hitchcock Blu-ray box set that Shane mentioned above, although I might have to pick up the Frank Capra at Columbia box set first. As we've been discussing lately, there's a lot of appealing new releases due between now and Christmas. I'm actually quite glad that the BFI's 4K releases of Watership Down and Seven Samurai were pushed back.

Talking of Hitchcock, I took a risk of sorts on the new 4K release of To Catch a Thief, considering the previous Blu-ray release, which we also discussed a few weeks ago. I liked the way this film looked in 4K on Sky, and I still have the earlier Blu-ray release in any regard. Hopefully this will be delivered today.

Your thoughts on Megalopolis and Joker?

[Greystoke]

Over the past few weeks I've seen Megalopolis, Anora, A Different Man, The Apprentice, Joker: Folie à Duex, Blitz, and I'm sure a few other films at the cinema that aren't coming to mind right now. I've also been enjoying The Penguin series and thought the second series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was very good.

I'm quite eager to get hold of the recently announced Hitchcock Blu-ray box set that Shane mentioned above, although I might have to pick up the Frank Capra at Columbia box set first. As we've been discussing lately, there's a lot of appealing new releases due between now and Christmas. I'm actually quite glad that the BFI's 4K releases of Watership Down and Seven Samurai were pushed back.

Talking of Hitchcock, I took a risk of sorts on the new 4K release of To Catch a Thief, considering the previous Blu-ray release, which we also discussed a few weeks ago. I liked the way this film looked in 4K on Sky, and I still have the earlier Blu-ray release in any regard. Hopefully this will be delivered today.

Your thoughts on Megalopolis and Joker?

Megalopolis is the kind of film you might expect from somebody that had never made a film before. It's a rambling, bloated, incoherent mess on a large scale, and it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It's clear that Francis Ford Coppola had plenty of ideas with regards to this film, but these are ideas without a narrative or a half decent story to properly keep the film together.

It's set in the near future, with New York now New Rome, and the populace of the city now existing on two levels, the haves and have-nots. With the haves living in a way that resembles ancient Rome. And I can understand why Coppola leaned into this aesthetic, appreciating what he's trying to say about society, politics, and power, but it doesn't work. It's far too shallow, bland, and inconsequential. It's also really stupid. With some poor visual effects, into the bargain.

There are ideas, as I mentioned, but even Demolition Man did the futuristic city idea with a rich and poor divide better than Megalopolis. And Coppola is clearly drawing a lot of inspiration from Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Again, though, this is another film that tackled similar themes in a more successful way.

The acting is also poor, although Laurence Fishburn comes away unscathed, despite a thankless role among many in the film. Again, the film and characters don't make sense, which probably didn't help from a directorial perspective when Adam Driver's character, for example, has the power to stop time. But doesn't actually do anything with this power in the film. It's just an idea on the screen. Much like the statues that come to life for no apparent reason, other than heavy-handed symbolism. It's the worst film of the year, in my opinion.

Joker: Folie à Duex isn't much better, all the same. I wasn't especially fond of the previous Joker film, but the idea of a musical intrigued me, although this once again seems to have been more of an idea than something Todd Phillips was genuinely committed to.

Visually, it's a striking film, and Phoenix is good once again, as Arthur Fleck, the Joker. But it's also a film that's shallow and feels as though it's being pulled in two or three different directions. It leans into musical sensibilities, then drops the idea, then it takes musical flights of fantasy but doesn't actually have anything to say with these sequences, although the musical performances are mostly good.

However, it's a film that wants to deconstruct its own mythology, and tries far too hard to do so. To the extent that I found it repetitive and boring, because it takes great pains to retread what is already known from the first film. Especially in court room scenes that - visually - draw inspiration from The Manchurian Candidate, but are laboured in how little sense it makes.

The musical sequences, which take place in the minds of Joker and Lady Gaga's Lee, or Harley Quinn, do suffer, all the same, from being stylised in ways that are narratively incoherent. Gaga tries to sing in character, instead of leaning more into her own talent as a singer, and whilst Lee is a blank slate, she does make the character fairly interesting. But little more than that. Even if she is symbolic of toxic fandom.

Brendan Gleeson, who plays one of the prison officers, stood out the most, in my opinion. Although his character is underwritten, with murky motivations and actions that are left unaddressed. But he brings a lot to the role. Still, it's a bleak and nihilistic film, and I found nobody to root for or care about. Because the film doesn't seem to care about these characters, either. Or the characters they nominally are in the film. Even if Philips doesn't want them to be "Joker" and "Harley Quinn." I thought it was quite poor in many respects, and next to Megalopolis, it's my least favourite film of the year so far.

Have you seen them?

[pmp]

Over the last two nights I've watched two old horror movies, both of which have really quite remarkable blu ray releases.

The Criterion double of I Walked with a Zombie and The Seventh Victim came out today, and I watched Seventh Victim tonight, having seen Zombie quite recently. To my mind, this double bill bring together the two best films in the Val Lewton RKO horror cycle of the 1940s, and both are very dark, atmospheric and moody films - quite the opposite to what Universal were doing at the time with their monster mash-ups. Newcomer Kim Hunter is excellent in Seventh Victim as the young girl trying to find her sister who has gone missing. She is helped and hindered by three men that she meets on her quest, played by Tom Conway, Erford Gage, and Hugh Beaumont. To say anymore rather spoils the story if you haven't seen it before. As with nearly all of the Val Lewton cycle, this crosses boundaries between horror and psychological thriller. There's about two drops of blood in the entire film, but there's lots of talking, and tons of atmosphere.

The booklet says that the print for Seventh Victim suffered from mould and that some remained visible after restoration, but I didn't notice anything other than an excellent transfer of a spotless print. I'm wondering if they should have said it was Zombie with the damage. I watched a minute or two of that today and it didn't seem to be of quite the same high quality print and transfer.

Last night I rewatched The Dark Eyes of London from 1940, which got its release on the Network label not long before it collapsed. This is a less good film - a murder mystery with horrific elements - with Lugosi in a dual role, although his voice is dubbed in one of them. Again, this is a remarkable release. Prior to this, the film had been practically unwatchable in all of its many PD releases. The blu ray isn't spotless, but if you're rating it by comparing the old edition with the new, then it's undoubtedly a 10 out of 10. And the fact it came with a slipcase and booklet (not usual for Network) suggested that they knew they'd hit the jackpot on this one.

[ForeverElvis]

Over the past few weeks I've seen Megalopolis, Anora, A Different Man, The Apprentice, Joker: Folie à Duex, Blitz, and I'm sure a few other films at the cinema that aren't coming to mind right now. I've also been enjoying The Penguin series and thought the second series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was very good.

I'm quite eager to get hold of the recently announced Hitchcock Blu-ray box set that Shane mentioned above, although I might have to pick up the Frank Capra at Columbia box set first. As we've been discussing lately, there's a lot of appealing new releases due between now and Christmas. I'm actually quite glad that the BFI's 4K releases of Watership Down and Seven Samurai were pushed back.

Talking of Hitchcock, I took a risk of sorts on the new 4K release of To Catch a Thief, considering the previous Blu-ray release, which we also discussed a few weeks ago. I liked the way this film looked in 4K on Sky, and I still have the earlier Blu-ray release in any regard. Hopefully this will be delivered today.

Your thoughts on Megalopolis and Joker?

Megalopolis is the kind of film you might expect from somebody that had never made a film before. It's a rambling, bloated, incoherent mess on a large scale, and it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It's clear that Francis Ford Coppola had plenty of ideas with regards to this film, but these are ideas without a narrative or a half decent story to properly keep the film together.

It's set in the near future, with New York now New Rome, and the populace of the city now existing on two levels, the haves and have-nots. With the haves living in a way that resembles ancient Rome. And I can understand why Coppola leaned into this aesthetic, appreciating what he's trying to say about society, politics, and power, but it doesn't work. It's far too shallow, bland, and inconsequential. It's also really stupid. With some poor visual effects, into the bargain.

There are ideas, as I mentioned, but even Demolition Man did the futuristic city idea with a rich and poor divide better than Megalopolis. And Coppola is clearly drawing a lot of inspiration from Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Again, though, this is another film that tackled similar themes in a more successful way.

The acting is also poor, although Laurence Fishburn comes away unscathed, despite a thankless role among many in the film. Again, the film and characters don't make sense, which probably didn't help from a directorial perspective when Adam Driver's character, for example, has the power to stop time. But doesn't actually do anything with this power in the film. It's just an idea on the screen. Much like the statues that come to life for no apparent reason, other than heavy-handed symbolism. It's the worst film of the year, in my opinion.

Joker: Folie à Duex isn't much better, all the same. I wasn't especially fond of the previous Joker film, but the idea of a musical intrigued me, although this once again seems to have been more of an idea than something Todd Phillips was genuinely committed to.

Visually, it's a striking film, and Phoenix is good once again, as Arthur Fleck, the Joker. But it's also a film that's shallow and feels as though it's being pulled in two or three different directions. It leans into musical sensibilities, then drops the idea, then it takes musical flights of fantasy but doesn't actually have anything to say with these sequences, although the musical performances are mostly good.

However, it's a film that wants to deconstruct its own mythology, and tries far too hard to do so. To the extent that I found it repetitive and boring, because it takes great pains to retread what is already known from the first film. Especially in court room scenes that - visually - draw inspiration from The Manchurian Candidate, but are laboured in how little sense it makes.

The musical sequences, which take place in the minds of Joker and Lady Gaga's Lee, or Harley Quinn, do suffer, all the same, from being stylised in ways that are narratively incoherent. Gaga tries to sing in character, instead of leaning more into her own talent as a singer, and whilst Lee is a blank slate, she does make the character fairly interesting. But little more than that. Even if she is symbolic of toxic fandom.

Brendan Gleeson, who plays one of the prison officers, stood out the most, in my opinion. Although his character is underwritten, with murky motivations and actions that are left unaddressed. But he brings a lot to the role. Still, it's a bleak and nihilistic film, and I found nobody to root for or care about. Because the film doesn't seem to care about these characters, either. Or the characters they nominally are in the film. Even if Philips doesn't want them to be "Joker" and "Harley Quinn." I thought it was quite poor in many respects, and next to Megalopolis, it's my least favourite film of the year so far.

Have you seen them?

Thanks Hugh.
No not yet.
As much as I prefer the Cinema experience to at home I’m choosy due to $$.

My closest friend wanted to see them but I opted out of both. With regard to the first Joker; I found it dull bleak, depressing, and boring but thought Phoenix was excellent. I am concerned that the second joker will be just the same with the original addition of musical sequences. That quirk peaks my interest, but not enough to go see it in the theater, it will have to wait until a home viewing for free is possible.

With Megalopolis, I was interested several months ago because it seemed that it would be something different, a more original outing than the usual multiplex fare. I try very, very hard to not let any one person or review steer me away from something I want to see but, when I’m on the fence an opinion that I respect can steer me away. There are just too many reviews that point out that it is such a mess. I might catch it at home, but it’s way down the list.

It’s too bad because when an original film bombs, we get less of them.

[Greystoke]

Over the last two nights I've watched two old horror movies, both of which have really quite remarkable blu ray releases.

The Criterion double of I Walked with a Zombie and The Seventh Victim came out today, and I watched Seventh Victim tonight, having seen Zombie quite recently. To my mind, this double bill bring together the two best films in the Val Lewton RKO horror cycle of the 1940s, and both are very dark, atmospheric and moody films - quite the opposite to what Universal were doing at the time with their monster mash-ups. Newcomer Kim Hunter is excellent in Seventh Victim as the young girl trying to find her sister who has gone missing. She is helped and hindered by three men that she meets on her quest, played by Tom Conway, Erford Gage, and Hugh Beaumont. To say anymore rather spoils the story if you haven't seen it before. As with nearly all of the Val Lewton cycle, this crosses boundaries between horror and psychological thriller. There's about two drops of blood in the entire film, but there's lots of talking, and tons of atmosphere.

The booklet says that the print for Seventh Victim suffered from mould and that some remained visible after restoration, but I didn't notice anything other than an excellent transfer of a spotless print. I'm wondering if they should have said it was Zombie with the damage. I watched a minute or two of that today and it didn't seem to be of quite the same high quality print and transfer.

Last night I rewatched The Dark Eyes of London from 1940, which got its release on the Network label not long before it collapsed. This is a less good film - a murder mystery with horrific elements - with Lugosi in a dual role, although his voice is dubbed in one of them. Again, this is a remarkable release. Prior to this, the film had been practically unwatchable in all of its many PD releases. The blu ray isn't spotless, but if you're rating it by comparing the old edition with the new, then it's undoubtedly a 10 out of 10. And the fact it came with a slipcase and booklet (not usual for Network) suggested that they knew they'd hit the jackpot on this one.

I'm really looking forward to getting hold of Criterion's I Walked With a Zombie/The Seventh Victim release. It's one I'm planning on getting around Christmas, I think. There's a few limited edition box sets I'm aiming to get first.

I mentioned To Catch a Thief yesterday, and it did arrive in the post. I'll watch it on Friday night, but it's a really nice package. The poster is one I'll surely frame, and it's quite large, too.

[Greystoke]

[
Thanks Hugh.
No not yet.
As much as I prefer the Cinema experience to at home I choosy due to $$.

My closest friend wanted to see both, but I opted out of both of these phones. With regard to the first joker, I found it dull bleak, depressing, and boring but thought Phoenix was excellent. I am concerned that the second joker will be just the same though with the original addition of musical sequences. That quirk peaks my interest, but not enough to go see it in the theater, it will have to wait until a home viewing for free is possible.

With megalopolis, I was interested several months ago because it seemed that it would be something different, a more original outing than the usual multiplex fare. I try very, very hard to not let any one person or review steer me away from something I want to see but, when I’m on the fence an opinion that I respect can steer me away. There are just too many reviews that point out that it is such a mess. I might catch it at home, but it’s way down the list.

It’s too bad because when an original film bombs, we get less of them.

I will say that I admire Francis Ford Coppola's commitment and desire to make the film he wanted to make with regards to Megalopolis, even to the extent that he had to self-fund the film. Which is one of the cardinal mistakes in the film industry. Unless it pays off.

It's probably worth adding Coppola's visit to the Konbini Video Club here. If you enjoy watching visits to the Criterion Closet, this is similar, but with more time spent talking about the films each guest selects.

..

[Walter Hale 4]

last night i watched THE NAKED EDGE (1961) starring Gary Cooper (in his final role) and Deborah Kerr.
Movie was directed by Michael Anderson and produced by George Glass and Walter Seltzer. Very Hitchcock-esque i thought.

Anyone here seen The Naked Edge and either like or dislike the film?


spoiler alert.... with some great vintage photos!

https://themagnificent60s.com/2023/02/22/the-naked-edge-1961/

[Greystoke]

last night i watched THE NAKED EDGE (1961) starring Gary Cooper (in his final role) and Deborah Kerr.
Movie was directed by Michael Anderson and produced by George Glass and Walter Seltzer. Very Hitchcock-esque i thought.

Anyone here seen The Naked Edge and either like or dislike the film?


spoiler alert.... with some great vintage photos!

https://themagnificent60s.com/2023/02/22/the-naked-edge-1961/

I haven't seen The Naked Edge in a long time.

[Greystoke]

I watched Villa Rides yesterday, which is a film I hadn't seen in a few years, although I recently bought Signal One's Blu-ray release, which is fairly good. It's quite an unremarkable film, with Robert Mitchum miscast as a gun runner for the Mexican army, who then teams up with Pancho Villa, played by an equally miscast Yul Brynner.

Mitchum isn't particularly good here, either, with a forced love interest and not being able to bring much nuance to a character that's badly written. There's some good action, though, and Charles Bronson stands out as one of Villa's confederates, but this western is a misfire in most respects.