Return of the RECENT VIEWING
- Darkness_Fish
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
I happened to see most of both films on the same day. The 1994 version is such a soft-focus daytime TV serial, I don't know how they talked Attenborough and JT Walsh into it. At least JT does give a bit of bile and nastiness to his role, but it can't save such a dire film. Why change the resolution, too, it's far less convincing than the 1947 version.
Like fast-moving clouds casting shadows against a hillside, the melody-loop shuddered with a sense of the sublime, the awful unknowable majesty of the world.
- Darkness_Fish
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
And finished off the day with the slightly less festive Terrifier. Another low-budget horror flick with a creepy clown killer. However, the silent performance by David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown is absolutely what makes the film, it's half dance, half ode to silent cinema, and properly creepy.
Like fast-moving clouds casting shadows against a hillside, the melody-loop shuddered with a sense of the sublime, the awful unknowable majesty of the world.
- driftin
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
Neige wrote:Nice black and white cinematography and great 1971 sets, but otherwise unnecessarily loud, often overlong and - save Cleo and the youngest son - full of clichéd, one-dimensional or pale characters.
I expected much more... depth.
Couldn't disagree anymore. Firstly, loud? What the hell? There are moments where the sound design rises up in volume such as with the ocean's waves, the marching band, or a crowded street but this is generally a very quiet film.
Cliched, one-dimensional, pale characters? It's just a maid, her friends, and a normal middle class family that she looks after.
As for depth, there's plenty here, from Cleo having her own personal crisis while stoically helping the family who is also going through their own, and in the background the country is in turmoil. All three quiet dramas occasionally cross over but the point of the film is all of these small stories being told are transient and life carries on. There is no overreaching narrative and that's what makes it so wonderful. It feels real, authentic, warm.
I've seen it twice now and I was even more impressed because I was able to see its technical achievements behind the emotion, especially the framing, blocking, the camera movements. The huge crowd scenes are particularly wonderful in this regard.
So nope, nothing can change my mind. This is a wonderful film.
- Neige
- Alpine Numpty
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
I understand exactly what you're saying, driftin, I guess me and Lady Neige weren't in the mood.
I might have reacted differently if I had seen it alone and in a cinema, but as it is, the film left us strangely unaffected.
btw, with loud, I also meant the often glaring contrast of the black and white.
I might have reacted differently if I had seen it alone and in a cinema, but as it is, the film left us strangely unaffected.
btw, with loud, I also meant the often glaring contrast of the black and white.
Thumpety-thump beats plinkety-plonk every time. - Rayge
- naughty boy
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
It was really just a series of image-rich recollections, with nothing much to connect them apart from the fact they occurred at roughly the same time. I'm not sure that's such a bad thing but I definitely felt there was something missing.
I'd still recommend the film. It's stunningly photographed, stamped with his very personal style (lots of wide-panned or mid-range shots, no close-ups). And the actress who played Cleo was phenomenal. It was an anti-performance, if you like.
I'd still recommend the film. It's stunningly photographed, stamped with his very personal style (lots of wide-panned or mid-range shots, no close-ups). And the actress who played Cleo was phenomenal. It was an anti-performance, if you like.
Matt 'interesting' Wilson wrote:So I went from looking at the "I'm a Man" riff, to showing how the rave up was popular for awhile.
- harvey k-tel
- Long Player
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
I watched it last night, and while I agree that it was undeniably beautiful to look at, at the end I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed by the story. Perhaps I'll watch it again just for the visuals (that forest fire scene in particular was stunning) and maybe I'll get more from it.
Tempora mutatur et nos mutamur in illis
- Snarfyguy
- Dominated by the Obscure
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
Pretty decent. It helps to have Jackie Chan and some of the cast members of Silicon Valley along for the ride. I like how the franchise manages to be both family- and stoner-friendly. Having said that, this isn't as good as the original movie or the Batman one.
GoogaMooga wrote: The further away from home you go, the greater the risk of getting stuck there.
- naughty boy
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
harvey k-tel wrote:I watched it last night, and while I agree that it was undeniably beautiful to look at, at the end I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed by the story. Perhaps I'll watch it again just for the visuals (that forest fire scene in particular was stunning) and maybe I'll get more from it.
top spot in the Sight and Sound poll
https://www.bfi.org.uk/best-films-2018#
Matt 'interesting' Wilson wrote:So I went from looking at the "I'm a Man" riff, to showing how the rave up was popular for awhile.
- driftin
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
I love how well developed its characters are, how the protagonist is flawed and the villain has a very good point. I can totally understand why the black community has taken to this so much because the progressive and inclusive nature of it is genuinely great, from its scenes of rituals and ceremonies, its well written female characters, the Afro-futurist aesthetics all over everything like its clothes, buildings, the tribal music score, its depiction of technology (even if it ultimately is just a technobabble plot convenience) and its politics which encourage diplomacy and the building of bridges.
However...
The barebones plot is basically just Hamlet or The Lion King with a few things changed here and there. That's fine, there’s nothing wrong with a classic story being retold but it's let down by a poor script and even poorer CGI. Basically the plot is good but the story is bad. It's fractured and unfocused (or focuses entirely too much on the wrong thing) and lacks the emotional weight that is necessary. There's plenty of meaty dramatic irony but it's wasted away or underdeveloped.
And my word, that CGI fight on the train tracks at the end literally looks like an FMV cut scene from a PlayStation 2 game.
I’m frustrated because this had the potential to be a really great superhero film.
- Matt Wilson
- Psychedelic Cowpunk
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
Forty Guns
Another macho Sam Fuller picture, but this time with a female protagonist. Probably Barbara Stanwyck's last great leading role. Too bad a Hollywood ending leaves a sour aftertaste. Excellent photography and use of the widescreen can't mask the fact that, like every other Fuller film I've seen, this is basically a B picture. It's still fun though.
- Jimbly
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
Lady Bird. The leading performances were fantastic and very natural. Saorise Ronan's ability to lose her strong Irish accent completely is incredible. Laurie Metcalf is also terrific in an unsympathetic role. However given all the rave reviews the film received, I found it to be slight and found the story to be just another rite of passage movie that had nothing particularly new or original to say.
So Long Kid, Take A Bow.
- naughty boy
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
Agreed.
Matt 'interesting' Wilson wrote:So I went from looking at the "I'm a Man" riff, to showing how the rave up was popular for awhile.
Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
Matt Wilson wrote:
Forty Guns
Another macho Sam Fuller picture, but this time with a female protagonist. Probably Barbara Stanwyck's last great leading role. Too bad a Hollywood ending leaves a sour aftertaste. Excellent photography and use of the widescreen can't mask the fact that, like every other Fuller film I've seen, this is basically a B picture. It's still fun though.
I really wanna see that one. Stanwyck is one of my favorite actors.
Many of the best noirs are B flicks. What all have you seen from Fuller?
- Matt Wilson
- Psychedelic Cowpunk
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
From his filmography I own:
Pickup on South Street (1953)
Hell and High Water (1954)
House of Bamboo (1955)
Forty Guns (1957)
The Crimson Kimono (1959)
Underworld U.S.A. (1961)
Shock Corridor (1963)
The Naked Kiss (1964)
And I've also seen The Big Red One. Just cut and pasted all of those titles because I actually couldn't remember.
Pickup on South Street (1953)
Hell and High Water (1954)
House of Bamboo (1955)
Forty Guns (1957)
The Crimson Kimono (1959)
Underworld U.S.A. (1961)
Shock Corridor (1963)
The Naked Kiss (1964)
And I've also seen The Big Red One. Just cut and pasted all of those titles because I actually couldn't remember.
Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
You need to see The Steel Helmet. That was my starting point with him. Gene Evans is superb.
I haven't seen Hell and High Water or The Crimson Kimono. What did you think? House of Bamboo didn't grab me and I lost interest pretty quickly - which is odd as I tend to enjoy anything with Robert Ryan. Maybe one day I'll get back to it. Of those you listed that I've watched, Pickup on South Street was the best.
I agree about his stuff being mostly b-level. And I don't mean that as a knock on b pics, just that he clearly didn't have the Hollywood swagger needed to get proper funding.
I haven't seen Hell and High Water or The Crimson Kimono. What did you think? House of Bamboo didn't grab me and I lost interest pretty quickly - which is odd as I tend to enjoy anything with Robert Ryan. Maybe one day I'll get back to it. Of those you listed that I've watched, Pickup on South Street was the best.
I agree about his stuff being mostly b-level. And I don't mean that as a knock on b pics, just that he clearly didn't have the Hollywood swagger needed to get proper funding.
- Matt Wilson
- Psychedelic Cowpunk
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
Hell and High Water was OK, Crimson Kimono was better. I reviewed all of those films on this very thread I think. I'd agree that Pickup on South Street is his best, though many speak highly of the extended cut of The Big Red One, which I haven't seen yet. Fuller almost reminds me of Peckinpah, just not as good.
Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
This thread is way too long for me to go back and look for the reviews, but I appreciate your thoughts.
I've watched all of Peckinpah's most acclaimed, well-known films and I gotta say, Fuller's stuff is far more interesting to me. If I was to compare him to another director, it would probably be William Wellman.
I've watched all of Peckinpah's most acclaimed, well-known films and I gotta say, Fuller's stuff is far more interesting to me. If I was to compare him to another director, it would probably be William Wellman.
Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
One of the benefits of being an occasional insomniac is the opportunity to catch a Sam Fuller film at 2 AM on TV.
This felt like a vehicle to showcase 20th century Fox's Cinemascope process, stereophonic sound and Bella Darvi - a Darryl & Virginia Zanuck pet project supposedly meant to be the next Ingrid Bergman - described by Widmark's Capt. Jones as "a child prodigy with a body by Fisher."
Widmark is enjoyable enough, but he isn't given much to work with in terms of script. The dialogue is pulpy as one would expect from Fuller, and there are some brief moments of tension with the submarines playing hide & seek.
A couple of Fuller regulars are found here: an unfortunately underused Gene Evans & Richard Loo - pretty sure I saw Richard Monahan in there as well (Pvt. Baldy from The Steel Helmet).
I would recommend this to hardcore fans of Widmark, Fuller, and people with nothing better to do in the wee hours, but it isn't anything memorable.
ETA: that was Neyle Morrow I saw, not Monahan.
- Matt Wilson
- Psychedelic Cowpunk
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Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
You saw that on TV, did they even show it in widescreen?
Re: Return of the RECENT VIEWING
It was on FX Movie (formerly Fox Movie Channel). Like TCM, they are good about showing films uncut, commercial free and in the proper aspect ratio - no doofus telling you about the film before & after, though.