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gerry159
Reviews
Blood and Sand (1941)
Three great beauties of the Golden Age.
I give the 1941 film, Blood and Sand, 10 stars because 20th Century Fox had the nerve to pit Linda Darnell against Rita Hayworth against Tyrone Power. WOW! What a combination. And now only do we get to turn into jelly over these three great beauties but also get handsome technicolor and a very good script, as well. Yes, I suppose to some dullards the first 30 minuties might seem slow going but that is only to flesh out the later story when the handsome Power graces the screen. I won't go into the story of Blood and Sand because all on the board know the story and my comments are all about beauty. Today, here in the 21st Century it would be hard pressed to try to come up with a trio of today's actors that might hold a candle to Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell and the gorgeous Rita Hayworth, let's face it film goers, that would be impossible. Why? Because in the Golden Age beauty was an essential feature for it's stars. Errol Flynn, Robert Taylor, and of course the extremely handsome Tyrone Power didn't have to act, just be. Regardless of this fact Mr Power did come through his acting with a great skill. Sure he might have been a tad too old to be Larry in The Razor's Edge, but I still love his acting in that film even if he could never attain the beauty he showed in Blood and Sand. Lament the Golden Age of film only because today's films don't seem to care for screen beauty. Onlny two actors come to mind right now, Matt Damon who is not a beauty but is not an eyesore either and Russell Crowe who has to loose a lot of flab first, then he might just pass as a screen beauty. Thank goodness Fox made Blood and Sand showing us three of the screens great beauties.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Long Live James Bond, The King is Dead
I suppose that some posters don't know that Ian Fleming put his own exploits into his novels which were bought to the screen, TV and later introduced Sean Connery who at once became the epitome of James Bond, 007. Well, as we know that was some time ago and now the James Bond series is the most profitable in screen history. Once upon a time we looked at Bond as being the cooliest man to grace the screen. He was handsome, smart, intelligent, was authorized to carry a gun and the women simply dropped their knickers when he looked their way or just said his name. O K, now we come to this latest Bond outing Quantum of Solace a film that was not thought out and was completely messed up by the director and his second team. The plot was just too hard to follow and make matters worse, you didn't even care. All we saw was countless chase sequences that were too violent to be real, Judy Dench looking her age and saying stupid things and Daniel Craig looking like a hunk that you took home on Saturday night and certainly not like James Bond. All in all, I was very disappointed in this outing and hope and pray that the producers go back to the drawing board and give us a worthy Bond movie. This one stunk!
Step Brothers (2008)
Funny, yes, but I think the actors were telling more
The only film I've seen Will Ferrell in was The Producers and I wasn't too bold over then. However, I did see Step Brothers on a PPV channel and laughed a lot! Still, what I saw was all that confrontation was really foreplay, those guys were making out. With each other. Sure, females were introduced into the plot but that didn't disguise the fact that The Step Brothers were physically attracted to each other. It was like seeing love. A very romantic film. Myself, I enjoyed the potty language and the crude jokes, again, I think the actors were displaying, maybe unconsciously things about themselves, but who really cared. All in all I liked The Stepbrothers and it was funny to see 40 year old men acting so silly.
Gladiator (2000)
One thing sure, Spartacus is no Gladiator
I've read quite a few post comparing Gladiator to that old bore Spartacus and there is no comparison.Once I had Spartacus in my collection but knew I had it there because it was suppose to be one of the "great" ones. One day I gave it away without regret. All I could think of was that I didn't have to look at Kirk Doulgas's 50's hair cut or watch his contorted grimace.As for Gladiator, we watched it just the other night and I forgot just how good that film is. There aren't too many screen actors that can be on the screen and you can imagine them leading an army or hoard of men with their strong wills, courage, and personality, Crowe has this screen charisma. Errol Flynn had this and the list is very short, no, not even Mel Gibson did it in Braveheart. Anyway, Ridley Scott and the screenwriters, special effects people and a list of actors that could not be improved upon to give us almost three hours of grand entertainment. N Nothing compares to Gladiator. A movie for the ages.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
I've Been Had!!!
We all make decisions and have to live with them be them good or bad. I bougth the movie No Country for Old Men sight unseen. One of the reasons, I have to admit, is because it was written and directed by the Coen Bro. I like their output. And secondly by all the positive reviews from a raft of film critics. And the awards being heaped on the film. All of this led me to believe that I would be purchasing one of the Coen's gems. I was mistaken. For me the film sucks. Big time. All that blood and bodies and in the end nothing to show for it. Just the homicidal manic walking away from the scene of his latest murder. And when Tommy Lee Jones rambled his esoteric poem and the movie ended I was flabbergasted. This the second time a trash movie has been given the Academy Award, the first being the God awful The Departed. Makes one wonder is this what Hollywood is coming to. Once the Academy Award meant something but to keep giving the Best Picture to trash makes me not wanting to watch the awards altogether. In the end I still blame myself, I should have checked with IMDb in the first place.
I Am Legend (2007)
I Am Legend, a worthy look
I liked the movie I Am Legend. I like Will Smith in it. Mr Smith has movie goers either liking him or hating him. I like him. No, I haven't all his movies but the few that I do own I like a lot, and I have just added this movie to my collection. This treatment of the story reminded me a lot of 28 Days Later with a dash of The Postman and just a whiff of I, Robot. I thought that the narrative went smoothly and some of Smith's acting transcended the story, especially when he had to put down his beloved dog. I Am Legen is not a great movie but it is an entertaining one and most certainly is worth anyone's time. Some complained about the ending but one has to remember that the character was overwhelmed and new that the end was inevitable. I had no problem with it. Also, some groused that the cannibals weren't scary enough, now that really is nit picking, I thought they should look just as they looked. All in all, I liked the movie a lot and am glad I own a copy. I do not "rent" movies.
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Food. Where was the food
Live Free or Die Hard is an intense action film and the 52 year old Bruce Willis does some extraordinary stunts, stunts that would floor your average 52 year old cop. But when his side kick complained that he had low blood sugar and needed food, even mentioning a fast food place in sight, they didn't stop. Now all this frenetic action takes loads of energy and fuel but our hero and his charge never stopped to eat, to replenish their souls and bodies. Yes, there were over the top action sequences and that's why I wondered whey they got all that energy. I like action movies, I have dozens of them and like them for their over the top action but I still want some kind of reality in them, hence, the food. I remember that even my hero, Sean Connery, in The Rock, mentioned that he just might be too old for all the foolishness they were asking him to do, I liked that touch because it showed him as being human, Willis and his antics were super human and didn't fit the body of a 52 year old cop. Still, I wanted Live Free or Die Hard for my collection and will probably watch it a couple of times. I did find it intense. And that's what these action movies are all about, aren't they?
The Bourne Identity (1988)
WOW! I really enjoyed this movie
Last night I was pleasantly surprised and saw the TV version of The Bourne Idendtity starring Richard Chamberlain and Jaclyn Smith and I found it very intense and thrilling. Yes, I have the Bourne Trilogy which I like a lot because it stars Matt Damon and I'm a big fan of his. After seeing the TV version I can see that Damon is a little too young for Bourne but they did bring the story forward to suit the star and that's all right, too. But I sure won't knock the TV version as I would think that Chamberlain was closer to the age that Bourne should be. As to comparing a movie or TV to a book is not feasible 'cause we're talking about two different mediums. I'm happy with both versions and plan to watch the TV version again. It stands the test of time.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind. A brilliantly made film, but a fraud
I wonder why it's O.K. to laud some pictures that are suppose to be made from fact and condemn others. A Beautiful Mind is a movie based on a real person but the film changed him and his wife and no one seemed to mind. Denzel Washington played Hurricane Carter in his film, The Hurricane, and the film was blasted by critics because the screen writer had to take some "creative liberties" in telling the story. Murder in the First, the story based on Henri Young's prison time at Alcatraz was also lamblasted because of "creative libertes." Murder in the First did poorly at the box office because of certain film critics let it be known that it took such liberities. Yet these same critics shouted Hosannas over A Beautiful Mind deliberately over looking the "facts" that the main character was homosexual and that his wife was a Spanish woman. And to add insult to injury, the actress playing his wife won an Academy Award. Several Spanish actresses commented that how little roles came their way and that this role would have been just what was needed. Sure, some readers will probably say "so, what."! it was the story that counted. And that would be true except that it was not the real story about the genius. What with Ron Howard one would expect nothing less than him changing the wife to a white woman. All in all, A Beautiful Mind might have been an Academy Award picture but it's pure fraud. But that's Hollywood and American critics for you. I hope some viewers will see this in it's true light.
Titanic (1997)
Titanic sinks !
I've read a few comments about this version of Titanic and most comments seem to be written by 20 or 30 somethings who probably don't know the first thing about the real sinking of the Titanic. One comment said that he was in his thirties and that he was taken away by the fictional story intertwined with "actual" facts. Not true. The Titanic did not break in two as seen in this fantasy and the director simply ignored the fact that the Californian was only 10 miles away from the Titanic. So the "actual" facts were skewered. Secondly, at that time in history no one in steerage would be allowed to mingle with first class passengers and the young girl's background would have never allowed her to go against her mother's wishes. What seemed to have made the movie a smashing success is that Cameron did what Margret Mitchell did in Gone With The Wind, he took a modern girl and thrust her into an earlier society, and the teens - especially young impressionable girls - were carried away by the simple minded story. It would seem that most girls want to be ******* in the back seat of a car by the town "bad" boy. Finally, unlike the 30 something man who thought that Cameron had succeeded in the second half of the sinking, I "never" once thought that these people were on the Titanic, just a large ship. I have to admit that I too have seen thousands of movies and the only time I was carried away by the sinking of Titanic was the 1959 version called A Night To Remember based on an "actual" account of the tragedy by an eye witness,Lord Walter Lord. But, alas, any of these viewers would call that film a documentary, a dry word indeed. Heck, even the Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck version seemed closer to the sinking that this over blown version. I know I'm alone in this but it's hard to get through the first five minutes of this tripe without wanting to stop the viewing. My teen aged daughters worship this and I understand why. This version is for children.
Casino Royale (2006)
The verdict is in. Bond is dead, long live James Bond
I stand alone in this. But Casino Royale sucked! The very first sequence went on waaaay too long even for two superb human specimen. They couldn't have lasted. At first I thought I was watching Terminator 2 what with James Bond running like the metalic robot then just as I thought that I'd seen it all I thought wouldn't it be hilarious if Bond burst through on of these walls and presto a pure imitation of Arnold Shawarzenegger, then finally the absurd tip toeing across the beams high up in the air. I thought, if this is how this movie is going to be I'm in for a looong a bumpy night. And it was. But surprises of surprises Judy Dench summed it all up quite quickly when she said "any thug can do that." How right she was. The Casino scene with the cards only reminded me of a teen flix I once saw called If Looks Could Kill. It was done much better. I have all the James Bond movies including Never Say Never Again and although I bought this travesty it was only to include all! the James Bonds. As noted by most posters this James Bond is most certainly a winner even if the whole movie was an ordeal for me. I wondered if Barbara Broccoli has heard of the Clive Cussler NUMA books it seems that if she really wanted to make tons of money that would be the way to go. Sure, the NUMA books require a hugebudget and top notch production but if I were to invest in a franchise that's what I'd do. Forget SAHARA, a real mistake but remember that the Bond series went through several changes before becoming the most successful series in movie history. For me, well, I have all the James Bonds movies I want and will close the book on the the series. I see where Craig has made a movie outside of his bond role, that would never have happened before. Perhaps it's telling us something. Goodby Bond. It was a great ride.
Breach (2007)
Solid Thriller, wrong actors
After reading the excellent reviews here on IMDb I finally got to see Breach last night. I won't go into the plot line as it has been reviewed here many times. My comment is about the actors. Since the beginning of "movies" casting has always been a major factor in getting the public to buy tickets to see the offerings. Many a film has failed at the box office because of casting. Breach suffers from this. Sure, Chris Cooper is a main reason to see any film he's in, he's reliable and knows acting. But he is not a Star. Breach has an excellent story and a taunt screenplay but probably did not too well at the box office. And I had heard Ryan Phillipe's name but had never seen the young actor 'till Breach. He was too light weight for the role. Finally, while watching Mr Phillipe I kept thinking Matt Damon. Mr Damon had already essayed this kind of role in John Ghrisham's The RainMaker so I don't think he would have jumped at this role anyway. And a marquee name for the lead should have been Alec Baldwin. Again, I'm not taking anything away from Mr Cooper, he was excellent but simply not a movie marquee attraction. And that's too bad because this movie deserved a wider audience than it got. One of the nice things about IMDb is that we get to read what ordinary people think about the movies that are available. And that's what got me to see this excellent film. I'm giving this a 6 out of 10 because of the casting. I like it.
A Star Is Born (1954)
A Star is Born. Kaput!
I Saw the Judy Garland film, A Star is Born, at the Chicago Theater when it first opened. Now at that time the Chicago Theater also had a vaudeville act or big band or even a popular singer at the time headlining the bill but when A Star is Born opened it was a stand alone picture and I guess that really threw audiences there. And yes, I saw the original screen time version which ran over 3 hours. Although I liked some of the story even I could see that the film was just too long and let's face it folks, Garland was not a great an actress, singer par excellence but her over acting got on one's nerves. The very next week the theater, and Warner Bros. shortened the film and a headliner was brought on stage and the theater had a solid booking. Also, Miss Garland was giving Warner Bros. a fair-thee well in the ego department and a film that should have wrapped in a month dragged on what must have seemed interminable to the studio. Warner Bros. cut off funding and Garland and Sid Luft had to finish the movie using their own money. Even that didn't stop Garland from misbehaving and it was known that Mason claimed that he could care less about her antics as he was making enough money from the film to actually retire, which of course he didn't. When the movie was finally finished and ready for release it was learned that Garland was nominated for an Academy Award but Warner Bros. could care less and let it be known that the studio would not be backing Miss Garland on this, also, the three picture deal that Luft had got vanished when Garland showed that she was more royalty than a committed player. Even when Warners gave the green light to cut the film the studio didn't care because it could show the loss on it's books but Garland and Luft might suffer. The film came in in the black so the Luft's didn't suffer too much but losing the three picture deal sealed Judy's fate in Hollywood, no studio would hire her, she was too deemed too unpredictable. Still, it's nice to see and hear her belt out The Man That Got Away and the other songs from this flawed masterpiece. It's worth a look every now and then, but just the first two hours.
Kings Row (1942)
My two cent's worth
Considering the many characters in Henry Bellamanns novel Kings Row, it's actually amazing that Warner Bros. screen writers came up with an extremely intelligent version. And a lot that happened in the book , at that time simply could not be brought to the screen or the film would have turned into Gone With The Wind. In the opening scene where the school children are making sport of a "dim-witted" student - and it is a fleeting moment on screen - the character was richly drawn in the novel. Payton Graves only gets his name on a sign where in the book he was very much a part of Kings Row. I point these things out because Casey Robinson and Warner Bros. really did take great pains to bring to the screen the sprawling novel. And they did it up brown. Many reviewers here decry the performance of Robert Commings as being weak but I always thought that he played Parris Mitchell as written in the novel. I didn't know that Warners wanted Tyrone Power for the Mitchell part and I think he would have added just what the screen play needed but FOX was keeping their star busy with swash-buckling, technicolor roles then and didn't need any help from Warner Bros, besides Fox was wary after they loaned Power to MGM for Marie Antoniette and MGM under used him. After that Fox vowed never to loan him out again. Anyway, I just watched Kings Row and find that it is still intense and my emotions are wrung dry. When I became older I had a chance to read Kings Row and it really opened my eyes to what was really going on in that town. Payton Place looks like school playground compared to Kings Row. After reading the book I wanted to pattern my life after Parris Mitchell and then later on after Larry in The Razor's Edge and finally in collage after the idealistic young protagonist in The Fountainhead. Alas, I reached none of those goals and just settled into an ordinary life. Anyway, Kings Row is a kind of masterpiece of a kind.
Casino (1995)
Entertaining but certainly not great
I just watched Casino again. I forgot how long it was. The reason I watched it again is because I remembered that I liked Robert De Niro's wardrobe. No, just his shirt and tie ensemble. Different colors but with his rugged complextion he carried them off beautifully. And he was dressed impeccably. Sharon Stone was also dressed to the nines. And their spacious and sprawling home was to die for. Joe Pesci looked like he had a face lift. I wonder? But I love seeing movies about American gangsters and especially about "the mob" and this one lived up to it's theme. So far none can reach The Godfather level but it's always nice to see some try. Those shirts and tie combination. Wow!
Topsy-Turvy (1999)
Is it really that long?
I saw Topsy Turvy at it's opening and knew then that I would be buying the DVD. Well, I do have the DVD and have watched it several times, marveling at the interior decorations, the myriad colorful costumes, and of course the making of The Makido. Our family "heard" The Makido on radio long before T.V. and it made an impression on me then. But I never got to see a version on the stage of that witty and funny operetta and have to be satisfied with the snippets of it in this wonderful film. But while reading some of the comments here it never occurred to me that Topsy Turvy ran over two and one half hours. I just never noticed. It ended too soon for me. It's grand entertainment, all round, sumptuous to look at and glorious to hear. Two and a half hours, well, I'll be......
Of Human Bondage (1964)
The best of the Three
Bette Davis wanted to prove herself to herself and to her studio when she begged Jack Warner to let her go to RKO to work with Leslie Howard in this ground breaking movie. Ground breaking because no Hollywood Star had quite played such a role, the role of a slattern, ignorant, will full, and cruel woman, and Davis, seeing what could be done played her part to the hilt, a real scandal erupted around Hollywood when Miss Bette Davis was not on the 1934 Academy Award and at the Warner Bros. lot actress Joan Blondell and husband Dick Powell fought so hard and yelled so loudly at the award members that a "write in vote' was permitted for Davis. Claudette Colbert won the award for It Happened One Night. And as for poor Eleanor Parker, well, Warner Bros. did by the property from RKO and wanted to promote Ms. Parker and gave her the part of Mildred. The wardrobe dept must have been given specific orders to make Eleanor look as much like Ingrid Bergman did in Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde that it was a huge distraction from her performance and the screenplay was nothing more than adequate. Finally the Kim Novak version of Maugham's Of Human Bondage turned out to be the best of the lot. Ms. Novak was always given short shrift from the critics all through her career but I thought she essayed this role to perfection. Also, never a fan of Lawrence Harvey I thought that he was somehow right for this role as well. The music helped. A lot! From the statue of The Lovers to the very end always leaves me with a lump in the throat. This isn't a great story to begin with so that Ms. Novak and Mr Harvey could bring the characters to life is a major event. I would give it an 8 out of 10.
The Razor's Edge (1946)
Better late than never
I have to give the 1946 version of The Razor's Edge a ten. One, because I think it deserves a ten and second, because of nostalgia. I was a teen when the book came out and I read it and began fashioning myself after Larry forsaking completely Paris Mitchell from King's Row. Ah,fickle youth. Anyway, I still think that this version holds up remarkably well after all these years. And I view it occasionally just to enjoy it and the wonderful way that Edmond Goulding moves the character around and his handling of the crowd scenes. Very well done.
Although Gene Tierney had a full and varied career in movies her Isobel is my favorite. She outdoes herself and her role in Leave Her to Heaven pales in comparison. I don't know if many know that Eliot Templeton was closer to the author Somerset Maugham in temperament who was partial to lemon yellow slacks,fusha and mauve, and flowing scarfs, he always said that Herbert Marshall gave him class. He liked that view. Mr Marshall essayed Maugham in The Moon and Six Pence. But one thing is sure, Mr Maugham sure could spin a yarn and he is surly missed. As for Mr Power, it's true that his producer wanted to "pull all the stops out" for his return to the screen and The Razor's Edge is just the right vehicle for Mr Power, he really did want to expand into something other than a pretty face, at least he knew that he couldn't do this forever and his role in Nightmare Alley proved it. Unfortunately, Mr Power was diagnosed with something fatal but refused to hear what it was, he said that he'd just rather live and then let death come when it would come. The actor was serious about wanting to break away from swashbuckling roles and we were fortunate to see and Agnes Moorhead, Charles Laughton, and Charles Boyer in the reading from John Brown's Body. We were thrilled by that reading, and my opinion of Mr Power increased ten fold. Anne Baxter did a damned good job as Sophie and considering the time (1945) she essayed her character very well. Some viewers seem to think that Mr Power was too wooden in this part, I don't think so, you could see through his eyes what he was thinking. All in all, this is among my favorite moves. I hope it's found it's way into your film library. Also, I don't think that there are any Spoilers here but if they are forgive me.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Sour Grapes, Gerry, sour grapes
I hope I don't get too many responses to my diatribe, but here goes. The only reason I have a copy of the film Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is because I lost my copy of the recorded play starring Ute Hagan. My main beef about the film is that martha is a 52 year old woman and George is 46. That very fact says volumes as to why these two people would treat each other this way and say the things that they say to one another. Elizabeth Taylor is just too young to play Martha and I've always found her performance over-reaching. Burton is of course always brilliant and could play George at any age and still make him believable. There is a scene where Burton does not have any dialog and all you see his the back of his sweater, but there is so much emotion in that scene that you know you are in the presence of great acting. Back to the age situation. George and Martha have been playing at this for years and with the diluting of the ages for the screen only makes the characters yelling at each other uncomfortable, and you wonder why would they stay with each other when both are young enough to find other mates. Anyway, Albee's dialog is worth the price of owing the movie. Now, if only some smart director would film the Kathleen Turner's stage version then we might have a Martha we could really cheer for. P.S. Elizabeth Taylor is one of my very favorite actress so I could never put her down completely. I just don't see her as Martha. Sad, sad, sad.
The Good Shepherd (2006)
Brilliant!
My goodness. Some of the posters here think that their writing for the New York Times as film reviewers and critics. My post is not that lofty. I just think that The Good Shepherd is one of the best movies I've seen in some time. And what the majors are showing these days, Spider Man 2, Shrek 3, and the Treasure movies, well it's no wonder that some of us drool and act like idiots when we finally see something worth while. An Intelligent movie for grown ups. Some complain that The Good Shepherd is too long, too meandering, and in need of a good editor, well, I didn't see any of that. I thought the story was just right, the length perfect and the casting spot on!. Especially Matt Damon. Coppola used him well in John Grisham's The Rainmaker and he was well suited for Syriana as well as in the abominable The Departed. The actor has been called upon by most of the top directors of the day. And he delivers. I thought his height and stature was absolutely right for his role in The Good Shepherd and wondered just how much tea the actor had to consume while playing in certain scenes. Some complain about Angelina Jolie and thought she was not cast right or that her role was underwritten, again, I can't say enough about the screenplay, the writer did just fine in all departments. The WASP quality only showed what will happen when Orwell's 1984 meet Huxley's Brave New World, these men - and the lads from Duke University - will be the deal makers of the new USA and the rest of us will just have to listen to our i-pods. And Robert De Niro's directing was well done. Just the right length to tell this wonderful screenplay. So, you can see I couldn't make a professional movie critic but I just know what I like and was most satisfied viweing The Good Shepherd. Again, and again, and......
All About Eve (1950)
All About Bette
**************this might contain spoilers**********************
The movie Perfect Stranger opened today and as many critic noted the script was not up to standard. But then again one is always reading how today's script's just don't cut it. And one wonders why? Surly today's directors can draw upon previous movie scripts if no more than to see how well they are constructed. And no script was more in it's craft that Joseph L. Mankiewicz's All About Eve. I could also point out Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity and a few others but All About Eve is one one Mankiewicz's best, along with A Letter to Three Wives and the charming People Will Talk. But, as many a poster knows All About Eve garnered 14 academy award nominations, winning 6. Bette Davis was robbed! Sure, Gloria Swanson was dazzling in Sunset Boulevard but she didn't have the competition Miss Davis had in All About Eve. There was Anne Baxter reprising a similar role she played in the 1944 film Guest in the House. And George Sanders playing a variation of his role in The Picture of Dorian Gray. I think the academy members gave him his award for his magnificent body of work. His award was well deserved. But miss Baxter couldn't hold a candle to Miss Davis who essayed her role in 14 days. And out of sequence. The first scene filmed for the movie was Miss Davis encountering Addison De Witt in the lobby of the theatre. The producers could only get the theatre for a certain time not on it's schedule so did what it had to do. Film that scene. The interior of the theatre scene was filmed at a later date. Many people don't know that Hollywood is a very small town. And the academy award members is not a large body at all, maybe a little over two thousand. But at that time the members had long memories and since Miss Davis was no longer Queen of Hollywood let alone under a contract to a major studio they knew they had no allegiance to her. She had stepped on too many academy members toes, and some still felt the sting. Gloria Swanson, well, she just came out of retirement for this one film and so they felt no allegiance to her, either. Neither studio backed the two stars. And the award went to Judy Holliday for a very boring movie called Born Yesterday. A role that Miss Holliday had performed on Broadway many many time. It's hard to watch Born Yesterday today and you really wonder why the members didn't give the academy award to Miss Davis. All About Eve is a timeless movie, a classic and a gem and the towering performance in the entire film is by Bette Davis. To go further in the case of vendetta, the members did give Katherine Hepburn an award for her unforgettable performance in The Lion in Winter but to make sure Davis couldn't catch Hepburn she got another award for the insipid Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, a role not worthy of an academy award. Still, Miss Davis somehow comes out a true winner when all one has to do is to watch All About Eve. We are her academy award.
King Kong (1933)
Another country heard from
When I was a young boy movies were the only outlet for us on Sundays. We had football, baseball, hockey, ice skating and other outdoor sports but "going to the movies" beat out a lot of things. And that was before black and white T.V's let alone vcr's and beyond. So when we announced to mother that we wanted to see King Kong she balked. Not only was it playing at a movie house not in our neighborhood but her main concern was the subject matter. Heck, she even allowed us to see Waterloo Bridge but when a lady friend asked her if she should let us go to see the film mother wisely said "they won't know what their looking at." Waterloo Bridge was about a dancer who turned to prostitution after she thought her lover was killed. Still mother was worried about our seeing King Kong, we wheedled and begged and promised to come "straight home" until she finally submitted. The matinée was packed with noisy but well behaved kids who was anticipating the start of the movie, needless to say the theater quited down when the film started and we as one were glued to the big screen. You are caught up in the adventures of King Kong and the crew and are enthralled up to the very end of the film. At that time in life when you bought a ticket to a movie house you could stay for one or several showings but of course we had to get home as mother knew the show times and we promised anyway. After showing just a small segment to the brass at RKO King Kong was given a budget of $500,000, a sizable amount in the middle of the Great Depression. It took over a year to complete because of the stop-action sequences that were crucial to it. The filming took so long that another movie was made at the same time using most of King Kong sets the movie was called The Most Dangerous Game, a gem in it's own right that has been filmed several times but not equaled the original. When King Kong was finally released it's final cost rose to $672,000 but grossed over $2 Million dollars during it's first release in 1933. The original King Kong is a cinema classic. It will live forever.
Tim (1979)
Tim
I saw Tim on television around the time it was released. I liked it then and like it now. Many have written their idea about the characters and Tim himself but I see the film as a real peon to love. If you look at the story it's all about love. Family love, love of brother and sister, love of husband and wife, the unique love of father and son and finally love between a man and a woman. And all this love is intermingled, like a tight clock with many springs. I was fascinated by how the watch works. The next time you watch this I hope you notice the many levels and subtleties of love that are offered. If you are a romantic, as I am, you'll love the movie Tim. P.S. I don't watch it too often because I don't want to wear out the wonders. It's that good.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Nice but not Academy Award material
*************this might contain spoilers**************** I want to get this down while it's still fresh. I liked The Devil Wears Prada. For a couple of hours you couldn't ask for a more entertaining movie. Merle Streep has gotten 'hold of a meaty part and exploits it for all it's worth. Somehow I was thinking of Jane Fonda who I think could have done it up brown but sadly, Fonda is not a money screen name anymore. Some think that Streep should win some kind of award, I don't. Sure, it's a good role and she knows it and does justice to her part but Acadamy Award caliber, no. Now, if you want to talk awards, I thought that Ann Hathaway was terrific and she held her own against Streep. Many thought that the "career girl" whose name I can't remember was outstanding, I thought she was goo, too, but not outstanding. Getting back to Hathaway, she reminded me a lot of the young Liza Minnelli, for some reason. I also liked Stanley Tucci although he always plays heavy's or butch types, he looked liked he was enjoying himself. What I did get to see was the great attention paid to the haute couture world that one did not get in Robert Altman's Ready To Wear film. And the last time I remember seeing a movie about a woman's fashion magazine was in Funny Face when Kay Thompson slamming the latest edition of her mag said to her staff " this doesn't speak to me and if it doesn't speak to me it doesn't speak to the women of the world." She also said " the women of the world is standing out there, naked, ready for me to tell her what to wear. But if she's gotta think, think pink!"
All in all I think it's nice to rent some evening. I liked the high production and the outreageous clothes that women seem to like.
Dreamgirls (2006)
Dreamgirls. What a dream of a movie
I got to see DREAMGIRLS, at last, and like everyone else thought it lived up to it's hype. Someone wrote a comment here that no one in the film "acted." I beg to differ. The acting was just fine, especially for a musical. I wonder if the fellow thought he was going to see A Streetcar Named Desire, or A Long Days Journey Into Night, or perhaps Strinberg's The Stronger. Also, if he didn't recognize that Jennifer Hudson's rendition of And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going was also a great piece of action that even Duse would have applauded then he really doesn't know "acting" when he sees it. Betty Grable, Judy Garland or even Barbara Striesand wasn't called upon to be great actresses in their musicals, just hit the marks and say the lines, or in their cases "sing' the line. The only Oscar nominated role in a musical went to Jean Hagen in Singin in the Rain and she wasn't even singing. Brilliant! The choreography was outstanding and probably brought a smile to Bob Fosse's face. And as expected the production value was high. Someone also observed that all the songs seemed the same, well, the show was written in the '80's commenting on songs and time of the 60's so that's understandable. Also a little nit picking. On the whole I thought it well worth the money and the time. As a San Francisco film critic observed DREAMGIRLS is a good movie brought to being an Event by Jennifer Hudson's heart wrenching And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going. Outstanding! I've given this a 10 mark. It deserves it.