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| carrobin |
 Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:43 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| Watching "Wait Until Dark" on TCM today, I was reminded what a well-plotted story it is. It must have been incredibly suspenseful onstage--when the blind heroine thinks she's killed all the lights and the villain can't see her, did people shout out "There's a light still on!"? It must have been irresistible to some viewers. Audrey Hepburn is perfect as the waiflike "champion blind lady," who manages to outwit and defeat three nefarious characters who are determined to find a doll full of heroin that was hidden in her apartment without her knowledge. Alan Arkin is great as the vicious leader, who kills his accomplices and comes after her, taking on three personas in the scheme--but not fooling her for long. His leap from the darkness is still a screamer, even when you were waiting for it to happen. Classic thriller. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 4:09 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Upstate NY
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Locke consists entirely of a man driving down to London in his BMW while dealing with multiple business and family crises on a no-hands car phone. Very engaging movie since it is focused on a successful, hard driving and conscientious man who stands to lose everything because of one past mistake. Tom Hardy's performance is very impressive.
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 9:59 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12921
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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In The Guv'nor (1935). George Arliss plays a tramp who is quite happy with that role, but whose name happens to be Francois Rothschild. When he unexpectedly gets a check from the Rothschild banking family (to get him out of jail for poaching), his friend Flit persuades him to cash the check and split the money, which, since the Guv'nor doesn't trust money, is very good to Flit. The Guv'nor early stopped by the Granville house and was treated with kindness by the daugher of the house (even while Flit was caught fishing in the family pond--hence the poaching charge). The chairman of the bank is after the Granville mine, which is supposedly played out, but he knows there's a huge new vein that is ready to be exploited. He sees a chance to use the the Rothschild name to prop up the bank and hide his own shenanigans. However an untimely lie makes the Guv'nor suspicious, and he accepts an offer to become President of the bank to expose the chairman and his accomplice.
Cute movie, with hints of the later My Man Godfrey and even Trading Places, and an amiable (perhaps too amiable) performance by Arliss. Also note that Arliss earlier starred in The House of Rothschild. Supporting performances are nice too, including Gene Gerrard as Flit and Viola Keats as the lovely Madeleine. Frank Cellier is the chief villain. You may come across this film as "Mister Hobo"--Netflix lists it that way while showing a thumbnail with the title "The Guv'nor." It's currently streaming there. (7.0 of 10) |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 10:49 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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carrobin wrote: Watching "Wait Until Dark" on TCM today, I was reminded what a well-plotted story it is. It must have been incredibly suspenseful onstage--when the blind heroine thinks she's killed all the lights and the villain can't see her, did people shout out "There's a light still on!"? It must have been irresistible to some viewers. Audrey Hepburn is perfect as the waiflike "champion blind lady," who manages to outwit and defeat three nefarious characters who are determined to find a doll full of heroin that was hidden in her apartment without her knowledge. Alan Arkin is great as the vicious leader, who kills his accomplices and comes after her, taking on three personas in the scheme--but not fooling her for long. His leap from the darkness is still a screamer, even when you were waiting for it to happen. Classic thriller.
It's the only Broadway show I ever saw five--count 'em, five--times. Yes, it was mainly due to Lee Remick in the lead (Robert Duvall, then all-but-unknown played the Arkin role). But it was uncanny how when Duvall leapt from the wings the audience screamed in unison and as if pre-programmed. The movie is fine, but the play--brillantly directed by the great Arthur Penn--was far, far better. And lovely as Audrey Hepburn is, Remick outplayed her in the role. Less fragile but more real, Remick made the role completely her own.
It was also the only time I've ever seen ALL the lights in a theater turned off. (With the exception of the EXIT signs, which I guess was a legal matter.) It was unbelievably scary in a way the movie could never replicate. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 10:53 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Revisited Sydney Pollack's 1981 newspaper thriller Absence of Malice, from a screenplay by news veteran Kurt Luedtke, and found it not only a wow, but also one of those rare movies that is legitimately ahead of its time. When it first opened, the film was roundly criticized by lemming-like reviewers for taking aim at the press and some of its amoral practices which the critics said "could not happen here." Particularly in the age of the internet and the 24-hour news cycle, we know it can and does happen--just about every day. Sally Field plays an ambitious reporter who hops on an engineered leak and writes a fact-challenged story which seriously and tragically affects the lives of some involved individuals. (I'm purposefully being ambiguous here in the hope that you'll catch this really terrific movie, for which Paul Newman and Melinda Dillon were nominated for Oscars.)
Dillon, in a small but crucial supporting role, is the most discreet of Actors Studio performers, using all of the studio techniques but making them organic and not in the least schticky. It's an education to see Dillon, who played Honey in the original Broadway cast of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and comparing her with Sandy Dennis, who played the role on screen. With due respect to Dennis, whose charm and charisma are undeniable, she habitually hammed it up. Not so Dillon, better known as the mom in A Christmas Story. Meanwhile FIeld and Newman are marvelous as well, and the recurring musical theme by the great Dave Grusin is fantastic. See this movie if you can! |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 11:11 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| TCM showed "Absence of Malice" last week (it was running Oscar-nominated films all month) and I started watching it, but I had seen it when it first came out (one of our film-class screenings) and was lured away by another show. Wish I'd watched it, because I liked it a lot, and it stayed with me longer than most of our screenings. And its rush-to-judgment theme is certainly more relevant than ever now. |
Last edited by carrobin on Mon Mar 02, 2015 11:12 am; edited 1 time in total |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 11:11 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 6916
Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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| No love for Wilford Brimley? |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 11:14 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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| Which is to say I've seen AoM a couple times and love it. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:10 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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whiskeypriest wrote: Which is to say I've seen AoM a couple times and love it.
The only thing about it I don't like is the very actory, show-offy performance by the usually fine Bob Balaban. His rubber-band schtick gets very old very fast. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 2:27 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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Fargo. I hadn't seen this for a long time, but as wonderful as I remembered. One thing I missed in previous viewings was Steve Buscemi's Carl wasn't supposed to be part of the deal Sheb and Jerry arranged; Peter Stomare was supposed to be the kidnapper. Which is why Carl is doomed to the woodchipper.
A couple of interesting things: The movie is 98 minutes long (amazing for all that happens) and Frances McDormand first appears roughly 35 minutes into the film. And dominates the film; the Academy Award is well deserved.
Ebert well explained the Mike Yamashita scene, but, you know, the movie doesn't explain it that well. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 7:12 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Syd wrote: FargoThe movie is 98 minutes long (amazing for all that happens) and Frances McDormand first appears roughly 35 minutes into the film. And dominates the film; the Academy Award is well deserved.
I agree that McDormand dominates the film, and that her Oscar was deserved. HOWEVER...
The supporting actor Oscar that went to Cuba Gooding, Jr. was definitely NOT deserved. If there was ever an Oscar travesty*, it was the non-win by the astonishing William H. Macy, whose Jerry is IMO the absolute equal of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. Interestingly, Macy has more screen time than McDormand. They have very few scenes together, but when they do act with each other the screen sizzles.
*And there have been many--including this year's Best Picture award, the victory of Patty Duke over Angela Lansbury in 1962, Jean Hagen losing to Gloria Grahame in 1952, etc., but none more egregious than the 1996 Gooding v. Macy race. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 10:22 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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billyweeds wrote: Interestingly, Macy has more screen time than McDormand. They have very few scenes together, but when they do act with each other the screen sizzles. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 10:22 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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| Preach it, Brother billy. Preach it! |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 10:23 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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Syd wrote: billyweeds wrote: Interestingly, Macy has more screen time than McDormand. They have very few scenes together, but when they do act with each other the screen sizzles. I believe it's a grand total of two. Which is two more than she has with Steve Buscemi. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 10:25 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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| You know what is a bigger Oscar travesty than Gooding over Macy? Fargo losing to what seemed to be six hours of sand. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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