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| mo_flixx |
 Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:58 am |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 12533
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mo_flixx wrote: bocce wrote: both ehle and i made repeated offers to distribute copies of two of the more hard to find films (for free). only melody, billy and ghulam responded. so if the issue is accessiblity, one needs to partake of what's offered before whining.
if the issue is consensus of choice, that has to be dealt with before a given forum takes off and those that ARE interested start to invest time and effort into it. not everyone is going to be enthusiastic about a given topic, but omission of one's opinion by silence also leaves little room for whining later.
moderation: i'll agree with marc that any sub-forum has to have an active and knowledgable moderator. who so volunteers must have the time and background on a given director or genre to keep the discussion flowing and at the same time lead it on to others when it gets stale.
so next time around perhaps we'll be more selective based on a lot of input across the board. and perhaps we can set up some type of distribution system for getting the material around. hell, it only costs $1.42 to media mail a video to anywhere in the continental US.
and, that said, i'll be willing to mail out my copy of "the sundowners" to anyone who promises to pass it on to one other person.
I responded TOO -- though I did respond late. I had just returned from a trip out of town. I didn't repeat my request because I didn't want to bother you again.
This is when I made my request. The snafu probably had to do with my being out of town.
As for movies on TV, I can only get the 3 networks, Fox, PBS (barely) and a religious channel. Cable is not available in my area, and I do not have a satellite dish.
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| Melody |
| Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:26 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 2242
Location: TX
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ehle64 wrote: Hopefully Melly Mel's DVD worked.
Indeed it did, Ehle, and I really enjoyed both the movie and the "bonus" tracks. (Morrissey with banjo ... who'da thunk it ... but it works!)
I never would have known this was Monty's first movie if y'all hadn't mentioned it. He's just freakin great, especially with the kid. And now to find out he wrote his own lines just bowls me over.
I have one major complaint: I needed a Monty reaction shot after the mother and child reunion. We viewers were robbed! The writers have carefully constructed such a close relationship between Monty and the kid, and even though we know it'll never happen, Monty doesn't know. A closeup of him kneeling there on the ground, watching his "son" slip away, would have worked the ol' tear ducts.
I could just slap Mr. Zinnemann silly. |
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My heart told my head: This time, no. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:28 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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| No, not on my computer, I do not even know how to use the CD. If you want to find out what went wrong, I can send the DVD back to you to examine. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 5:29 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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| Meanwhile, at least one of us--MOI--commented on The Search. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 8:46 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Upstate NY
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| ehle64 |
| Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 9:23 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: NYC; US&A
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billyweeds wrote: Meanwhile, at least one of us--MOI--commented on The Search.
Is the discussion over? I wanted to re-watch the movie and have been gone for over a week. I'll comment eventually. Shoot, I'll comment right now. One of my favorite moments in the movie is where Monty is trying to tell the boy that his Mother is with him always. The way he says the word, All Ways, was very touching. That's just off the top of my head, more later after the re-viewing. Oh yeah, Monty's absolutely friggin' gorge in The Search!!!
ghulam -- you do not have to send the DVD back to me, again I'm sorry I mailed you a coaster  |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2004 4:56 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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Monty's absolutely friggin' gorge in The Search!!! --ehle
I've never found Montgomery Clift particularly "gorge," but he does deliver a terrific perf in The Search which depends not a whit on his gorgeosity or lack of same. |
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| bocce |
| Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2004 9:09 am |
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Joined: 24 May 2004
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| i thought jarmila novotna as the mother also gave a nicely restrained performance in a role that could have easily gone over the top. she carries her weariness with grace and her concern without hysteria while at the same time showing great compassion in her work with the other displaced and orphaned kids. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 9:42 am |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
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| Are we starting our discussion of THE SUNDOWNERS today? Let me know. I'm ready to begin. |
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| Melody |
| Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 10:01 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: TX
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Yes, The Sundowners is this week.
This is our final scheduled Zinnemann film for this forum, folks. If there are others you'd like to throw into the pot that we didn't schedule for a week's discussion, now is the time. (Well, maybe a bit later in the week, following Sundowners.) |
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My heart told my head: This time, no. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 10:46 am |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
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Here's my take on THE SUNDOWNERS.
SPOILERS
It's another example of the Zinnemann oeuvre with a star-studded cast done in the epic style.
I was drawn especially to the gorgeous Australian scenery.
Robert Mitchum puts in a fine performance - I'm continually amazed at Mitchum's seemingly effortless approach to acting. He can "sell" just about any part with no mannerisms or affectations.
Deborah Kerr, in contrast, seems to have to work at portraying Mitchum's wife who's a tough, lusty kind of gal. Kerr can't quite bring it off - tho' I believe she was nominated for an Oscar for this role.
I felt the actor who plays their son was an example of one of those teens at an awkward age. I did not find him particularly attractive or appealing. I have no idea at all why he was cast.
There are lots of scenes (and we've discussed them before - FROM HERE TO ETERNITY) of men carousing in bars. I never thought I'd see this as a mark of Zinnemann, but these scenes do seem to run thru his work.
IMO the film is too long. I got the feeling we were seeing an 800-pg. book being put on the big screen. The secondary characters (Peter Ustinov, Glynnis Johns) never quite come off.
Much of the comedic touches seem labored.
Mitchum fits the theme of the Zinnemann protagonist who is the independent man living life according to his own set of ideals.
The ending of the film is a disappointment. I don't know how the book ends, but I felt the writers were at a loss here. It feels tacked on and inconclusive. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 11:02 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Upstate NY
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| Sundowners is probably the least cynical, most optimistic and least complicated of Zinnemann's movies. The family ties are strong, the cohesion among coworkers is positive and the people on the whole are having a good time, enjoying themselves, in spite of several hardships. It is somewhat like a John Ford movie, in that it has a vast vista, the pace is leisurely and the place is one of the stars of the movie. Every outdoor scene seems to show some kangaroos or emus, more so than any other movie set in Australia that I have seen. Deborah Kerr is most at ease in this movie, and Robert Mitchum least woody. The movie was criticized for being too long and at times repetitive, but I did not have any problem with it in that area. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 11:37 am |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
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Ghulam wrote: Sundowners is probably the least cynical, most optimistic and least complicated of Zinnemann's movies. The family ties are strong, the cohesion among coworkers is positive and the people on the whole are having a good time, enjoying themselves, in spite of several hardships. It is somewhat like a John Ford movie, in that it has a vast vista, the pace is leisurely and the place is one of the stars of the movie. Every outdoor scene seems to show some kangaroos or emus, more so than any other movie set in Australia that I have seen. Deborah Kerr is most at ease in this movie, and Robert Mitchum least woody. The movie was criticized for being too long and at times repetitive, but I did not have any problem with it in that area.
I also noticed the John Ford ambiance. Didn't agree about Kerr, tho'. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 12:52 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Upstate NY
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| Mo, I too felt that the Peter Ustinov character was poorly drawn, and Mr Ustinov seemed to be somewhat at a loss as to what to make of the character. |
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| bocce |
| Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 2:06 pm |
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Joined: 24 May 2004
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ghulam...
i've got to disagree with you on ustinov. he played perfectly to type...his own signature role as the somewhat bumbling, slightly addled, but perfectly self indulgent and slyly self aware character he'd reprised countless times over from "quo vadis" and "spartacus" thru "we're no angels" and "topkapi" on to the poirot films.
i mentioned before that zinnemann almost always incorporates the character of a clown, a fool or some type of buffoon in his films. it's a very european plot device drawn from as far back as medieval mystery and miracle plays and, further yet, from greco roman theatre. while not a literal clown or fool nor necessarily added for comic relief, sometimes he assumes the role of the greek chorus but is always a contraposit to either a central character or theme.
i don't want to get to far into this as the pedantry would certainly bore the shit out of you. but try looking at ustinov in that capacity and see what you then think. |
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