Over the weekend, saw two films which I’d watched before, but missed the beginning or end (or both). First: “Taken From Me,” about a woman whose ex-husband gets her permission to take their son on vacation to Florida, when his real plans are to abduct the boy and take him to another country, then make all sorts of claims about what an unfit mother she is. The second movie was “The Elizabeth Smart Story,” which is the one where I missed the beginning (and, subsequently, lost interest). That’s why I made sure to watch it closely this time). I was reminded, the first time I watched, of a book I had read in which the villain said something similar (if not the exact line). Both films, I found, were pretty easy for me to follow the story line,and the portrayal of emotion was very realistic, not overly done.

"Hollow Man" (2000) with Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth Shue and Josh Brolin. The story sets the exposition of how a modern day invisible man is made and some bit of a story of the troubles it brings him. Done by Paul Verhoeven, master of modern cinematic techniques, there are few scenes without digital participation. The scenes of becoming in- and visible are quite stunning.

"Hollow Man 2" (2006) with Christian Slater, Peter Facinelli, Laura Regan is the direct to DVD sequel produced by Verhoeven. Once he figured out where costly effects were not required to tell the invisible man story, he put this together. It is a good story, with just enough visual effects added to convince the viewer of the activities of the unseen.

Also beginning in 2000 there was a Sci-Fi Channel series called "The Invisible Man" which ran for two seasons that relied on the same digital image manipulations (sans the gory transition phases) as the first Hollow Man. It was an amusing look at what a government agent may encounter using his abilities. In this vehicle it was played that the government saw not much advantage to the ability and relegated the operation to a backwater agency.

"The Sweet Smell of Success"

Wow. When Burt Lancaster plays a bad guy, he's bad all right. Tony Curtis is so slimy he glitters. This is a great movie, full of wonderful little touches. Great dialogue, slick wet city streets, all that texture that you only get with black and white. And a couple of thoroughly nasty human beings.

"Rock of Ages"

Whoops ... there went 90 minutes of my life I'll never get back . The music was a rather fun trip down memory lane and recalling that we really DID walk around with that much hair on our heads back then was worth a giggle, but the script was painfully bad and the love story just didn't feel right, at least not to me. And I refer to the love story between the two young singers, not the one between Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin (?). The latter coupling didn't feel right either, of course, but that was because they were both so annoying. It's pretty telling, and kinda scary, when the following statement sums up a movie being watched at my house: Tom Cruise was the best thing in it?! Ugh.

lol! (But surely the inclusion of Russell Brand was a tell-tale sign that it would be bad?)


"Still of the Night"

Oh, this film is so tantalising! One moment brilliant and intriguing, the next bizarrely boring and switch-offable. It's a psychological thriller, but really it's like a pale version of a Hitchcock film. It should have been a classic but something was wrong and I cannot decide what.

Perhaps it was Roy Scheider - he seemed a bit wooden. & The plot was a bit confused. It reminded me of a "choose your own adventure" story in that it was full of twists (great) but I felt that not all the twists and turns linked up with each other. Meryl Streep was her usual Meryl Streepness of good, even if a bit hammy at times.

All that said, I enjoyed it! Worth watching if there's nothing else on.


From wiki:

"---When Streep appeared on the Bravo talk show, "Watch What Happens Live," in August, 2012, host Andy Cohen asked her to “Name one bad film that you have made.” Streep replied, “Still of the Night.” “What was that about?” asked Cohen. Streep replied, “Never mind.”---"

Of course, if you are the fabulous Meryl Streep a "bad" film might be what anyone else would call an okay one.



Incidentally, following on from Mehaul's observation that Joe E Brown and William H Macy were separated at birth, Roy Scheider was born to play Groucho Marx!

"The Postman", one of Kevin Costner's post apocalyptic/dystopian self produced/directed/lead efforts. I think this may be one of his better ones since he emphasizes the minor characters a little more than in his other works. I was distraught when the credits didn't reveal the narrator/Hope Postman's identity. There was a good cameo performance from Peggy Lipton of "Mod Squad" fame. Giovani Rebisi is excellent portraying his obnoxious character. Horseman work played a big part in the successful presentation. The scenery of Northern Arizona through Southern Washington and Oregon is breathtaking at times (just remember that there was a lot of digital sky manipulation done.)
A propos to recent discussions about mass shootings is the segment of the movie where the Postman and Abby arrive at Bridge City and the Mayor, Tom Petty, tells them that Bridge City is a gun free city. Good idea but would have fallen prey to Bethlehem (Will Patton's evil General)'s artillery and superior fire power. No, a post WW3 world would need a well armed militia, IMHO.

Edit to add:
"The Man with the Golden Arm" dir: Otto Preminger, with Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Kim Novak, Arnold Stang and Darren McGavin. Remember Arnold Stang of the unusual face who did Chunky candy bar commercials and was the original voice of the Honey-nut Cheerios Bee? Sorry for the divert. This film starts as looking like an Alcoa (another Stang backed product) Theater TV presentation in the way the sets are lit and the scenery of Chicago is noticably a stage set. Once the acting of the cast begins in earnest you quickly dismiss those failings. The story rolls on with will he or won't he (Sinatra) do heroin)? Will he screw up his drumming audition? Will he catch his faking wife in her deceptions? Will he go back to dealing cards in back room poker games? Will life drag him back to being the jigsaw puzzle piece it has decided he should be? Can he kick the habits that have built to the climax? Tune in next week when Victor Borge hosts our cavalcade of European Stars in the next Alcoa Presents! Really, this film was a barrier breaker that even went to the courts to allow having it shown in theaters because of the drug use depicted! The Board of Standards had no qualms about the violence in refusing to accredit the film, just the drugs! The animated lead credits tableaux became a Preminger hallmark. Finally, continuing a minor theme in these postings, Doro Merande playing opposite Stang looks like Stang's twin sister (Oh the chuckles the casting crew must have had). Merande playing Vi is a Margaret Hamilton look alike too.

I just watched "French Postcards" again. What a treat. There is a Christmas scene where Valerie Quennessen goes on a double date (her and two guys) which leads to the "No, right door!" line of dialogue. And it is joyous to see how wonderfully Blanche Baker has aged through the years. And Paris...
Joy Noel.

I can think of a "bad" DDLewis movie. It's called "Stars and Bars". It's supposed to be a comedy (and it might be to folks in Georgia, but I confess I didn't get/wasn't aware of all the "inside jokes" when I watched it). Lewis wasn't "awful" particularly, but the movie was and I think there's a reason he never did comedy before or since lol

Last movie I watched? "Harvey", because I make a point of viewing it every December : ) (have it on VHS and DVD since we don't have a VHS machine anymore lol)

"Catwoman" Halle Berry, Benjamin Bratt and Sharon Stone, a cinematically well done presentation of an alternate version of the Catwoman myth. If anyone wants to see how a silk screen camera filter can make a woman look so much younger on screen just check out Sharon Stone's shots in this one (Note it was a need of the story though, I'm sure not her imperative, I speculate).

AND, THE 1st 3rd POSTING: "Harvey", which earned an Academy Award for Josephine Hull, a glimpse into another myth, this time of the Celtic origin Pooka (also see puca and pouque), a mischievous animal manifestation that can take many forms, a giant white rabbit in this case. If only we all, or at least more of us, were of the Elwood P. Dowd mien.

Edit to add: In researching Pooka I found that "Donnie Darko" is a tale wrapped around the Pooka existence myth. Have ordered a copy and will watch it soon I hope.

We went and saw "Looper" yesterday. It was good with a twist.

Mehaul: You're kinda "weird" like me (I mean that in the best way possible), so you'll probably enjoy Donnie Darko. The movie is pretty much left entirely up to the viewer's interpretation (I wish more of them would do so, rather than "preach" to me/the choir or beat me over the head with platitudes lol).

Been too busy with company/family over the last two weeks, so haven't watched anything lately except non-stop seasonal reruns of HBO/etc series (some of which I had missed previously, so it was nice to catch up on/make "sense" of shows like True Blood, Lost Girl, Boardwalk Empire, Band of Brothers et al)

The only "real" movie I watched that I hadn't seen before was "Nativity!" - a really hokey but surprisingly endearing movie about a British elementary school teacher and a Christmas play.

As for movies (at the theatre) that I'd LIKE to see is "The Hobbit". However, I'm disappointed because while it IS only one book, it is apparently going to be THREE movies. Wow, take a break Mr. Jackson. It's already starting to smell like Star Wars prequels. Sigh (because I LOVED the book) it should have been released as ONE movie, BEFORE the 3 that were released originally. I can't say how annoyed I was in the first film that you already knew who "Strider" was. And, if he had done them "in order, then my husband (who doesn't read much and certainly not Tolkien) wouldn't have assumed that the first movie in the series actually "ended" and wouldn't have stomped out of the theatre annoyed at wasting 3 hours of his time LOL

Gee, I could have written that sentence except changed the word "husband" to "mother"!

"State Fair" (1945) - Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, Vivian Blaine, Fay Bainter and Charles Winninger - A Rogers and Hammerstein product. What could be said to the deficit of one of their musicals? A bit of USA State Fair background if someone watches this who is unfamiliar with the event: Most State Fairs are run by counties in each state (meaning a state with 50 counties might have 50 state fairs); They are for exhibiting farm products usually (produce, livestock, arts and crafts, cooking recipes, hobbies and other regional society interests) and give awards based on decisions by learned judges; There is usually a Carnival of rides and amusements that set up adjacent to the fair (a reason the fair dates are staggered by agreement to allow the carnies to move from venue to venue). Now when you hear the opening song's lyrics of "Our State Fair is the best State Fair in our State" you might understand the expectations that came with the arrival of the Fair dates (most often in the fall harvest season). I just loved that the state of Iowa is pronounced Eye-owe-way rather than Eye-owe-wah (do the locals actually use that pronunciation?) as the theme in one of the songs.

I've been watching quite a bit of Dana Andrews in the last year or so - I can't decide if he's a good actor, or if I just kinda like the movies he's in.

I know exactly what you mean!

"A Boy and His Dog" (1975)
Don Johnson, Susanne Benton, Tiger, Tim McIntire, Jason Robards, Jr.
A wonderful telling of several connected short stories authored by Harlan Ellison. It covers a few days in the life of young man scratching out an existence in a surrealistic, post-apocalyptic, dystopian world brought about by the five minute WW-IV. He relies on telepathically communicating with a dog who was a result of some parapsych... well that's giving too much away. You have to research the books/stories to find out how they got that way. It is just a given you must accept as part of the tale. For all you Hannibal L fans out there, it has a delicious ending! If you've enjoyed Mark Hamill's "Slipstream" (1989) or Sandahl Bergman's "She" (1982) versions of strange futures, you might enjoy this one.

Edit to add: My DVD had a mix-up of the audio sync. The sound precedes the motion by a good half-second. Maybe other copies are fixed but I found it added to the disfunction of the world being depicted, as if the Nuclear War had effected the speed of sound somehow.

"The Big Red One" from 1980. Pretty good WWII movie - I betcha Spielberg watched this before filming "Saving Private Ryan", especially the Omaha Beach section. Lee Marvin is fantastic as the Sergeant.

"Notorious". Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Claude Rains. I find the whole thing is spoiled a bit for me because the relationship between Grant and Bergman is so mired in the gender politics of the forties. I could see a young person watching this movie now and not being able to figure out what is going on - why did he do that? Why did she do that? We just don't have the concept of the "soiled woman" anymore, not the way they did then. Fantastic performance from Claude Rains, though - he's the bad guy, but he's the character you feel most for.

"Out of the Past" Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, Jane Greer. Now in this one, the bad girl is really a bad girl, no confusion. This is classic film noir - they must have lit 200 cigarettes during this movie, and Mitchum hardly ever takes off his trench coat. Loved every minute of it.

Just the other night I watched "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (2005). It was brilliant.

"Brief Encounter" Made within a few years of the last few I've watched, but so very different. I've never seen this before, and knew nothing about it, so came to it "cold", without a lot of preconceptions - read up on it later. I can see why it's been mocked, but I also see the strength that made it well enough known that it *could* be mocked. I have to say, I enjoyed it very much.

"Donnie Darko" (2001)
Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle
I see it as a statement of what Purgatory may possibly be: a short lived tangent lifespan. I also found it thoughtful that even in this tangent, once the Psychoanalyst made Donnie aware that he was sane by revealing ____, she seems to have robbed Donnie of his access to Frank, the Pooka bunny being. I sensed some S King in here in the bad boys of "It" and the bad boys of Middlesex Ridge. All Donnie's acquaintances were ending up in nasty situations (teacher fired, enemy counselor going pedophilic, Grandma Death's burglary...). The expanded myth of "The Philosophy of Time Travel" is an interesting read if you do some research. For me all was explained except for where the second plane jet engine came from. Did it mean a second tangent life was beginning for one of the other characters? Maybe that is revealed in "Donnie Darko 2". This film is as good as "The Mothman Prophecies" as a non-religious look at ideas about death's mechanics.

Edit to add: In the bonus commentary by Richard Kelly, the director, he had Mrs. Darko reading S King's "It" in an opening scene! Another scene, where Donnie is shooting bottles with a pellet rifle is much like the sling shot practice/decide who's the best shot out of "It". The sequel movie, "S. Darko" is the telling of Donnie's younger sister, Samantha's, tale (played by the same actress, Daveigh Chase).

The last two films I saw were "The Artist" and "Avengers Assemble".

Both highly hyped films but only one lived up to the billing for me; The Artist. A very well-made and imaginative film with engaging performances and a cracking soundtrack.

Avengers was a disappointment. I probably should have expected to have been underwhelmed as I prefer my movies a little more grown up but I found it a little too try hard - particularly the near-constant quipping from Robert Downey Jr. Some good action sequences, some stunning CGI and the performances of Mark Ruffalo and the bloke playing Loki made it watchable but I won't hurry back to watch the inevitable sequel(s). Not a patch on Dark Knight Rises for me.

Prêt-à-Porter (Ready to Wear) (1994)
Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Julia Roberts, Tim Robbins, Kim Basinger and dozens more
A wonderful light comedy that follows several subplots. The drawback is that there is no main plot. Perhaps that is appropriate considering that the subject matter is the annual fashion reveals of Paris (someday, mehaul, someday) which is a madhouse of individual couturier expressions. Director, writer, producer Robert Altman I think managed to bring out the cartoonish "Popeye" to the reality of the cutthroat fashion world. Jean Rochefort, who played the head of the Parisian academy in "French Postcards" plays the lead inspector of a suspected murder turned choking accident so straight faced to the crowd of French Clouseaus that surround him. A standout performance. There are also several 'step in dog poop' jokes that fill some dead time humorously.

"Django Unchained".

Well.

It's a Tarantino movie, so if you didn't get what all the fuss was about for his previous movies, you certainly won't like this one. I think I'm going to have to see it again, to sort out what I really think from all the images.

Snowman, I really liked "The Artist", too. One of the best films I saw last year, if not the best. And mehaul, I had fun with "Prêt-à-Porter" a few years ago. I can still hear The Cranberries' song in my head.

Just recently viewed "It Came From Outer Space" (1953). Unfortunately, it wasn't in the original 3-D, but it was everything you'd expect from a sci-fi film of the 1950s!

"Darkman" - Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels, Larry Drake, Nelson Mashita
"Darkman 2: The Return of Durant" - Arnold Vosloo, Larry Drake, Renee O'Connor, Kim Delaney, Rod Wilson
"Darkman III: Die, Darkman Die" - Arnold Vosloo, Jeff Fahey, Darlanne Fluegel, Roxann Biggs, Nigel Bennett

A nice series of a dark graphic comic abnormalhero (rather than super-). The Darkman artificially makes skin masks for himself which certainly is a valuable resource casting-wise for the producer, Sam Raimi. It adds suspense when you aren't sure whether the character you're watching is Darkman or the guy he's imitating. Villains die and get resurrected for the sequels, pure comic lore! Jenny Agutter has an uncredited role in the first one.

"S. Darko" (2009)
Daveigh Chase, Briana Evigan, Ed Westwick, James Lafferty, John Hawkes, Jackson Rathbone
Intended not to be a sequel but an Homage, this film certainly pushes all the buttons that comprised the original, "Donnie Darko". It takes place a decade later and chronicles some of little sister Samantha Darko's (Daveigh in both) journey through life and a tangent life or two. It's got the countdowns, the ghosts, the cloud tunnels, the suddenly appearing metal objects of death, the misguided do-gooders, the liquid sphere wormy things that show future positions, the burning buildings, the "Philosophy of Time Travel" by Roberta Sparrow, the wonderous recollection montage after the time lines are repaired and more. This has a saving within a saving that sets it apart from the original. Great music again. And a reason I find it one of the best films I've seen in a while, the Tesseract meteorites from the fourth dimension sent to destroy the world.

Look for Daveigh and Briana to beautify our screens for decades to come.

Yet Another Dar... title. Did not plan that.

"Darby O'Gill and the Little People" (1959)
Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery, Jimmy O'Dea
Cleopatra the horse was a Pooka! Once forcing Darby to fall into the abandoned well and then enticing Katie into a fall off a bluff. The merry and wise Leprechaun King, Brian Connors, shares wisdom with Darby and all is saved for what is just another day in Rathcullen, County Kerry. The DVD bonus material contains an old "Wonderful World of Disney" episode which had Pat O'Brien and others explain the history of Irish lore: the origin of Leprechauns, the Banshees and the Death Carriage.
For those who enjoyed "Paint Your Wagon" for the singing performance of Clint Eastwood, this film offers the tonsil tingling of Sean Connery as he performed the duet "Pretty Irish Girl" with Janet Munro. According to Connery the sales for the vinyl were profitable.

Coincidences to the other Dar... films:
King Brian can make himself appear to be someone or something else as in the "Darkman" series.
Darby transports a metal object, a church bell, which at a key point is heard to ring and transfix Darby who makes a decision, like Donnie and Iraq Jack, to sacrifice his life for the good of others. I mentioned the pooka. The Death Carriage and the deathly red car are key adjuncts to both tales. The banshee and the manipulated dead seem to be drawn from the same imaginary cloth. Rathcullen has its public house for partying and tale telling as do both Darkos have party scenes.

Maybe I could watch "The Dark Crystal"again? Maybe not.

"The Bad Seed". Made me shiver.

"Big Night" Completely charming. And the food.....!