One Deadly Summer(1983 - French)

I watched One Deadly Summer(1983), directed by Jean Becker. This is engrossing. Isabelle Adjani is Elle, a young woman obsessed with avenging her mother's rape by Italian immigrants before she was born. She resulted from this rape and the father she grew up with generally disdains her. The Elle character is hard to take at times, as she is generally bitchy to everybody. The film uses an unusual device of characters taking turns narrating, which works. The acting is good throughout. Elle's husband's aunt is an endearing character, she knows more than anyone thinks and becomes sort of an allie for Elle. The scream that Elle's mother lets out after being raped in a flashback is chilling. This is worth your time if you can take a tragic ending. I think I read Ms Adjani won best actress at Cannes.

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The Ten Commandments(2006)

 I watched the TV miniseries remake of The Ten Commandments(2006). I thought it was generally well done, though a little more quickly edited than I like. The acting was good, though a little melodramatic at times. The cinematography is wonderful. It does cover the Israelite's' journey through the desert, which no other version does. Features an almost unrecognizable Omar Shariff as Jethro and has some good battle scenes. Pharaoh looks scary! I say it's worth a look.

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Dog Psychology

I had kind of a nice experience this morning. My neighbor came over feeling down, and my big dog Barnaby just started cuddling next to her, which he usually doesn't do. She felt like he sensed her mood and was trying to comfort her, it made her feel better. She thinks he may have been a service dog in the past. I thought that was really cool, I have a feeling animals can sense things like that. It's never a dull moment observing the different things that Barnaby does. I think I've learned some dog psychology with him.

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My Belated Birthday Blog

I don't know why I haven't blogged about my birthday until now. I turned 46! on June 4. I'm getting older, but I still feel kind of young in my attitude, if not physically! It was on a Saturday this year, so we just made a weekend of it. First of all, I was taken to a do-it-yourself buffet by my good friend Linda, it was a good time and I always enjoy seeing her! I got several nice presents from my neighbors, plus a cake and ice cream from my next door neighbor. She had a cookout of hot dogs for me Sunday and Monday night, which was fun, but lasted a little too late for my taste, till about midnight, she is a night owl! I finally ended up with a DVD player. Yes, I know I'm the last person on the planet to have one! I'm really enjoying it. I like that most DVDs have the movie in the correct aspect ratio, and I love the bonus features on most of them, where I can learn more about the movie. All in all, a good time!

The Fly(1958)

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Last night on commercial TV there was 1958's The Fly and I decided to catch part of it. I was expecting it to be a little scary, and I guess 1958 audiences might have found it so, but all due respect, I found it really funny. It's of course about a scientist doing weird experiments, and ends up with the head and arm of a fly. The scenes of the wife and family trying to catch the fly with the man's head are really weird. The acting and dialogue don't help, as both are bad. Vincent Price is giving top billing in advertisement, but is barely in it. So am I being jaded?  Love this poster though!

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Movie Night

I've recently joined a movie watching group, where they go to different member's homes about once a month to watch movies and socialize. I went for the first time this past Saturday night. It was cool gathering around other folks with a common interest! There was pizza, drinks and some other stuff I'm under the impression most members screen older films, but the member Saturday night is more interested in newer movies, which is OK. We watched After Hours, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Griffin Dunne and Rosanna Arquette. It was a very black comedy but I enjoy watching offbeat films like that sometime, especially don't mind it on a weekend night. These people are really knowledgeable about movies, I'm looking forward to seeing what's up for next month!


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A Modern Aesop's Fable

I hope I'm forgiven for stealing this!

Every day a small ant would arrive at work and start work immediately. He produced a lot and was very, very happy.

His boss, a lion, was surprised to see that the ant was working without supervision.

He thought if the ant can produce so much without supervision.
Wouldn't he produce even more if he had a supervisor.

So he recruited a cockroach who had extensive experience as a supervisor and who was renowned for writing excellent reports.

The cockroach's first decision was to install a time clock and monitor the ant's attendance.

He then hired a lady bug to help him write and type his reports. He also hired a spider to manage the archives and monitor all phone calls.

The lion was delighted with the cockroach's reports and asked him to produce graphs to illustrate production rates and to analyze trends, so that he could use them for presentations at the board meetings.

So the cockroach had to buy a new computer and printer and then hired a fly to manage the IT Department.

The ant, who had once been so productive and relaxed. Hated this new workload of paperwork and meetings which used up most of his time.

The lion decided that it was high time to appoint someone to supervise the department in which the ant worked.

The position was given to a stink bug. Whose first decision was to renovate his office with ergonomic furniture and new carpeting.

The new person in charge, the stink bug, also needed a new computer and a personal assistant, who he brought from his previous department. To help him prepare a 'Work and Budget Control Strategic Optimization Plan.

The department where the ant works has now become a sad place, where no one laughs anymore and everyone has become upset.

It was at this time that the stink bug convinced the boss, the lion, of the absolute necessity to start a climatic study of the work environment.

After reviewing the charges for running the ant's department. The lion found out that the production was much less than before.

So he hired an owl, a prestigious and renowned consultant to conduct an audit and suggest solutions.

The owl spent three months in the department and compiled a lengthy report in several volumes, that concluded:
The department is over staffed!

Guess who the lion fired first??
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The ant, of course, because he "showed lack of motivation and had a negative attitude!"

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Vertigo(1958)

This morning I watched Vertigo with James Stewart and Kim Novak. Stewart is a former police officer who's terrified of heights, of course this comes into play in the story. A friend of Stewart's hires him to follow and observe his wife Ms Novak, who's been acting strangely. Not only is it a good mystery, it's a chilling study of obsession. A good change of pace for Stewart. There's also a great trippy sequence. Fascinating and worth several viewings.

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Solaris(1972 - Russia)

I saw Solaris by Andriei Tarkovsky last night. It is a one-of-a-kind experience. It's hard for me to describe : psychologist Kris Kelvin is sent to a space station and let's say, starts having hallucinations of "guests", basically. It's long(165 minutes) but didn't feel long to me, very slow and thought provoking. Oh if you have a chance to watch it during a thunderstorm and in the dark as I did, take it! This helped in my enjoyment. I can't wait to see it again to see what else I can get out of it. This time I'll watch it with commentaries on. Totally engrossing.






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Till the Clouds Roll By(1946)

Till the Clouds Roll By is a musical biography of Jerome Kern. I have mixed feelings about it: the story takes turns being corny and overdramitic(not to mention the score!) but all the musical numbers, with a countless parade of MGM stars were wonderful! Of these, Judy Garland gets the most screen time, actually having a character. I just read that Judy was pregnant, this is a good excuse to rewatch it to see how it was concealed! Highligts among the singing stars : Judy, Lena Horne, Angela Lansbury, Frank Sinatra. The Sally character as an adult is hard to take. There are musical numers montages at the beginning and end, and there is a nice ending. There is also a big suspension of belief, as his life is told in flashback, and we're to believe his limo driver sat and listened to it all!


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Note to Self

Look for Mishima , Kabie : Our Mother ,

Murder on the Orient Express(1974)

I watched Murder on the Orient Express. A pretty good whodunit with an all star cast including Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Anthony Perkins and Ingrid Bergman, who won an Oscar... though she's not in it much, she is very good. Directed by the late Sidney Lumet. If you're in the mood for a good mystery, this won't disappoint, though I still don't know how I feel about the ending Oh yes, Ms Bacall is a hoot!



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Foreign Correspondent(1940)... (Clause 27)

I watched Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent(1940) with Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall. It's quite good. Reporter Johnny Jones(McCrea) is sent to Holland to find out if war will ensue. His name is changed to Huntley Haverstock(!) before he leaves. He quickly becomes involved with intrigue, with Stephen Fisher(Marshall), his daughter Carol(Ms Day) and the mysterious Van Meer's "assassination"/disappearance. Several memorable scenes, windmill changing directions, the scenes inside the windmill with Van Meer and Jones/Haverstock, on top of the Cathedral Tower. The plane being shot and crashing into the sea near the end is awesomeness. There are also memorable camera shots by Hitch, watch for the sequence of Van Meer on the bed, and a scene involving sunglasses. I don't think it's giving away too much to say that Jones/Haverstock and Carol fall in love instantly Also watch how Jones manages to report his story ; ingenious. The final scene with Johnny and Carol doing a radio broadcast is not to be missed. Very good, underrated effort from Hitch.


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Limitless(2011)

Limitless is a stylish thriller with a fun premise. Eddie(Bradley Cooper) is kind of a slacker, wanna-be writer, who hasn't really written a word on his book. One day, he runs into his ex-wife's brother Vernon(Johnny Whitworth), neither whom he's seen in years. They have a drink(in the middle of the day!). When Vernon is caught up to speed on Eddie's life, he offers him a "miracle pill", named NZT. Vernon tells him we only utilize 20 % of our brains ; this pills helps you utilize all of it. Eddie immediately sees a difference, as he's suddenly motivated to totally clean his trashy apartment, is able to learn languages fluently in minutes, and suddenly submits several pages to his shocked publisher. Even ex-girlfriend Abbie Cornish gets back with him. He moves up and up in the world and ends up employed by powerful businessman DeNiro. It has a lot of dizzying camerwork, which is even in the title sequence. It's generally good, but gets needlessly complicated toward the end and some plot lines are not resolved. Bradley Cooper is very good and DeNiro... is DeNiro. Lots of fun, with a good ending.


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Derek Jeter's 3000 Chase

Well, he's at 2991 hits as of RIGHT NOW ,he'll be at 3000 sometime next week when he's against the Rangers. I'm happy for him even though I hate the Yankees! :>)

Rashomon(1950 - Japanese)

I revisited Rashomon the other day, I'm still intrigued with the acting, atmosphere and the message. How the three people involved in a rape/murder have totally different accounts(even the murdered man in a surrealistic sequence through a medium!) that implicate the respective person. Fascinating and engrossing, with an optimistic ending.

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Modern Times(1936)

I watched Modern Times with Sir Chaplin and Paulette Goddard for the first time the other day. Loved it, loved it, loved it! Did I mention that I love it? This is genius! The plot is about the Little Tramp struggling to survive during the Depression ; he's in and out of work and jail. There are too many great scenes to mention, highlights are his boss on a screen in the restroom telling him to get back to work(a lot of the first part is sci-fi-ish), the Billows Feeding Machine, designed to cut down costs by feeding workers as they work, getting out of control! Charlie rolling through the gears(how did he do that?!), in jail, accidentally eating "nose powder", thinking it salt, and walking through jail high , the minister and his wife come to visit, and she and Charlie get gas while waiting on him , and Charlie singing! These are only a few! If you never listen to me again, this is a MUST SEE! Oh yeah, the typical touching ending


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For Me and My Gal(1942)

For Me and My Gal(1942),Gene Kelly's debut and Judy Garland as Harry Palmer and Jo Hayden. Fun vaudeville fluff, though it gets a bit melodramatic toward the end. It ends up being about supporting war efforts, which is good in my book. The scene of Judy and Kelly singing in the coffeehouse is priceless. The DVD commentary is about as long as the movie! I will watch that later. Also on the DVD is a cute short with a YOUNG Judy and Deanna Durbin singing, about 10 minutes. There is some kind of plot, but who cares?  :D
By the way, I could SWEAR it's Kathryn Grayson's voice singing for the Eve Minard character, though I don't find her anywhere in the credits. Anyone?

Mystery of the River Boat(1944)

Watched Mystery of the Riverboat, which was a serial, looked like a "B", 13 chapters, not good acting at all, but I thought it was pretty fun, as the only serial I've seen at all is Superman. At least there's a "cliffhanger" about every 20 minutes! Plus this one has a few good songs thrown in for measure. It kept my interest throughout. It lasts about 4-4 1/2 hours total, and I watched it on and off all day Saturday.

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All About Barnaby

This is my dog Barnaby, he's a beagle, I think. He belonged to a neighbor who ended up in jail, so the apartment manager was looking for a home for him, and I ended up with him. I wasn't looking to have a dog, but he was so cute, well behaved and trained, I couldn't resist. He's a good boy and good company. He loves people, especially his Aunt Charlie, who always gives him treats when we visit. I'm glad I was able to save him, he's a good buddy. All he needs in life is to be loved, fed, and a tennis ball to play with.

A Woman of Paris : A Drama of Fate(1923)

A Woman of Paris : A Drama of Fate, written, directed, produced by Charlie Chaplin, he doesn't star, Edna Purviance does. He insists in the beginning credits that he does not appear at all ; however he has a cameo as a train staion porter ; he is unrecognizable to me. Interesting. The film is OK, I'm not overly thrilled with it ; it's a rare drama from Chaplin. Ms Purviance is Marie, ready to run off to Paris with Carl Miller ; after a misunderstanding, she goes to Paris alone. There she lives it up as the mistress of Pierre Revel(Adolphe Menjou) She and Jean(Miller) eventually meet up again in Paris but never quite get together due to interference from his mother(!) The subtitle "A Drama of Fate" comes into play in an ironic last shot.

 

Well, I thought it had the potential to be really good... but I didn't care for the Jean character at all, I thought he was a wuss, so I didn't care if Edna ended up with him or not(mama's boy!). Plus, I thought the subplot where one of her friends went out with Menjou was unnecessary, slowed the film down and didn't go anywhere. But  I liked the last scene, plus the costumes and looking at the Parisian apartments and restaurants during the film. I like too, that he was giving Edna a chance to be a star. So, I didn't think it was terrible, but could have been better. At any rate, a good change of pace for Chaplin into drama, though there are still amusing moments.

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The Devil and Daniel Webster(1941)

I watched The Devil and Daniel Webster(aka All That Money Can Buy or Daniel and the Devil, which was the title on my print, although the first title was on the box ). This is a very well done fantasy film, surreal at times. Down-on-his-luck Jabez Stone(James Craig) ends up selling his soul to the devil aka Mr Scratch(Walter Huston) for 7 years prosperity. After the 7 years, Jabez changes his mind, and Daniel Webster(Edward Arnold) represents him before a "jury of the damned" including Benedict Arnold! Memorable closing speech. Jane Darwell who was Ma a year earlier in Grapes of Wrath is just fine as Ma again This has some excellent camera shots, has some good things to say. Don't miss the final shot!


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