tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29571398808620075232024-03-05T07:05:05.496-08:00Movie Talk NowMovies... They way they ought to be. I have compiled the movies that I have cherished watching and the celebrities that I have loved talking about. These are compilations and not my own words. But they do depict the deep love the movies that are listed here.Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-78873092422537807362008-06-28T17:49:00.001-07:002008-06-28T17:49:26.023-07:00TOP 10 Movie Gadgets We Wish We HadHold out your hands. Now, wish into one hand, and poop in the other. Which one filled up first? You’ll have the same amount of luck when it comes to getting your hands on these gadgets.<br/><br/><a href='http://top10kid.com/2008/06/27/top-10-movie-gadgets-we-wish-we-had/'>read more</a> | <a href='http://digg.com/movies/TOP_10_Movie_Gadgets_We_Wish_We_Had'>digg story</a>Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-13396631633440582822008-04-11T22:20:00.000-07:002008-06-10T06:39:13.019-07:00Zombie Strippers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR028NS-vy6xbsZSgbFCBt3DyOWUsJ7B6CN1Sgc2sHq18kRqDQOtp3SnR4Pg2Jjr8P7Bq444z8bb1zwY4HyiWwm-w8iyWYi6xGqt6oeNVNonRJ8N6J0MPH9ryyrrm9sLMSX1cICY7Scrs/s1600-h/zombie-strippers.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR028NS-vy6xbsZSgbFCBt3DyOWUsJ7B6CN1Sgc2sHq18kRqDQOtp3SnR4Pg2Jjr8P7Bq444z8bb1zwY4HyiWwm-w8iyWYi6xGqt6oeNVNonRJ8N6J0MPH9ryyrrm9sLMSX1cICY7Scrs/s320/zombie-strippers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188225387448189266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Zombie and Stripper! WOW! Here is a new trailer for this movie. With Robert Englund... I am watching. Hey, without Robert Englund I would have watched... Zombie + Stripper... Try keeping me away.<br /><br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-05635166935637235 visible ontop" href="http://www.terrorfeed.com/flvplayer.swf"></a><embed src="http://www.terrorfeed.com/flvplayer.swf" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="&file=off-CDWBAqmwWxk.flv&height=360&width=400&autostart=false" allowscriptaccess="always" height="360" width="400"></embed><br />Get More <a href="http://www.terrorfeed.com/">Zombie Strippers Trailers</a> at TerrorFeed.comDangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-28299463440423930952008-04-11T18:48:00.000-07:002008-06-10T06:38:16.988-07:00The Last Lullaby<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmT1dfy7Aw70pMrN8dj6WvJtWgbIR_8bYOx8PdUmi2mXmeuj9jxFNOfLiqBgoQVF-dMRSaB8Eqdh8GtSNjHYPdgyygWSv8f40fwUjQ0izUSn0lH4rZkZDwSjkFw06yC0S-2LzfIcrr70/s1600-h/hamilton_last+lullaby.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmT1dfy7Aw70pMrN8dj6WvJtWgbIR_8bYOx8PdUmi2mXmeuj9jxFNOfLiqBgoQVF-dMRSaB8Eqdh8GtSNjHYPdgyygWSv8f40fwUjQ0izUSn0lH4rZkZDwSjkFw06yC0S-2LzfIcrr70/s320/hamilton_last+lullaby.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188216050189287746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Jeffrey Goodman, in his first feature, has chosen to adapt a Max Allen Collins short story as <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Lullaby</span>. The story is reminicent of the Dennis Hopper movie <span style="font-style: italic;">Backtrack. </span>An assasin, an innocent lonely lady and the inevitable delimma. What marks the difference is the presentation.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0jTG4xYIUumGnWIPmleOUt6SFbBy3uXrJI9LfSSrmx_ZHJUMHj0e60Z-wWbaOf55_W_CndGauT69kGi1lqKmDv7g3yhlwsG9Ru7ri0jnLT8nFiIRlFTatPsMxi2aiChyphenhyphenSu2J3KfeSWE/s1600-h/lastlullaSTILL.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0jTG4xYIUumGnWIPmleOUt6SFbBy3uXrJI9LfSSrmx_ZHJUMHj0e60Z-wWbaOf55_W_CndGauT69kGi1lqKmDv7g3yhlwsG9Ru7ri0jnLT8nFiIRlFTatPsMxi2aiChyphenhyphenSu2J3KfeSWE/s320/lastlullaSTILL.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188172619479990546" border="0" /></a><br />The movie premiered at AFI Dallas International Film Festival and was well recieved by the critics.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78ysiTsv-_kQsgwnB3LulscSATeyrcyg9bVh4A2rYbhBICGb2HjhaFJWx2xyoEBSc7Fd5u5nfd3kgWhPTQSkBObpQPaOkb8UJDEtybbjxt__RqG0fLMNFF5dQ9CmiIr4ZLiKvjagC4vE/s1600-h/Sasha2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78ysiTsv-_kQsgwnB3LulscSATeyrcyg9bVh4A2rYbhBICGb2HjhaFJWx2xyoEBSc7Fd5u5nfd3kgWhPTQSkBObpQPaOkb8UJDEtybbjxt__RqG0fLMNFF5dQ9CmiIr4ZLiKvjagC4vE/s320/Sasha2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188215423124062514" border="0" /></a><br /><b>Tom Sizemore</b> is Price, over-the-hill hitman on his last job. His target is a kindly librarian played by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sasha Alexander</span>. She is a witness in a case and someone wants her silenced. It is the performance of the two leads that makes all the difference, says Eric Kohn in his column at <a href="http://www.indiewire.com/ots/2008/04/dispatch_from_d_5.html">Indiewire</a>. This movie promises to be a good one. Do not miss it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbgBOE5TaO91PQ9iCvQ905E3h4MZU90T1dw6gf_RLrBlG9nfpvezLUEOsgQxYdDYBU2m7aQWjypDvCJVodHRpjF7NshsPN0FWv7WZGQ8WZCp5z0EZ2aUGfgy-KGnq0m05MFMfNL2UqzM/s1600-h/Sasha.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbgBOE5TaO91PQ9iCvQ905E3h4MZU90T1dw6gf_RLrBlG9nfpvezLUEOsgQxYdDYBU2m7aQWjypDvCJVodHRpjF7NshsPN0FWv7WZGQ8WZCp5z0EZ2aUGfgy-KGnq0m05MFMfNL2UqzM/s320/Sasha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188215423124062498" border="0" /></a>Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-64340113677130191142008-04-06T19:26:00.000-07:002008-06-10T06:37:04.711-07:00RIP Charlton Heston<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz97cKpSDeHfGbJmj4QWZM6XddHy6VzCfjIqhgGjy79WifBoTx5pz-Ba8zwUVlTYdZc4IFxbuiDXt210AyJ1kDPWze6wHR4iBUBVBX0IBtbygkfjCzhmuwelL1m2HWGkuPRlnbQnlW4xI/s1600-h/heston_rifle_ap.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz97cKpSDeHfGbJmj4QWZM6XddHy6VzCfjIqhgGjy79WifBoTx5pz-Ba8zwUVlTYdZc4IFxbuiDXt210AyJ1kDPWze6wHR4iBUBVBX0IBtbygkfjCzhmuwelL1m2HWGkuPRlnbQnlW4xI/s320/heston_rifle_ap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186339912123288450" border="0" /></a><div>Let me admit one thing up front - I was never a big fan of his... neither as an actor nor as an individual promoting Guns.<br /></div><div>I have seen a lot of his movies but always found his performance lacking the punch that delivers the KO. Ben Hur and Ten Commandments were perhaps the only two movies where he really delivered the goods. Delivering monotonous performances in apocalyptic sci-fi and disaster tales, he did not get mainstream success, and yet remained one of the top Box-office stars.</div><div>To the <em>New York Times</em> in 1980, Heston reflected that his movie career involved a lot of facial hair. He estimated, in fact, that no leading man spent more time under the cover of a beard than him. Something that was especially so when it came to his signature role of Moses.</div><div>"I wore nine different beards, beginning with one of my own that was barely more than stubble and ended up with a snowy white two-footer," Heston told the newspaper.</div><div>Offscreen, Heston served in the Air Force during World War II, picketed restaurants and stood with Martin Luther King Jr. in the name of civil rights and visited the U.S. troops during the Vietnam War. He delivered good for people who want to have a gun in their hand. In the end, his personal beliefs were largely showcased in his love for National Rifle Association. I am not too well read on the pro-con of Guns in all hands but I am against it as an idea. </div><div>Rest in Peace, Dear Soul, You gave us many hours of pleasure. You were a man amongst men, one who stood for the idea that a man has the right to defend his home, no matter what. Rest in Peace, you shall be missed by many - family, friends, and admirers. </div>Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-51476120329455867742006-12-28T18:19:00.000-08:002008-08-12T09:58:22.908-07:00Sideways (2004)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr769Q0BEO9zH0IUJEmDFVfMEVN37lmakE8h0bPVDQG21Z6X40cEwDFp8QMujrE_4t5-fr5moRgqUX6P80Tw9gdKPiT5hukdOFMJn6GJ9AmxXY751aQEXg8PPyJN-SYBnxGTmUwTNjNg8/s1600-h/sideways.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr769Q0BEO9zH0IUJEmDFVfMEVN37lmakE8h0bPVDQG21Z6X40cEwDFp8QMujrE_4t5-fr5moRgqUX6P80Tw9gdKPiT5hukdOFMJn6GJ9AmxXY751aQEXg8PPyJN-SYBnxGTmUwTNjNg8/s320/sideways.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183787292800189378" border="0" /></a><br />Director: Alexander Payne<br /><br />Paul Giamatti ... Miles<br />Thomas Haden Church ... Jack<br />Virginia Madsen ... Maya<br />Sandra Oh ... Stephanie<br /><br /><br /><span><span><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Freedom at last! Only once in a while do you come across a movie that makes you smile and frown, just the right amount. Sideways is the movie that your doctor ordered to relax you and give you a fresh perspective on what we are doing. This is not Citizen Kane, nor is it Lord of The Rings. There is no gloss, no special effect, just an honest story to tell. Paul Giammatti is Miles, a less than perfect, emotionally turned-off "Hero", who is quite content on his own way to lead a life of nothingness. </span></span></span></span></span></span><div><span><span><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This is, till he takes a trip with Jack (Thomas Haden Church in a winning performance) and ends up in the California Wine County. The story is quite simple and even a line or two about it will give it away completely. However, the effortless performance of Paul makes this movie worthwhile. I only wish this movie had a more to offer for Virginia Madsen, who I think is a powerhouse performer with the right script. Sandra Oh actually had a better defined character and gives a controlled performance. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For my money this will make an excellent double-bill with "A Good Year". Everything is what it seems in this movie. However, this doesn’t necessarily spoil the fun, because even as you watch it, the fates of the characters become more important to you than a Perry Mason twist. You actually hope that the movie ends just the way it has been going... smoothly. This does not happen, though, and that is the only failing of this movie. Paul's realization and the eventual end of the movie look labored. For a talkie, the end of the movie is too silent to satisfy the range of emotions that it is able to arouse. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">All said, it is still better than all the glitter that Hollywood has been throwing at us in the name of movies. This is a quite movie with heart and genuine emotions, real life characters and some amazing scenery. I give it a 9 out of 10. I take 1 away just for the last 5 minutes. And oh, Did I tell you - if you're looking for Academy Award potential performace watch the performance of Paul Giammatti. </span></span></span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p></span></div>Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-77495463829506272522006-02-12T00:04:00.000-08:002008-08-25T00:15:04.543-07:00The Thomas Crown Affair - 1968<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVYvdS3Vg7u0HkgF0NJHwmNrGce9BohPIDunh8Qr1MSNhVU6rgFz3NiOgHrTJUJBlwshVwXlOk3qn8NYsSFA4QWrIbQ5AyBQLg-QuTldLUUtgz1OrY1A7eztzfCY6QTDysCr2oiwutO8/s1600-h/thomas_crown_affair_Steve_Mcqueen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238349711731733506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVYvdS3Vg7u0HkgF0NJHwmNrGce9BohPIDunh8Qr1MSNhVU6rgFz3NiOgHrTJUJBlwshVwXlOk3qn8NYsSFA4QWrIbQ5AyBQLg-QuTldLUUtgz1OrY1A7eztzfCY6QTDysCr2oiwutO8/s400/thomas_crown_affair_Steve_Mcqueen.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div></div><div></div><div>Director: Norman Jewison<br />Cast:<br />Steve McQueen ... Thomas Crown<br />Faye Dunaway ... Vicki Anderson<br />Paul Burke ... Eddy Malone<br />Jack Weston ... Erwin<br />Biff McGuire ... Sandy<br />Addison Powell ... Abe<br />Astrid Heeren ... Gwen<br />Gordon Pinsent ... Jamie<br />Yaphet Kotto ... Carl<br />Sidney Armus ... Arnie<br />Richard Bull ... Booth Guard<br />Peg Shirley ... Honey<br />Patrick Horgan ... Danny<br />Carol Corbett ... Miss Sullivan<br />Tom Rosqui ... Pvt. Detective<br /><br />This is a film about games: the defining image, a game of chess; and then, as well, the intellectual game that robbery provides for Crown (McQueen), and the two games, professional and sexual, in which Vicki and Crown stalk each other. For these players, games are very serious and the outcome of each uncertain.<br />The film is of its time, but works in ours, as well and better than the recent remake. Those looking for a fast action "heist" movie will be disappointed: this film is about alienation and attraction, trust and betrayal, about working out what matters - all those eternal themes. It will appeal to those content to focus on personal chemistry unpunctuated by regular gunfire. None the less, the planning and execution of the bank robbery is cleverly done and provides sufficient impetus to drive the rest of the straightforward plot. Crown's motivations, tedium and greed, are readily understandable; Vicki's are similar. As people they are similar and evenly matched. Vicki is stylish and beautiful and, using her sexuality as well as her intellect, she is Crown's equal or better - which is not true of the remake. In the end, it is she who defines the outcome, but what it will be and why Vicki makes the choice she does are left unresolved. So, too, we remain uncertain whether the possibility truly exists, that their alienation might be healed.<br />The focus is clearly on the couple. Eddy Malone's role as the police detective does not extend beyond that of a Greek chorus, providing the conventional and moral reference against which the actions of the principals are to be judged. Jack Weston's Erwin, a very worried getaway driver, simply contrasts the player of the game, Crown, with the instruments with which he plays it.<br />The performances of the entire cast are exemplary. McQueen's clipped manner builds the tension and intensifies the effect of his weakening to Vicki's seductive moves during the chess game. The role of Vicki is perfect for Dunaway, making no great demands on her to project herself, no extended dialogue, which she does not generally manage well; but the disposition of her body, her power of gesture, and her brief, pithy statements all work brilliantly. Jack Weston produces an excellent cameo performance that pretty well had me perspiring as much as he was. Malone plays a straight role straight, the way it should be.<br />The split screen title sequence and passages in the film work well; they do not distract, as this technique can, but are used to capture and compress moments of action that are significant but do not require extended treatment. The Legrand soundtrack is brilliantly effective, including the long passages of real tension, without music.<br />This really is a great classic, a film that will endure, and those who have difficulty with it should see it again and allow themselves the time to be seduced by its low key perfection. </div>Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-53232018803945934422006-02-11T08:46:00.000-08:002008-08-12T10:07:23.961-07:00Half-Wits Holiday - 1947<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifSfxrsJpnCFtjVx_tNkcKXDbgUMx62NboLjutojitBgOFi4mcp7OvwHFiTCoTKxuq4tFS6hT0uTcG-s3Urvc-wV6-vZd-v7wkpO-5I-tBHc7Wnp2azkra0__IzOZRuQOOKmq6lR8z8k/s400/HalfWitsHoliday_title2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifSfxrsJpnCFtjVx_tNkcKXDbgUMx62NboLjutojitBgOFi4mcp7OvwHFiTCoTKxuq4tFS6hT0uTcG-s3Urvc-wV6-vZd-v7wkpO-5I-tBHc7Wnp2azkra0__IzOZRuQOOKmq6lR8z8k/s400/HalfWitsHoliday_title2.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Director: Jules White<br /><br />Cast:<br />Curly Howard ... Curly<br />Larry Fine ... Larry<br />Moe Howard ... Moe<br />Vernon Dent ... Prof. Quackenbush (Environment)<br />Barbara Slater ... Miss Lulu Quackenbush<br />Theodore Lorch ... Prof. Sedletz (Heredity) (as Ted Lorch)<br />Symona Boniface ... Mrs. Smythe-Smythe (uncredited)<br />Helen Dickson ... Party guest (uncredited)<br />Johnny Kascier ... Party guest (uncredited)<br />Emil Sitka ... Sapington (the butler) (uncredited)<br />Al Thompson ... Party guest (uncredited)<br />Victor Travers ... Party guest (uncredited)<br /><br />For film buffs, you would probably know this was Curly's last official short (though he did appear in a brief cameo in a short called hold that lion). True, it is still funny, but it is still sad to see Curly like this (while shooting the short, he had a stroke and most of his shots were filmed by a double). Not only because a great trio was split up, but because Shemp came in afterward. No offense to Shemp (really), but Shemp did for the Three stooges what Gus Van Sant did to Psycho. Still, all that aside, this is a funny short, and it is nice to see them. One last time. ADangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-42275280524657880082006-02-10T21:09:00.000-08:002008-08-12T10:05:29.443-07:00It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World - 1963<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://dynamicmonkey.com/terry/images/madmadposter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://dynamicmonkey.com/terry/images/madmadposter.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Director: Stanley Kramer<br /><br />Cast:<br />Spencer Tracy ... Capt. C. G. Culpepper<br />Milton Berle ... J. Russell Finch<br />Sid Caesar ... Melville Crump, DDS<br />Buddy Hackett ... Benjy Benjamin<br />Ethel Merman ... Mrs. Marcus<br />Mickey Rooney ... Ding 'Dingy' Bell<br />Dick Shawn ... Sylvester Marcus<br />Phil Silvers ... Otto Meyer<br />Terry-Thomas ... Lt.Col. J. Algernon Hawthorne<br />Jonathan Winters ... Lennie Pike<br />Edie Adams ... Monica Crump<br />Dorothy Provine ... Emeline Marcus-Finch<br />Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson ... Second cab driver (as Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson)<br />Jim Backus ... Tyler Fitzgerald<br />Ben Blue ... Biplane pilot<br />Joe E. Brown ... Union official<br />Alan Carney ... Police sergeant<br />Chick Chandler ... Detective outside Chinese laundromat<br />Barrie Chase ... Sylvester's girlfriend<br />Lloyd Corrigan ... The Mayor<br />William Demarest ... Police Chief Aloysius<br />Andy Devine ... Sheriff of Crockett County<br />Selma Diamond ... Ginger Culpepper (voice)<br />Peter Falk ... Third cab driver<br />Norman Fell ... Detective at Grogan's crash site<br />Paul Ford ... Col. Wilberforce<br />Stan Freberg ... Deputy sheriff<br />Louise Glenn ... Billie Sue Culpepper (voice)<br />Leo Gorcey ... First cab driver<br />Sterling Holloway ... Fire Chief<br />Edward Everett Horton ... Mr. Dinckler<br />Marvin Kaplan ... Irwin<br />Buster Keaton ... Jimmy the Crook<br />Don Knotts ... Nervous Motorist<br />Charles Lane ... Airport manager<br />Mike Mazurki ... Miner<br />Charles McGraw ... Lt. Matthews<br />Cliff Norton ... Reporter<br />Zasu Pitts ... Gertie (switchboard operator)<br />Carl Reiner ... Tower controller at Rancho Conejo<br />Madlyn Rhue ... Secretary Schwartz<br />Roy Roberts ... Policeman outside Irwin & Ray's Garage<br />Arnold Stang ... Ray<br />Nick Stewart ... Migrant truck driver<br />Joe DeRita ... Fireman (as The Three Stooges)<br />Larry Fine ... Fireman (as The Three Stooges)<br />Moe Howard ... Fireman (as The Three Stooges)<br />Sammee Tong ... Chinese laundryman<br />Jesse White ... Radio tower operator at Rancho Conejo<br />Jimmy Durante ... Smiler Grogan<br />Jack Benny ... Man in car in desert (uncredited)<br /><br />It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World has to be the funniest film ever made because no one, but Stanley Kramer ever got so many funny people together in one film. With a cast headed by his favorite dramatic player to boot.<br /><br />Four out of Spencer Tracy's last five films were made for Stanley Kramer. The others, Inherit the Wind, Judgment at Nuremberg, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner dealt with weighty issues like, free speech, genocide, and interracial marriage. What It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World deals with is greed, simple normal human greed. If something looks too good to be true, chances are it is.<br /><br />Jimmy Durante an old time crook crashes off a highway and down a steep cliff. He's on the way to digging up the loot from a $350,000.00 robbery from years ago. His dying words tell those people went to aid him where in Santa Rosita Park the loot is buried. Off the group of them go, every man and woman for themselves, with some alliances of family and convenience. A few more treasure seekers get picked up along the way.<br /><br />That barebones plot description doesn't begin to tell you about some of the funny sequences that follow, Buddy Hackett and Mickey Rooney in a private plane with a drunken pilot Jim Backus passed out, Edie Adams and Sid Caesar trapped in a hardware store desperately trying to get out, Jonathan Winters as the lunkhead truck driver generally running amuck wherever he goes, and Milton Berle the henpecked husband of all time married to the beautiful Dorothy Provine, her braindead brother Dick Shawn and Ethel Merman the mother-in-law from hell. Berle has a package deal and when you watch the film, you'll see what I mean.<br /><br />Along the way, the treasure hunters pick up Terry-Thomas, Phil Silvers, Peter Falk and Eddie Anderson. And they leave a whole lot of some of the best character actors and comedians who each in their own way contributes a certain specialty they're famous for.<br /><br />There are two unbilled appearances by Jack Benny and Jerry Lewis each in situations that show off their peculiar style of comedy.<br /><br />Watching it all is Spencer Tracy as the Captain of Detectives of the Santa Rosita, Police Department both before the camera and between takes. I remember seeing a quotation by Stanley Kramer that with all these comedians on the set, Tracy was like a king with a hundred jesters, each looking to amuse him. Tracy besides keeping track of this freak show has some domestic problems of his own which are told in telephone conversations with the city pension bureau, his wife, and his daughter. Tracy's expressions are priceless.<br /><br />It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World is about greed, yet greed has never been presented with such rip roaring humor as it is in this film. For those who need a good laugh and who in this world doesn't.Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-91366418340672164522006-02-09T08:41:00.000-08:002008-08-12T10:04:57.130-07:00Hold That Lion - 1947<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/146/354955137_0775ce7c1c.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/146/354955137_0775ce7c1c.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Director: Jules White<br /><br />Cast:<br />Shemp Howard ... Shemp<br />Larry Fine ... Larry<br />Moe Howard ... Moe<br />Kenneth MacDonald ... Icabod Slipp<br />Emil Sitka ... Attorney<br />Dudley Dickerson ... Pullman porter<br />Heinie Conklin ... Train conductor (uncredited)<br />Curly Howard ... Sleeping train passenger (uncredited)<br />Blackie Whiteford ... (uncredited)<br /><br />The Three Stooges has always been some of the many actors that I have loved. I love just about every one of the shorts that they have made. I love all six of the Stooges (Curly, Shemp, Moe, Larry, Joe, and Curly Joe)! All of the shorts are hilarious and also star many other great actors and actresses which a lot of them was in many of the shorts! In My opinion The Three Stooges is some of the greatest actors ever and is the all time funniest comedy team!<br /><br />This is one of My favorite Three Stooges shorts with Shemp! All Appearing in this short are Vernon Dent, Kenneth MacDonald, Emil Sitka, Heinie Conklin, Dudley Dickerson, Blackie Whiteford, and Curly Howard! This one is so hilarious! Shemp has a great performance here and in My opinion its one of his best. Culry has a great cameo! There is a similar one like this called Booty and the Beast and I strongly recommend both of these Three Stooges shorts!Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-31448081391363748222006-02-08T23:45:00.000-08:002008-08-12T10:02:23.812-07:00A 001, operazione Giamaica - 1965Director: Ernst R. von Theumer<br /><br />Larry Pennell ... Ken Stewart (as Alessandro Pennelli)<br />Roberto Camardiel<br />Barbara Valentin ... Gloria<br />Linda Sini ... Signora Cervantes<br />Margitta Scherr ... Lana (as Margarita Scherr)<br />John Bartha<br />Raf Baldassarre (as Ralph Baldwin)<br />Nando Angelini<br />Wolfgang Kieling<br />Brad Harris ... Captain Mike Jefferson<br /><br />Has AUSTIN POWERS created a demand for obscure 1960s secret-agent movies? I hope so, because OPERATION JAMAICA is one of the best, most enjoyable films in the genre. Larry Pennell (who had been in the RIPCORD tv series, but is best known for playing "Dash Riprock" on the Beverly Hillbillies), who vaguely resembles Elvis, is perfectly cast as the super-cool, self-absorbed/male chauvinist secret agent, quick with his fists and with a gun, and hitting on any female within his reach. The film is well-paced with enough fistfights, gun battles, double-crosses, and spy gadgetry to keep any action fan hooked. It also features a wonderfully loud and booming faux-Bond score by the multi-talented Marcello Giombini, who did hundreds of other film scores in the 60s and 70s (my favorite being the Yardbirds-ish psychedlic score to the German Stewart Granger spy film "Target For Killing"). The cast also includes American Brad Harris, best-known for the peplum films he did before this and the westerns and Kommissar X spy films he did after this. If that's not enough, the location shooting in Jamaica is gorgeous. OPERATION JAMAICA has everything a fan of 60s European spy films could want. If I had my own cable network, I'd show it during prime time this coming Friday night!Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-17990549637804442812006-02-07T08:52:00.000-08:002008-08-12T10:01:51.262-07:00Three Little Pirates - 1946<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.abbottandcostellocollectibles.com/images/bp_200-002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.abbottandcostellocollectibles.com/images/bp_200-002.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Director: Edward Bernds<br /><br />Cast:<br />Curly Howard ... Curly<br />Larry Fine ... Larry<br />Moe Howard ... Moe<br />Christine McIntyre ... Rita<br />Robert Kellard ... Guard (as Robert Stevens)<br />Vernon Dent ... Governor<br />Dorothy DeHaven ... The Governor's secretary<br />Ethan Laidlaw ... Pirate (uncredited)<br />Larry McGrath ... Soldier (uncredited)<br />Joe Palma ... Pirate (uncredited)<br />Jack Parker ... Soldier (uncredited)<br />Cy Schindell ... Pirate (uncredited)<br />Al Thompson ... Pirate (uncredited)<br /><br />In 1946, Curly wasn't the same Curly he was a few years earlier. He had had a few strokes, his speech and movements are slow, and he is so skinny here. However, with the help of Moe and Larry, he manages to pull off his last great comic performance, Three Little Pirates was Curly's second to last film. In this entry, the Boys are escapees chased after by A Governor and Pirates. While this short is not the best, it's close. It's hilarious and will have you watching it repeatedly. It's got all the ingredients of a great Stooge short, plus the series' best fight scene, where a crazed hammering pinball machine takes out the pirates. A hilarious series entry for the boys, but they were never again as good as they were here. Shemp was funny and had some hilarious shorts (i.e. Goof on a Roof, Mummy's Dummies, Hot Scots, and a few others), but all in all, they could never fully capture it again.Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-3827263750406501572006-02-06T08:57:00.000-08:002008-08-12T10:01:27.945-07:00Guess Who's Coming to Dinner - 1967<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/rsz/434/x/x/x/medias/nmedia/18/65/29/44/18844340.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/rsz/434/x/x/x/medias/nmedia/18/65/29/44/18844340.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Director: Stanley Kramer<br /><br />Cast:<br />Spencer Tracy ... Matt Drayton<br />Sidney Poitier ... Dr. John Wade Prentice<br />Katharine Hepburn ... Christina Drayton<br />Katharine Houghton ... Joey Drayton<br />Cecil Kellaway ... Monsignor Ryan<br />Beah Richards ... Mrs. Prentice<br />Roy Glenn ... Mr. Prentice (as Roy E. Glenn, Sr.)<br />Isabel Sanford ... Tillie (as Isabell Sanford)<br />Virginia Christine ... Hilary St. George<br />Alexandra Hay ... Carhop<br />Barbara Randolph ... Dorothy<br />D'Urville Martin ... Frankie<br />Tom Heaton ... Peter<br />Grace Gaynor ... Judith<br />Skip Martin ... Delivery Boy<br />John Hudkins ... Cab Driver<br />Jacqueline Fontaine ... Singer (uncredited)<br /><br />It's so easy to criticize this film. The soundtrack from DeVol is *awful*. The film is incredibly dated and there are some scenes, (the scene with the delivery boy and the ice cream shop), that are unbearable, like something out of a Gidget film.<br /><br />Of course the other problem with this film, 33 years after its production, is who in the year 2000, would be upset about their daughter marrying a Yale educated Doctor?<br /><br />However, despite all this, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a great film. The film is wonderful because it was the last film made by one of Hollywood's greatest duos, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.<br /><br />This film was made while Spencer Tracy was dying. Spencer had to put his entire salary in escrow in order for the film company to allow him to do the film.<br /><br />So why did Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy agree to do this film, without immediate payment? Because it's a film about forbidden love, it's a film about loving someone no matter what society thinks, or what the rules are. This is something Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn knew a great deal about.<br /><br />What makes this film outstanding is, by the end of the film you realize, Kate and Spencer are not even acting they are relaying their feelings about each other, through the film. Once you catch that, the drama of the final few scenes is just unparalleled and Spencer's final speech, about his love for Kate (Christina), can drive even the most twisted soul to tears.<br /><br />A few things to catch in this film, watch Kate's face when Spencer recites the line, 'screw what the rest of the world thinks about your love'...those are real tears. Watch Spencer Tracey as he paces back and forth on the terrace near the end of the film. He realizes he is about to begin one of the last scenes he will ever film. He's line 'well I'll be a son of a bitch'...is more a realization he's about to make his last grandstand on the big screen, in his entire career.<br /><br />Spencer Tracy is one of America's greatest actors. This is his last triumph. For that reason alone, it's a true cinematic treasure.Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-81006628514875268632006-02-05T08:33:00.000-08:002008-08-12T10:00:55.683-07:00A Ducking They Did Go - 1939<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/Poster_Sets/Poster_Sets_71.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/Poster_Sets/Poster_Sets_71.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Director: Del Lord<br /><br />Cast:<br />Curly Howard ... Curly<br />Larry Fine ... Larry<br />Moe Howard ... Moe<br /><br />The Three Stooges has always been some of the many actors that I have loved. I love just about every one of the shorts that they have made. I love all six of the Stooges (Curly, Shemp, Moe, Larry, Joe, and Curly Joe)! All of the shorts are hilarious and also star many other great actors and actresses which a lot of them was in many of the shorts! In My opinion The Three Stooges is some of the greatest actors ever and is the all time funniest comedy team!<br /><br />One of My favorite Stooges shorts with Curly is none other than A-Ducking They Did Go! All appearing in this short are Lynton Brent, Vernon Dent, Bud Jamison, Cy Schindell, Victor Travers! There are so many funny parts here and the singing scene is really neat. This is a very hilarious short and I recommend it!Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-80790180557899347122006-02-04T16:14:00.000-08:002008-08-12T10:00:27.635-07:00A - 2002Director: Darren Almond<br /><br />Cast:<br />Ralph Rieckermann ... Asassin<br /><br />A 2002 Documentry directed by Darren Almond. Produced by Public Art Development Trust, this documetary is not available on DVD as of now.Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-36484799736799894912006-02-03T16:46:00.000-08:002008-08-12T10:00:03.499-07:00Mysterious Skin (2004)<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayZcnDpd8s42-dIFnCidNw4W9QE2gkQd14J4bkdSIlcgnS8ahhduraQDP9LKleBdS7fuTtyHQVpX-bkHJK3Ttk-HktoxvbpjDa1tEMc_a1mQE8q5WL9pQ1iENxXKW_QtVTY__Wi-4uOo/s1600-h/mysterious-skin.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayZcnDpd8s42-dIFnCidNw4W9QE2gkQd14J4bkdSIlcgnS8ahhduraQDP9LKleBdS7fuTtyHQVpX-bkHJK3Ttk-HktoxvbpjDa1tEMc_a1mQE8q5WL9pQ1iENxXKW_QtVTY__Wi-4uOo/s320/mysterious-skin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188141730075197650" border="0" /></a></div><br />Directed by Gregg Araki<br /><br />Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Neil McCormick<br />Brady Corbet as Brian Lackey<br />Michelle Trachtenberg as Wendy<br />Jeff Licon as Eric<br />Mary Lynn Rajskub as Avalyn Friesen<br />Elisabeth Shue as Mrs. McCormick<br />Chase Ellison as 8-year-old Neil McCormick<br />George Webster as 8-year-old Brian Lackey<br />Bill Sage as Coach<br />Chris Mulkey as Mr. Lackey<br />Richard Riehle as Charlie<br />Kelly Kruger as Deborah<br /><br />Mysterious Skin is just what you want in your indie experience - <span style="font-style: italic;">Raw Truth</span>. To be brutally honest, I am still under a bit of shock after watching this last night. The movie packs a punch like no other.<br /><br />I can remember one scene from "The Prince of Tides" where you have the realization that the reason why Nick Nolte is so distant and disturbed is that he was raped as a kid. That turned my stomach over when I watched it. I am older and wiser now and this movie made me think. Before you start watching this movie remember this fair warning - the movie is about real people with an abusive past, life deals them no mercy and the director has not tried to sugar-coat the pain and trauma that the characters have gone through.<br /><br />The movie has solid acting performances all around and the Araki truely knows his trade. I find it strange that he went ahead and did a movie like "Smiley Face" after this. Maybe this movie drained him too much emotionally as it would you when you watch it.<br /><br />I would recommend this movie for lover of true cinema, but not to all. Perhaps that is why I have written here about the trauma and the subject more than the movie itself.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6UICb3i-HI4j_vYuPqTqmpKRGd9EJEJs-klFiOWbWRV4xrCQJKW75s1Ly0AKLj69SM9g88I5Haa7IvWKvG6BO7nQ3mFVO9lk3N3KjlJlrUpHHZXBKyJOOGUQsMxIRlY8iWEHIYYIFrI/s1600-h/mysteriousskin.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6UICb3i-HI4j_vYuPqTqmpKRGd9EJEJs-klFiOWbWRV4xrCQJKW75s1Ly0AKLj69SM9g88I5Haa7IvWKvG6BO7nQ3mFVO9lk3N3KjlJlrUpHHZXBKyJOOGUQsMxIRlY8iWEHIYYIFrI/s320/mysteriousskin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188146136711643362" border="0" /></a></div>Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-36010930074610990812006-02-02T09:16:00.000-08:002008-08-12T09:59:32.377-07:00How the West Was Won - 1962<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/MG/190790%7EHow-the-West-Was-Won-Posters.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/MG/190790%7EHow-the-West-Was-Won-Posters.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Directors:<br />John Ford (segment "The Civil War")<br />Henry Hathaway (segments "The Rivers", "The Plains" and "The Outlaws")<br />George Marshall (segment "The Railroad")<br />Richard Thorpe (uncredited) (transitional historical sequences)<br /><br />Cast:<br /><br />Carroll Baker ... Eve Prescott Rawlings<br />Lee J. Cobb ... Marshal Lou Ramsey<br />Henry Fonda ... Jethro Stuart<br />Carolyn Jones ... Julie Rawlings<br />Karl Malden ... Zebulon Prescott<br />Gregory Peck ... Cleve Van Valen<br />George Peppard ... Zeb Rawlings<br />Robert Preston ... Roger Morgan<br />Debbie Reynolds ... Lilith 'Lily' Prescott<br />James Stewart ... Linus Rawlings<br />Eli Wallach ... Charlie Gant<br />John Wayne ... Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman<br />Richard Widmark ... Mike King<br />Brigid Bazlen ... Dora Hawkins<br />Walter Brennan ... Col. Jeb Hawkins<br />David Brian ... Lilith's attorney<br />Andy Devine ... Cpl. Peterson<br />Raymond Massey ... Abraham Lincoln<br />Agnes Moorehead ... Rebecca Prescott<br />Harry Morgan ... Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (as Henry 'Harry' Morgan)<br />Thelma Ritter ... Agatha Clegg<br />Mickey Shaughnessy ... Deputy Stover<br />Russ Tamblyn ... Confederate deserter<br />Spencer Tracy ... Narrator<br /><br />Ford's most distinctive work has dealt with the white American's conquest of the wilderness... He has made films about most of the significant episodes in American history—early colonization of the West, the Civil War, the extermination of the Indians—and in so doing he has recounted the American saga in human terms and made it come alive...<br /><br />Ford directed one of the episodes of "How the West Was Won," the Civil War... His brief but redeeming contribution effectively recounted the bloody Battle of Shiloh and its aftermath...<br /><br />Hathaway's strong points were atmosphere, character and authentic locations... He directed, in the film, the episodes of 'The Rivers,' 'The Plains,' and 'The Outlaws.'<br /><br />George Marshal—the most prolific and most versatile of all major Hollywood filmmakers—directed the episode of 'The Railroad.'<br /><br />As seen through the eyes of four generations of a pioneer family of New England farmers as they made their way west in the l840s, the scope of "How the West Was Won" is enormous, with essays on the physiology of the West (pioneers, settlers, Indians, outlaws, and adventurers).<br /><br />The film describes the hard life and times of the Prescott's family across the continent and their fortune to the western shore after years of hardship, loss, love, war, danger and romance...<br /><br />Stewart appears in the first half hour as a trapper named Linus Rawlings, who marries the daughter (Carroll Baker) of a family migrating West…<br /><br />The story touched all the bases: runaway wagon trains; Indians stampeding Buffalos; confused and erratic river rapids; the grandeur of Monument Valley, Utah; the rocky mountains; the Black Hills of South Dakota; the clamor of gold in St.Louis; the Cheyenne attack; the Pony Express; the overland telegraph; the coming of the steel roadway of the iron horse; the bloody battle between cattlemen and homesteaders; and some thrilling hand-to-hand fighting…<br /><br />The result is a stupendous epic Western with 8 Academy Award Nominations including Best Picture and three Academy Awards including Best Original Story and Screenplay; Best Soundand Best Film Editing...<br /><br />Narrated by Spencer Tracy, "How the West Was Won" enlists the services of such top stars as: Carroll Baker, the strong-minded woman; Gregory Peck, the luckiest gambler; Debbie Reynolds, the perplexing talented singer and dancer; Henry Fonda, the buffalo hunter with gray flowing hair and mustaches; George Peppard, the man with a star; Robert Preston, the decent character with moral flaws; Thelma Ritter, the character woman; Karl Malden, the patriarch; Agnes Moorehead, the unfortunate wife and mother; John Wayne, the major architect of modern warfare; Richard Widmark, the 'king' of the railroad; Russ Tamblyn the Confederate deserter; Andy Levine, the Corporal Ohio volunteer; Lee J. Cobb, the lawman; Carolyn Jones, the worried wife; Eli Wallach, the dangerous outlaw; Rodolfo Acosta, the train robber; Raymond Massey, the great Abraham Lincoln; Walter Brennan and Lee Van Cleef, the thieves to fear…<br /><br />Alfred Newman and Ken Darby's majestic music takes the pioneers through every conceivable encounter in the West, achieving with conviction a whole constellation of magnificent spectacle...Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-91379158204560589682006-02-01T16:01:00.000-08:002008-08-12T09:59:03.168-07:00A & P - 1996<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iupg4Sqnr8kRj17qBLNzMjUIRWJSwTRguZ4mQ-wwxEQkaU7V4X-Hixu48LVbDKbnifKO4-nUIvQKWhNFDNQitr8KJCzaEn8EhT0cS6v1jnyhPWgM28XU5ve2ePMGAxBZuhEa-FUyEiI/s1600-h/amy-smart.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iupg4Sqnr8kRj17qBLNzMjUIRWJSwTRguZ4mQ-wwxEQkaU7V4X-Hixu48LVbDKbnifKO4-nUIvQKWhNFDNQitr8KJCzaEn8EhT0cS6v1jnyhPWgM28XU5ve2ePMGAxBZuhEa-FUyEiI/s400/amy-smart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233401532530259522" border="0" /></a><br />Director: Bruce Schwartz<br /><br />Cast:<br />Sean Hayes ... Sammy (as Sean Patrick Hayes)<br />Randy Oglesby ... Lengel<br />Jeramy Guillory ... Stokes<br />Amy Smart ... Queenie<br />Andrea Lyn ... Striking<br />Liz Sheridan ... Hi-Ho Lady<br />Laura Gail ... Girl #3<br />David Kieran ... McMahon<br /><br />John Updike's A & P is the subtle masterpiece that tells the story of Sammy, a young clerk at the local A & P supermarket. The story is set in 1961, in a world on the brink of a social awakening. The U.S. would soon leave behind its childlike innocence and open its eyes to a wider and more mature world view. Updike alludes to this through the character of the innocent young Sammy, Sean Hayes in his first film role, who is on the verge of his own awakening. His eyes are opened, literally and figuratively, when a bikini clad girl, Amy Smart, and her two friends walk into the store on an errand. These provocative young girls provoke different reactions in different people.<br /><br />One would think that a film based on such a good story could not help but be a joy to watch; one would think. Schwartz' direction was stilted and obvious. His shot selection was awkward. He resorted to the use of voice-over, thus taking most of dialogue out of the mouths of the actors, who he generally prevented from actually performing. The Massachusetts accent attempted by Hayes was unsuccessful and unneeded. The music, which greatly contributed to the historical setting, was overused and at times was overwhelming. Schwartz' sledgehammer approach to direction ultimately detracts from Updike's delicate tale, making it difficult to enjoy.<br /><br />Despite all the problems, this film is watchable for three main reasons. The background music perfectly set the mood of the socially naive world of 1961. The set direction was also very well done. These two very important, but often ignored, aspects of a film help to successfully transport the audience back in time. The third reason is, of course, having the opportunity to watch the early performances of the emerging young actors.<br /><br />This film is flawed, but is worth watching if only for the Updike story and the early performances of future stars, Sean Hayes and Amy Smart.Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-6306524077882174542006-01-31T11:29:00.000-08:002008-08-12T09:57:15.022-07:00The Last Chase (1981)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEk7eiKtQ-pHFBkzG9DzXz3lLDnvBE-WeVYYbMxwxn62ZxTvQn4muS0gXR0-0oqoc8IyLUSAd3XtiGyGbLlQa8myOjM-u6mM2qJlIvZWGU842niJpqGmIKBK6xGodPPJdfRo2uY1iXlzk/s1600-h/last_chase.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEk7eiKtQ-pHFBkzG9DzXz3lLDnvBE-WeVYYbMxwxn62ZxTvQn4muS0gXR0-0oqoc8IyLUSAd3XtiGyGbLlQa8myOjM-u6mM2qJlIvZWGU842niJpqGmIKBK6xGodPPJdfRo2uY1iXlzk/s320/last_chase.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179152211722469410" border="0" /></a><span><span>Director: Martyn Burke<br /><br />Lee Majors ... Franklyn Hart<br />Burgess Meredith ... Captain J.G. Williams<br />Chris Makepeace ... Ring<br />Alexandra Stewart ... Eudora<br />Diane D'Aquila ... Santana<br />George Touliatos ... Hawkins<br />Harvey Atkin ... Jud<br />Ben Gordon ... Morely<br /><br />I am generally a great fan of low budget sci-fi movies. I have spent some really happy hours watching post-apocalyptic movies of the 70s and early 80s. For me the post-apocalypse films were to the 70s and 80s what the martian films were to the 50s.<br />Lee Majors was never much of an actor but he had some screen presence that made him stand out from the other non-actors. Lee Majors in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie just couldn't miss - but it just did. The Last Chase is one of the most mind-numbing, slow-moving experience that you can come across. The story does not seem to go anywhere and it certainly does not reach anywhere. The movie has no story and no budget to gloss up the short-comings (as in Independence Day) It never looks like it is going to be very promising. At one point there has to be a delightfully evil individual or corporation that one can love to hate. In this movie, unfortunate<br />ly, none of the characters or situations are completely developed. Fortunately the film is all but forgotten and only once in a while will someone like me, who watches practically any movie that is playing, will be subjected to this horrific movie.<br />I will give it 1 out of 10. 1 for the respect to many people who had to sweat out to make this turkey<span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:13;" >.<span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:16;" ></span></span></span></span><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:13;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:16;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisi_z764w0LHydiZ6eB4k3BF7LWvgZQGeogFH3o1q8RVO2gdPD_Lhk3i6OXaY6IE02XkW0TuUl7bDkTIoMKpVQHepOK3V5F9Zn2D-VMUMx2vCXjlD2ynXffwdaz08gXJP5jU_ih0ltsi0/s320/7.jpg" /></span></span></span></span></div>Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-59663634147985363032006-01-30T09:38:00.000-08:002008-08-12T09:56:47.692-07:00Judgment at Nuremberg - 1961<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.americanrhetoric.com/images/judgmentatnurembergfinal1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.americanrhetoric.com/images/judgmentatnurembergfinal1.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Director: Stanley Kramer<br /><br />Cast:<br />Spencer Tracy ... Chief Judge Dan Haywood<br />Burt Lancaster ... Dr. Ernst Janning<br />Richard Widmark ... Col. Tad Lawson<br />Marlene Dietrich ... Mrs. Bertholt<br />Maximilian Schell ... Hans Rolfe<br />Judy Garland ... Mrs. Irene Hoffman Wallner<br />Montgomery Clift ... Rudolph Petersen<br />Ed Binns ... Sen. Burkette (as Edward Binns)<br />Werner Klemperer ... Emil Hahn<br />Torben Meyer ... Werner Lampe<br />Martin Brandt ... Friedrich Hofstetter<br />William Shatner ... Capt. Harrison Byers<br />Kenneth MacKenna ... Judge Kenneth Norris<br />Alan Baxter ... Brig. Gen. Matt Merrin<br />Ray Teal ... Judge Curtiss Ives<br /><br />JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG is a movie with many strengths, among them Abby Mann's terrific writing and Stanley Kramer's always sure-footed direction. But the chief joy of this movie is its sensational cast. Possibly the best "all-star cast" movie ever made, JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG is a fascinating study, not only of its subject matter, but of different acting styles coming together.<br /><br />Spencer Tracy's quiet and thoughtful turn as the lead judge is a perfect contrast to Maximilian Schell's (sensational) passionate defense attorney and Richard Widmark's almost fanatically zealous prosecutor. With these three remarkable actors "running the show," so to speak, we are treated to a parade of simply splendid performances.<br /><br />Marlene Dietrich (in what may be the most difficult role in the film) plays the widow of a prominent Nazi general. Outside the courtroom she strikes up a tentative friendship with Tracy. Dietrich (a passionate Nazi-hater) brings a surprising depth of feeling to her portrait of a woman caught between her love for her country and the terrible times in which she lives.<br /><br />In the midst of all this are two brief yet absolutely mesmerizing performances: Montgomery Clift and Judy Garland as victims of Nazi atrocities. Garland is utterly heartbreaking as a woman haunted by Nazi persecution; struggling to rebuild her life and regain her dignity, she is a very reluctant witness for the prosecution. Garland here reminds us what a superb dramatic actress she was.<br /><br />Clift, in what may be the most chilling moment of the film, plays a man sterilized by order of the Nazis. By now it is well known that Clift was quite ill by the time he made this film; he uses his physical problems for all they are worth, making the character so real it is actually painful to watch.<br /><br />Burt Lancaster makes an interesting departure from his usual gutsy male hero; here he plays the chief defendant, the former Minister of Justice. Lancaster abandoned his usual bluster here; this is a terribly moving performance: the man's quiet surface dignity belies the guilt he lives with. When at last he is forced to face himself, Lancaster delivers a monologue that in the theatre would bring the house down.<br /><br />Last, but by no means least, there is Werner Klemperer as one of the defendants, a fanatical Nazi totally unashamed of his actions or his beliefs. For those of you who only know Klemperer as Colonel Klink on HOGAN'S HEROES, be warned: this is a chilling portrait of a monster.<br /><br />Sprinkled among these delightful star turns is a supporting cast in which there is never a false note: William Shatner in a surprisingly un-hammy performance as the chief Judge's aide; Ben Wright and Virginia Christine as Tracy's housekeeper and manservant; Torbin Meyer and Martin Brandt as the two remaining defendants; John Wengraf, Karl Swenson, and Olga Fabian as witnesses; Kenneth MacKenna and Ray Teal as Tracy's fellow judges; Howard Caine as Garland's husband.<br /><br />Watching really good actors ply their craft is always a great joy; JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG serves up a feast of mesmerizing performances in a film you will find it very hard to forget.Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957139880862007523.post-54613468449668266062006-01-29T08:32:00.000-08:002008-08-12T09:56:19.378-07:00What I intend to DoThis is a place where I will talk about the movies that I see. I will also talk about my list of favorites and my list of movies best avoided.<br /><br />Please feel free to comment on the selctions that I present. It is quite possible we may have a dicussion at hand.Dangerouslydeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041826561696256492noreply@blogger.com0