Recently watched movies

[mariab]

Hello all. Anybody's seen Made in Dagenham, because it just opened in Berlin today. Not sure that I want to see it, though. It sounds a little bit “fluffy“/chickflicky.

[sdreid]

I watched Pushover last evening starring Kim Novak and Fred MacMurray which I liked. It's a film noir type story that isn't shot in a film noir style. Kim's the femme fatale and Fred's a good cop who goes bad.

[Magpie]

I watched Saw 7 and Death Race 2 this week

Saw 7 finally saw the franchise jump the shark. Not bad, but woefully below the standard of the previous ones.

Death Race 2 was surprisely good, once you get past the shaky start.

[Sally]

Death Race 2 was surprisely good, once you get past the shaky start

It was surprising, wasn't it? I liked it too. I watched The Book of Eli the other night, which was quite entertaining so long as you didn't ask too many questions. I felt it had just missed being great - but still ok.

[c.d.]

Just saw "A Face in the Crowd", a 1957 movie directed by Elia Kazan and starring Andy Griffith and Patricia Neal. I read the description of the film and it said a "powerfull drama." I thought how the hell could Andy Griffith star in a movie like that? You know, good ole boy Sheriff Andy from good ole Mayberry. All I can say after watching the movie is holy **** does he turn in a powerfull performance as a southern drifter who can sing a little and play a little guitar. He lands a job with a local TV station and soon becomes a hit with his corny jokes and folksy ways. I won't tell you the rest of the plot but it is an excellent movie and very relative to today.

c.d.

[sdreid]

Regarding A Face in the Crowd

I don't want to mention any names but there were several TV personalities from the 1950s who were not as they seemed and that this movie could have been based on.

Tennessee Ernie Ford was the big TV Country personality of that era and I will say with confidence that it was not based on him, if he's the one who comes to anyone's mind. I believe he was actually a distant relative of mine through my paternal grandmother but I would have to check that for sure with my parents.

[c.d.]

I read that Andy Griffith swore never to play a similar role again. Apparently, he got into the character so much that some of his character's personality spilled over into his home life. I can believe that.

c.d.

[mariab]

The last flick I went to see at the movies was Never let me go, from the book by Kazuo Ishiguro (of The remains of the day fame). I think it opened in the US last fall, and it just opened in continental Europe last week. It was OK (although I can't claim I enjoy Keira Knightly as an actress). Pretty much of a downer, most obviously and clearly written by a Japanese (all that passivity and “acceptance“). Not sure if it had much of an impact on me though. I walk out of the movie theater, go shopping, get 2 pairs of boardshorts for free from my sponsor, have a nice cappuccino outside, and it's already “movie? like, what movie?“.
Scream IV just opened in Berlin. The reason Scream I keeps playing on German TV whenever one turns it on, all weekend.

[Magpie]

Just finished watching "The Colour Of Magic" and am pleasantly surprised.

Despite hearing a lot of criticism about it, I think the producers did a fine job of taking two of the weakest of the Discworld novels and molding them into a bloody good movie.

And Tim Curry is brilliant, as always.

[Rubyretro]

I've seen a few good fims recently :
-rewatched 'Deliverance'...possibly one of the best films ever made. In my top ten anyway.
-the reason that I wanted to see Deliverance again, is because I loved 'Winter's Bone'. It's not as slick, but gripping and more human (it was made by a woman director).
-'The Town'. despite the police chase rubbish, it's an excellent film, and I
will be watching anything that Ben Affleck directs in future. I think that he's always been a brilliant actor who has often sqandered his talent -until now.

[jason_c]

Regarding A Face in the Crowd

I don't want to mention any names but there were several TV personalities from the 1950s who were not as they seemed and that this movie could have been based on.

Tennessee Ernie Ford was the big TV Country personality of that era and I will say with confidence that it was not based on him, if he's the one who comes to anyone's mind. I believe he was actually a distant relative of mine through my paternal grandmother but I would have to check that for sure with my parents.

Since its an Elia Kazan flick we ought to name names.


The character was loosely based on Will Rogers i believe.

[c.d.]

Since its an Elia Kazan flick we ought to name names.


The character was loosely based on Will Rogers i believe.

Hello Jason,

Will Rogers certainly came to mind when I was watching the movie. I have also seen Arthur Godfrey's name tossed about as well.

c.d.

[sdreid]

Godfrey wasn't considered a country singer although he did play the ukulele and sing on occasion. His folksy on air presence was quite different from his behind the scene persona according to reports. Occasionally that latter personality did come out over the air, most notable was when he fired, without warning, his regular singer Julius LaRosa on live TV. It looked like it was just done to publicly humiliate LaRosa.

[c.d.]

From Wikipedia:

A Face in the Crowd creator Budd Schulberg maintained his story was actually inspired by contrasts between the public image and private personality of Will Rogers, Sr.. Also, the film's protagonist, Lonesome Rhodes, with his combination of country singing and country storytelling, superficially resembled popular TV host Tennessee Ernie Ford. Nonetheless, prominent elements of the film, including the scenes when Rhodes (played by Andy Griffith) spoofed commercials on a TV show he was hosting, were clearly Godfrey-inspired. The research by Kazan and Schulberg included attending an advertising agency meeting about Lipton Tea.

c.d.

[Sally]

A Study in Terror...

For the first time - really. And, What?? Barbara Windsor doing an unfeasible Annie Chapman?

I don't know, knives straight through the neck, victims in water tube - and I'm guessing the abundance of red shoes amongst the women of the night had its own symbolism...

Splendid fun, top marks!