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Spring Season: Week 16
Another short one, I'm really hitting a wall hard at work right now. Podcasts help a LOT, though. Movie theatre is opening back up! I will probably be going to some movies! Hopefully that goes... well. One new case today, up to 11 active in the city, 22 active in the region. Should be... fine? I want to see Ghostbusters!
The Mob (1951): A tight little undercover pressure cooker. Real nice. And baby bit part Charles Bronson!
Ball of Fire (1941): There's a real weird kind of 'waaaaaaait a minute...' deja vu that comes with watching a movie you've already seen a version of if you're not expecting it. I was either not aware that A Song is Born was a remake when I watched it a few months back, or I'd since forgotten that fact; either way, HOLY SHIT are Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck a colossal upgrade over Danny fucking Kaye, this was delightful even if it doesn't end with the power of jazz saving the day, and I would still die for Professor Oddley (the scene where all the other professors sing his long-dead wife's favourite song for him, OH MY GOD DON'T LOOK AT ME).
Dead Reckoning (1947): I am SUCH a damn sucker for an over-the-top Bogart narration, and this is one of the most ridiculous I've yet seen, so it's practically porn. "I hated every part of her but I couldn't figure her out yet. I wanted to see her the way Johnny had. I wanted to hear that song of hers with Johnny's ears. Maybe she was alright. And maybe Christmas comes in July. But I didn't believe it." This DIALOGUE, my GOD. Amazing.
Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965): Gave Preminger another shot after Bonjour Tristesse left me pretty cold and boy am I glad I did, this ruled. Fantastic little slice of gaslighting horror with a totally nonsensical bonkers ending. Loved it.
My Name Is Julia Ross (1945): Speaking of bonkers gaslighting, it's my favourite gothic noir B-movie, back for more! This thing's like 65 minutes long, it's such an easy watch, I can't help it.
Tristana (1970): "Hey Fernando, it's Luis, I need you to play yet another pathetic old dude perving incessantly on a beautiful young woman." "Where do I sign?" This was... interesting? But even when things are happening, it doesn't really feel like much is happening? She loses a leg, they get married, I don't understand what the point of any of it is, we just keep chugging along. Nothing hits, idk. Some really nice tangents in the dialogue that are going to stick with me, though, even if the plot was whatever and the ending feels like my copy was missing a reel.
Mulholland Dr. (2001): Watching The Limey last week gave me a real need, what can I say?
You Can't Take It With You (1938): A) I think I need to space out Capra movies more, because this is just SO GOOD AND WHOLESOME and my cold dead heart desperately wants to grow three sizes and it's so much work to tamp it down all over again after Mr. Deeds Goes to Town last week. Stop that, heart! It's trite, naive idealism full of all those facile "quirky" characters that playwrights really loved back then! Don't fall for it! They all get to pursue their dreams except for the black help, who are relegated to dancing together in the kitchen, huh? Real progressive! B) jimmy stewart though ššš C) Watching this right after Mulholland Dr. was REALLY jarring because of Ann Miller, holy shit. Time is a flat circle.
Urban Rashomon (2013): I probably should have watched Antonyms of Beauty after this, but whatever, I think they both work fine either way. Really walks that fine line between being compelling and feeling exploitative of the subjects, but the fact that Allah addresses that fact near the end helps somewhat. Really striking stuff.
The Limey (1999): Rewatched with the fantastic commentary track that's mostly just the screenwriter bitching at Soderbergh for pretty much every decision he made and it's amazing, in spite of the way it annoyingly tries to get cute with the editing in places. Cannot recommend it enough if you like film commentaries, it's so fun and salty and abrasive (though they both clearly respect each other) and really shines a light on the frustrations of being a writer in Hollywood.
Gruppo di famiglia in un interno (1974): WHY IS IT THE ITALIAN VERSION. EVERYONE IS CLEARLY SPEAKING ENGLISH AND IT'S SO DISTRACTING. Anyway, this is all about lonely gay professor Burt Lancaster being sad and introverted and tender with a family of loud horrible Italians bulldozing all over his quiet life and it broke my heart a little.
Furious 7 (2015): IT'S NEVER GOODBYE. ;________;
The Mob (1951): A tight little undercover pressure cooker. Real nice. And baby bit part Charles Bronson!
Ball of Fire (1941): There's a real weird kind of 'waaaaaaait a minute...' deja vu that comes with watching a movie you've already seen a version of if you're not expecting it. I was either not aware that A Song is Born was a remake when I watched it a few months back, or I'd since forgotten that fact; either way, HOLY SHIT are Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck a colossal upgrade over Danny fucking Kaye, this was delightful even if it doesn't end with the power of jazz saving the day, and I would still die for Professor Oddley (the scene where all the other professors sing his long-dead wife's favourite song for him, OH MY GOD DON'T LOOK AT ME).
Dead Reckoning (1947): I am SUCH a damn sucker for an over-the-top Bogart narration, and this is one of the most ridiculous I've yet seen, so it's practically porn. "I hated every part of her but I couldn't figure her out yet. I wanted to see her the way Johnny had. I wanted to hear that song of hers with Johnny's ears. Maybe she was alright. And maybe Christmas comes in July. But I didn't believe it." This DIALOGUE, my GOD. Amazing.
Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965): Gave Preminger another shot after Bonjour Tristesse left me pretty cold and boy am I glad I did, this ruled. Fantastic little slice of gaslighting horror with a totally nonsensical bonkers ending. Loved it.
My Name Is Julia Ross (1945): Speaking of bonkers gaslighting, it's my favourite gothic noir B-movie, back for more! This thing's like 65 minutes long, it's such an easy watch, I can't help it.
Tristana (1970): "Hey Fernando, it's Luis, I need you to play yet another pathetic old dude perving incessantly on a beautiful young woman." "Where do I sign?" This was... interesting? But even when things are happening, it doesn't really feel like much is happening? She loses a leg, they get married, I don't understand what the point of any of it is, we just keep chugging along. Nothing hits, idk. Some really nice tangents in the dialogue that are going to stick with me, though, even if the plot was whatever and the ending feels like my copy was missing a reel.
Mulholland Dr. (2001): Watching The Limey last week gave me a real need, what can I say?
You Can't Take It With You (1938): A) I think I need to space out Capra movies more, because this is just SO GOOD AND WHOLESOME and my cold dead heart desperately wants to grow three sizes and it's so much work to tamp it down all over again after Mr. Deeds Goes to Town last week. Stop that, heart! It's trite, naive idealism full of all those facile "quirky" characters that playwrights really loved back then! Don't fall for it! They all get to pursue their dreams except for the black help, who are relegated to dancing together in the kitchen, huh? Real progressive! B) jimmy stewart though ššš C) Watching this right after Mulholland Dr. was REALLY jarring because of Ann Miller, holy shit. Time is a flat circle.
Urban Rashomon (2013): I probably should have watched Antonyms of Beauty after this, but whatever, I think they both work fine either way. Really walks that fine line between being compelling and feeling exploitative of the subjects, but the fact that Allah addresses that fact near the end helps somewhat. Really striking stuff.
The Limey (1999): Rewatched with the fantastic commentary track that's mostly just the screenwriter bitching at Soderbergh for pretty much every decision he made and it's amazing, in spite of the way it annoyingly tries to get cute with the editing in places. Cannot recommend it enough if you like film commentaries, it's so fun and salty and abrasive (though they both clearly respect each other) and really shines a light on the frustrations of being a writer in Hollywood.
Gruppo di famiglia in un interno (1974): WHY IS IT THE ITALIAN VERSION. EVERYONE IS CLEARLY SPEAKING ENGLISH AND IT'S SO DISTRACTING. Anyway, this is all about lonely gay professor Burt Lancaster being sad and introverted and tender with a family of loud horrible Italians bulldozing all over his quiet life and it broke my heart a little.
Furious 7 (2015): IT'S NEVER GOODBYE. ;________;
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I hope that's with the movies I brought into my little basement isolation zone
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Makes you think.
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