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Author	Topic: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Brightness" (1987)
Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 12/22/06 3:31pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Spellbound" (1945) - Date Edited: 12/27/06 5:59pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Zaz
	Next: "Mildred Pierce" (1945) USA; 111 min. B & W Languages: English Director: Michael Curtiz Producer: Jerry Wald, Jack L. Warner Screenplay: Ranald McDougall, from the novel by James M. Cain Photography: Ernest Haller Music: Max Steiner Cast: Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Ann Blyth, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Bruce Bennett Crawford was never famous as a great actress, but she won an Oscar for this role, and not unworthily at all. She plays a middle class woman who leaves her nice but unsuccessful husband (Bennett), and becomes a restauranteur in order to satisfy her elder daughter Veda's (Blyth) taste for fine things. The book: "When they are both fatefully drawn in by a smooth, duplicious cad (Scott), the possessive Mildred's smothering, neurotic indulgence, and the ungrateful Veda's precocious appetites inevitably boil over in sexual betrayal and rage." A genuine compulsive in real life, Crawford rarely had a role that became her so well; like Mildred, she was a very hard worker and mad for self-improvement; and like Mildred she abandoned worthy elements of her life for tinsel ones. Great supporting cast, especially Blyth (only 17), Carson and Arden.
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 12/23/06 9:05pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Mildred Pierce" (1945)
	Next: "The Lost Weekend" (1945) USA; 101 min. B & W Languages: English Director: Billy Wilder Producer: Charles Brackett Screenplay: Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder from the novel by Charles R. Jackson Photography: John F. Seitz Music: Miklos Rozsa Cast: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Phillip Terry, Doris Dowling, Howard Da Silva Prior to this film, drunks were usually figures of fun in Hollywood movies; in this one, the drunk is a failed artist, whose degradation is increasing painful to witness. Despite this, it's a highly interesting film, and was, rather surprisingly, a box office hit. Ray Milland gives a very good performance; Wilder was an expert of finding the dark underside of certain actors.
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 12/23/06 9:14pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "The Lost Weekend" (1945)
	Milland is another actor who was rather bland in typical roles; two great directors found the darkness under his romantic lead persona: Wilder here and Hitchcock in Dial M for Murder. He's absolutely stunning; you wouldn't think this performance was in him. But as the film progresses, the degredations get worse and worse and he goes farther and farther into the abyss. The purse stealing scene, the Yom Kippur walk, the bat/rat scene . . . these are chilling moments. We must also praise Frankie Faison as a terrifying orderly at a clinic where Milland finds himself. Many people say this ushered in a new era of adult filmmaking; don't know that this is true, but it's certainly one of the best films of its time. Also notable is Rozsa's brilliant score; I'd call it his best actually. It's just a hair off kilter and he uses a theremin better than anyone else; eerie and discomfitting. As the entire film is. Five star all the way. "One drink is too many and a thousand isn't enough." -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 12/24/06 2:50pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "The Lost Weekend" (1945)
	Next: "Detour" (1945) USA; 67 min. B & W Languages: English Director: Edgar G. Ulmer Producer: Leon Fromkess, Martin Mooney Screenplay: Martin Goldsmith, from his novel Photography: Benjamin H. Kline Music: Leon Erdody, Clarence Gaskill, Jimmy McHugh Cast: Tom Neal, Anne Savage, Claudia McDrake, Edmund MacDonald The book says this film revels in its own cheapness, finding a world between film noir and existentialism. Well, maybe. It's obviously very, very low budget, but the no-holds-barred performance of Savage is like the ultimate in film noir.
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 12/24/06 7:03pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Detour" (1945)
	It's very tacky in its own way. Neal isn't particularly great (he eventually did time for murder himself, if I remember my legends correctly) as an actor and the plot is paper thin. The original death is utterly contrived (he falls out of the car and hits his head on a rock and dies? right). But Ann Savage darn near saves the whole thing; she is the ultimate **** buster, one of the great emasculating, dominant females of film history. The ending was originally different; Neal got away. The Production Code wouldn't hear of it. It has a certain noir quality; the line "Sometimes fate puts the finger on you . . . for no reason at all" is about as bleak as they come. But the execution is certainly lacking, as is most of the acting. It's interesting; not great. -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 12/25/06 1:39pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Detour" (1945)
	Next: "I Know Where I'm Going" (1945) UK; 92 min. B & W Languages: English/Gaelic Director: Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger Producer: George R. Busby, Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger Screenplay: Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger Photography: Erwin Hillier Music: Allan Gray Cast: Wendy Hiller, Roger Livesay, Finlay Currie, Pamela Brown The Archers do romantic comedy. The film has a gigantic amount of charm, as do Hiller and especially, Livesay. And charm is required for romcom to work. This one does; it reminded me of "Local Hero", another film set in the Scottish Highlands where very little happens, and you don't care a damn. A very smart young English girl (Hiller) travels to Scotland to marry a millionaire old enough to be her father. Along the way, she is sidetracked by a bunch of conniving locals into the arms of local laird & penniless war hero (Livesay). Hiller keeps trying to do the smart thing, and being defeated. A lovely movie.
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 12/26/06 4:56pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "I'm Know Where I'm Going" (1945)
	Next: "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) USA; 172 min. B & W Languages: English Director: William Wyler Producer: Samuel Goldwyn Screenplay: Robert E. Sherwood, from the novel "Glory For Me" by MacKinlay Kantor Photography: Gregg Toland Music: Hugo Friedhofer Cast: Frederick March, Dana Andrews, Harold Russell, Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Cathy O'Donnell The story of returning veterans. I always thought the Dana Andrews storyline the most interesting, but they are all interesting.
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 12/26/06 7:26pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "The Best Years of Our Lives" 1946) - Date Edited: 12/26/06 7:26pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Rogue1-and-a-half
	March and Loy are brilliant. Harold Russell isn't an actor, but he's fine. Dana Andrews is particularly brilliant. It's a three hour film, but it doesn't drag. I've said before that, though it doesn't contain a single gunshot in the entire film, this may be the best film ever made about World War II. The veterans are crippled in three ways: financially (March), physically (Russell) and psychologically (Andrews). -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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soitscometothis Registered: Jul '03	Date Posted: 12/27/06 5:32pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "The Best Years of Our Lives" 1946)
	Detour feels almost like a black-comedy, largely because Anne Savage is so hysterically awful; when you first see her she seems attractive, but within minutes of her opening her mouth you realise she has one of the most ugly,repellent personalities in the world. I Know Where I'm Going: very good movie. As Zaz says, a lot of charm. Weird fact: iirc, Livesey was unable to get to the Scottish location for filming, leading to the use of doubles. -----signature----- I am not an eel popsicle. Art: http://boards.theforce.net/Fan_Art/b10020/17816752/?21 Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 12/27/06 6:10pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "The Best Years of Our Lives" 1946)
	I would never have guessed it. Next: "Brief Encounter" (1946) UK; 86 min. B & W Languages: English Director: David Lean Producer: Noel Coward, Ronald Neame, Anthony Havelock-Allan Screenplay: Anthony Havelock-Allan & David Lean, from the play "Still Life" by Noel Coward Photography: Robert Krasker Non-Original Music: Rachimaninov Cast: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey A platonic love affair between a housewife and a doctor, who meet in a train station, this film has class nuances that N. Americans find inexplicable (I've read British reviews of this film, and simply don't understand what they are talking about). Johnson rarely appeared in films; too damn bad. She and Howard are wonderful, the music is iconic.
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 12/28/06 5:36pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Brief Encounter" 1946)
	Next: "Paisan" (1946) Italy; 120 min. B & W Languages: Italian/English/German Director: Roberto Rossellini Producer: Mario Conti, Rod E. Geiger, Roberto Rossellini Screenplay: Sergio Amidel, Frederico Fellini Photography: Otelio Martelli Music: Renzo Rossellini Cast: Carmelia Sanzio, Rober Van Loon, Benjamin Emmanuel A famous neorealist film, the book says it starts badly and crudely and you have to be patient. There are six episodes of the effects of WWII in Italy. Haven't seen it.
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 12/29/06 5:07pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Paisan" 1946
	Next: "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) USA; 113 min. B & W Languages: English Director: Tay Garnett Producer: Carey Wilson Screenplay: Harry Ruskin, from the novel by James M. Cain Photography: Sidney Wagner Music: George Bassman Cast: Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cromyn, Leon Ames, Audrey Totter The book correctly notes that the movies reflects a depression ambience, and that the roadside diner relfects rootlessness and limited opportunity. Lana Turner can't act worth a damn, but visually, she works. Garfield can act, and does. It's too long, and I don't buy the legal chicanery; but there are some incredibly successful scenes.
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duende Registered: Apr '06	Date Posted: 12/29/06 8:12pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "The Postman Always Rings Twice" 1946
	Good movie. The remake is crap. -----signature----- My name is JOCELYN. ))<>((
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 12/30/06 6:24pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "The Postman Always Rings Twice" 1946
	Next: "My Darling Clementine" (1946) USA; 97 min. B & W Languages: English Director: John Ford Producer: Samuel G. Engel, Darryl F. Zanuck Screenplay: Samuel G. Engel, Sam Hellman Photography: Joseph MacDonald Music: Cyril J. Mockridge Cast: Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victor Mature, Cathy Downs, Walter Brennan, Tim Holt, John Ireland The book mentions the other adaptations: "Gunfight at the OK Corral"; "Doc", "Hour of the Gun", "Tombstone" and "Wyatt Earp" and says they are all more accurate than this one; but the romantic and ballad-like treatment here is praised. The best role is Doc Holliday, and Victor Mature has perhaps his best movie role; he does it justice.
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 12/30/06 7:23pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "My Darling Clementine" 1946
	Postman is a great noir film; Garfield is very good and Turner is quite hot. -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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