Movies, Mom & Me

• 
  Commentary:  This film is a German remake of All That Heaven Allows. I just received it, so haven't yet watched it, but I'm really looking forward to it. I can't quite get a fix on this one and refuse to read the Wikipedia write-up, below, before I watch it, so stay tuned for more commentary.
    I'll tell you one thing I'm going to do, though. I'm going to figure out how many Sirk movies I have in my collection. It's entirely possible I have some of which I'm unaware. If so, I might need to make a new label. I know. This movie isn't a Sirk movie, but it can be argued that without Sirk's movies, this movie might not exist.
    Well, it turns out I have three Sirk movies. So far. His oeuvre is influential, though, so I have a feeling I'll be acquiring more of his work. A label, his name becomes.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Brigitte Mira	Emmi Kurowski	El Hedi ben Salem	Ali	Barbara Valentin	Barbara	Irm Hermann	Krista
  Rainer Werner Fassbinder	Eugen	Karl Scheydt	Albert Kurowski	Marquard Bohm	Gruber	Walter Sedlmayr	Angermayer
  Doris Mattes	Mrs. Angermeyer	Lilo Pempeit	Mrs. Münchmeyer	Gusti Kreissl	Paula	Margit Symo	Hedwig

  
    One of Roger Ebert's Great Movies.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1974
    Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Labels: §1, Criterion3, melodramaA, romance5

• 
  Commentary:  Once again, Rock Hudson rises to the challenge of helping Douglas Sirk subtly undermine late 1950's American lives and values. [Are they only American, and only mid-20th century, values? See the the following movie write-up, Ali: Fear East the Soul for an interesting perspective on this question.]
    Once again, I haven't yet seen this movie, so I don't have a lot to write about. For an interesting perspective, though, check out the Wikipedia article linked above to Sirk's name. Further, take note that Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, a German remake of this film, was released almost exactly 20 years later.
    In addition, it's interesting to note that according to the Wikipedia article linked above about Sirk, movie critics have changed their reactions to his work over time, and, apparently, continue to do so. Regarding Far From Heaven, a 2002 period film written and directed by Todd Haynes, Haynes is unabashed in his recognition of the influence of Sirk's work on him and this particular movie of his.
  Update Sometime in early 2022:  I have not only seen this movie, I've seen it more than once and will probably watch it again and again. For all its melodrama, it is a film to get lost in for me because it echoes an era I just missed but that, nonetheless, had a huge impact on how my generation made its way in life. This is not a movie I would have enjoyed as a young woman, but, now, I not only appreciate what it was saying and the era in which it was made, I love the lushness of the production and its subtle undermining of all it appears to promote.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Jane Wyman	Cary Scott	Rock Hudson	Ron Kirby	Agnes Moorehead	Sara Warren	Conrad Nagel	Harvey
  Virginia Grey	Alida Anderson	Gloria Talbot	Kay Scott	David Janssen	Freddie Norton	William Reynolds	Ned Scott
  Charles Drake	Mick Anderson	Jacqueline deWit	Mona Plash	Hayden Rorke	Dr. Dan Hennessy	Leigh Snowden	Jo-Ann Grisby

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1955
    Directed by Douglas Sirk.

Labels: 20th-century-chick-flicks1, Criterion3, douglas-sirk, dramaE, melodramaA, rock-hudson, romance5

• 
  Commentary:  I haven't yet watched this movie, although the write-up on the back almost makes me feel as though I have. Pretty much, it sounds like a follow-up to Giant, or, perhaps, vice versa. Both movies were released in 1956 (I don't know which one was released first), which means they were being produced at the same time. Both star Rock Hudson (my goodness he was a busy actor), although in completely different roles. Both take place on oil "plantations" (so to speak). Both involve the reprobate behavior of a key male character and some twitchy moves by children.
    If you read the Wikipedia articles about both movies, though, it's clear they had nothing to do with one another. Each has different source material. Character arcs are, well, similar, but not the same, and not attributed to the same types of characters, nor are those characters played by the same types of actors. I think the character of the times produced both of these movies at the same time ... but with clearly individual and peculiar emphases that do not cross-over with the other film. I'm guessing on this next musing, but it also sounds like this movie is going to be much more tragic than Giant, which I anticipate with relish.
    At any rate, I'm exceedingly excited to watch this one. Seeing it may trigger yet another watching of Giant, just for the fun of comparison.
    Wow! Look at how much I've written and I haven't even yet watched this movie! Stay tuned.
    By the way, I'm guessing at all the stuff I've written above, having not seen the movie yet, so there's a good possibility that my label assignments will change after I watch the movie.
  Update 5/17/2022:  Okay, I've seen this movie, now. At least twice. Possibly a third time. Primarily to watch, yet again, Dorothy Malone's riot of a performance as MaryLee Hadley! The character, herself, packs a harloty punch and Dorothy Malone knows just how to twist it up and let it loose. One of the aspects of her part that I admire is that it includes more than a few scenes where she is simply thinking, remembering, and Malone is spectacular at this.
    Although, of course, the movie focuses on the men, one dubious, another stalwart, and I think the message has something to do with the virtues of growing up poor versus growing up rich, this story clearly belongs to the women. Lauren Bacall, herself, is no slouch in the "I'm thinking" department. Between the two women and their internal assessments of the situations that arise due to the career machinations of the men, really, this is a women's picture par excellence. The men just sort of go about their somewhat dull, sometimes nasty, business, and nurture these lusts for the women from the side. The women play the judge and the jury and their verdict is what decides the trajectory of this picture. Fun, fun, fun! I cannot recommend this movie enough!
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Rock Hudson	Mitch Wayne	Lauren Bacall	Lucy Moore Hadley	Robert Stack	Kyle Hadley	Dorothy Malone	Marylee Hadley
  Robert Keith	Jasper Hadley	Grant Williams	Biff Miley	Robert J. Wilke	Dan Willis	Edward Platt	Dr. Paul Cochrane
  Harry Shannon	Hoak Wayne	John Larch	Roy Carter	Roy Glenn	Sam	Maidie Norman	Bertha

  
    One of Roger Ebert's Great Movies.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1956
    Directed by Douglas Sirk.

Labels: Criterion3, douglas-sirk, melodramaA, popcorn-and-soda7, rock-hudson, romance5, southern-gothic, tragedy2

• 
  Commentary:  Yes, I know, a lot of people consider this a pedestrian movie. Many critics who initially reviewed it chose to snipe at it even when granting the occasional kudo for this or that aspect. Frankly, I decided to obtain this movie because every time I watch the Sex and the City episode (season 2, episode 18, Ex in the City in case you're ever curious, too) in which "the girls" compare Carrie's relationship with Big to this movie and, subsequently, Carrie quotes the line from The Way We Were, "Your girl is lovely, Hubbell", in a chance meeting with Big at the end, I always wonder, hmmm, maybe I should watch that! I have checked it out from the library at least a couple of times, including before my mom died. She loved Sex in the City [her favorite character was Samantha Jones (I know, sounds crazy, but my mom was calm, cool and collected and adventurous in many of the same ways Samantha Jones is)] and was curious about this movie, too. I don't remember her reaction to it, though, so it must have been underwhelming. And, actually, I never remember my own reaction to it. So, I decided, since this movie continues to cross my mind every time I watch that Sex and the City episode and I suddenly, again, have a desire to watch it, I should add it to my collection.
    By the way, although most critics were nit-pickety harsh, not all of them were. All three of the Three Movie Buffs (all of whom are men) thoughtfully gave this movie high praise. I've attached a link to their reviews to the link for this movie just before the infamous Carrie quote. All three opinions are an enlightening read, especially if you've ever felt conflicted about this movie.
  Rewatched 3/5/22  As I rewatched this movie, I had in the back of my mind that I might, once again, eliminate it from my collection. I've decided to continue to keep it.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Barbra Streisand	Katy Morosky	Robert Redford	Hubbell Gardiner	Bradford Dillman	J. J.	Lois Chiles	Carol Ann
  Patrick O'Neal	George Bissinger	Viveca Lindfors	Paula Reisner	Herb Edelman	Bill Verso	James Woods	Frankie McVeigh

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1973
    Directed by Stanley Pollack.

Labels: barbra-streisand, dramaE, james-woods, political5, robert-redford, romance5

  I just completed an extended clean-up of this site. I matched each entry on the left definitively to each entry on the right. And checked the correspondences. Everything's working the way it should.
  You might notice there are some posts originally written in 2016 and 2005 whose reviews are actually at the top of the list in November, 2021. These are the posts I managed to disappear with a swipe of my hand on an ultra sensitive touch pad (my usual computer, which is not nearly as sensitive, was in the shop when I did that). In all cases I've indicated when the post was originally published. I'm not sure it matters to anyone but me, but, well, if it matters to me, it's important, especially since I appear to be the only one who uses this site.
  There may still be some internal links in posts that don't quite sync. I'll take care of that over the next few days (I hope). I've figured out a slick process for finding these disassociated links, but, slick as it is, it's also time consuming. I am a bit of a badger when I'm working on something, though, so, perhaps it won't take too long.
  And then, of course, I still have several reviews to write. I've acquired so many movies over the last six months or so that I've gotten behind on that. Don't worry. Doing that is on my mind.
  So. All reviews have been restored. All links between the left and right columns are functioning and go where they're meant to go. I'm in business, again. There's still a bit of dirt on the floor, but all dangerous particles have been scouted and removed. A good sweeping and mopping is all that's left to do. I think, for the time being, I can go to bed, now.

• 
  Commentary:  This movie came to me (as several in this new list did) when I was scanning the Hastings going-out-of-business shelves for movies I don't own but would like to. What can I say. It's masterful. I've watched it twice since I bought it. Every performance is spot on and, despite its length, there is no fat in this movie.
    Although this movie was released long before my mother died, since it was not in my collection until after she died and I can't recall that we ever ran across it on television, she never saw it. My guess is that she probably would not have enjoyed it and would have snoozed through it. My mother was in the U.S. Navy in WWII. She was a gunnery instructor. She taught soldiers how to shoot. That's how she met my father. He was one of her students. In addition, she outranked him. Her view of WWII does not include detailed musings of what happened to Jewish people and many others during the war. She was certainly aware of this, and, obviously, was on the side of defeating Hitler's forces. But she was single-minded in preparing "our boys" for the front, not in what was going on in the nether regions of the war.
    In sum, we, those of us who were likely not even a gleam in our parents' eyes, during WWII, see this war differently than the participants. Our perspective is valuable. This movie proves that. But, fighting a war is very different than contemplating the war after the fact. This is probably the most valuable lesson this movie has to offer.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published August 14, 2016. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Liam Neeson	Oskar Schindler	Ben Kingsley	Itzhak Stern	Ralph Fiennes	Amon Göth	Caroline Goodall	Emilie Schindler
  Jonathan Sagall	Poldek Pfefferberg	Embeth Davidtz	Helen Hirsch	Andrzej Seweryn	Julian Scherner	Piotr Polk	Leo Rosner

  
    One of Roger Ebert's Great Movies.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1993
    Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Labels: anti-fascist, ben-kingsley, docu-drama, historical2, period2, steven-spielberg, war1

• 
  Commentary:  I've wanted to own this movie for a long time and finally caught it, used, at our local Hastings, which is in the process of going out of business, unfortunately. It's where I've bought most of my movies, used and cheap. Not sure what I'll do, now. At any rate, I've watched this movie on television more than a few times. It's one of my all time favorite classics. A few months ago, when I was contemplating the current U.S. Presidential election, I suddenly got a hankering to watch this movie because of what I thought I remembered as similarities between the portrayal of the "John Doe Club" movement and what was going on in both political parties. Since I no longer have a TV connection the solution was buying it and, there it was, on the Hastings shelves. And, yes, I think I was right in the connections I made between the political movements then and now. I know I'll be coming back to this movie over and over in the years to come. And, yes, for those of you who notice "shared-favorite" the labels, below, it was a favorite of my mother's as well. She may be dead, but my memories of her live on and are refreshed every time I watch this movie.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published August 14, 2016. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Gary Cooper	John Doe/Long John Willoughby	Barbara Stanwyck	Ann Mitchell	Edward Arnold	D. B. Norton	Walter Brennan	The Colonel
  Spring Byington	Mrs. Mitchell	James Gleason	Henry Connell	Gene Lockhart	Mayor Lovett	Rod La Rocque	Ted Shelton

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1941
    Directed by Frank Capra.

Labels: anti-fascist, barbara-stanwyck, Christmas, drama6, frank-capra, political2, shared-favorite

• 
  Commentary:  I initially saw this years ago, and it has haunted me, since, as an innovative biography as well as its depiction of the man. Yet another serendipitous going-out-of-business find.
    This is another one of those movies where several people working for and contributing to RogerEbert.com wrote articles pertaining to this movie. Just search it at the site.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published August 14, 2016. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Denzel Washington	Malcolm X	Angela Bassett	Betty Shabazz	Albert Hall	Baines	Al Freeman Jr.	Elijah Muhammad
  Delroy Lindo	West Indian Archie	Spike Lee	Shorty	Theresa Randle	Laura	Kate Vernon	Sophia
  Ernest Lee Thomas	Sidney, Fruit of Islam	Christopher Plummer	Chaplain Gill	Lonette McKee	Louise Little	Tommy Hollis	Earl Little
  Giancarlo Esposito	Talmadge X Hayer	Wendell Pierce	Ben Thomas	Leonard L. Thomas	Leon Davis	Leland Gantt	Wilber McKinley
  Veronica Webb	Sister Lucille Rosary	Jean-Claude La Marre	Benjamin 2X	Debi Mazar	Peg	Peter Boyle	NYPD Cpt. Green

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1992
    Directed by Spike Lee.

Labels: biography1, christopher-plummer, debi-mazar, delroy-lindo, denzel-washington, drama6, film-art1, giancarlo-esposito, haunting1, period2, political2, spike-lee

• 
  Commentary:  This is a classic that I added to my collection because, when I had cable TV, every time it was on I'd watch it at least a few times. Good purchase; I've watched it twice since I bought it.
    One of the aspects of this movie that appeals to me is that, no matter how clear cut the opinions of the characters are about money, ambition and success, at the end of the movie, despite the protestations by one of the characters that he's learned his lesson, the story makes it abundantly clear that these problems don't go away once they're "solved". It is the nature of capitalism to continue to assert itself despite the damage it causes, despite how many attempts there are to subvert it. Thus, the movie's "happy" ending actually leaves a bitter taste. Which is why I like it.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published August 14, 2016. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Michael Douglas	Gordon Gekko	Charlie Sheen	Bud Fox	Daryl Hannah	Darien Taylor	Martin Sheen	Carl Fox
  John C. McGinley	Marvin	Terence Stamp	Sir Larry Wildman	Hal Holbrook	Lou Mannheim	Sean Young	Kate Gekko
  James Spader	Roger Barnes	Saul Rubinek	Harold Salt	Sylvia Miles	Dolores the Realtor	Paul Guilfoyle	Stone Livingstone

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1987
    Directed by Oliver Stone.

Labels: james-spader, michael-douglas

• 
  Commentary:  The premise of this movie has intrigued me since I first watched it, probably on cable TV, although I can't remember. I was so impressed with it that I mentioned it to one of my nephews and he enjoyed it, too. So, when I got a chance to own it, I took it. No "big deal" about this movie. It's just purely enjoyable, fanciful, very well produced fun. Excellent mood lifter, for me, anyway. I understand there is a TV series based on the movie. I'm not sure I'll watch it. I can't imagine this movie going on, and on, and on ...
    As much as I enjoy this movie, though, you'll notice that I've linked the title of this post to Roger Ebert's critical review. He brings up some good points, makes you think even further about the premise of the movie than you had. It does not, though, spoil my enjoyment.
  Update 2/10/18:  Maybe it's a stretch to label this a "super-hero" movie, since the protagonist doesn't do anything particularly heroic, but, by the end, you are left with the feeling that he could, and maybe he will.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published August 14, 2016. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Bradley Cooper	Edward Morra	Abbie Cornish	Lindy	Robert De Niro	Carlos Van Loon	Anna Friel	Melissa Gant
  Johnny Whitworth	Vernon Gant	Richard Bekins	Henry Atwood	Robert John Burke	Donald Pierce	Tomas Arana	Man in Tan Coat
  T.V. Carpio	Valerie	Patricia Kalember	Mrs. Atwood	Andrew Howard	Gennady	Ned Eisenberg	Morris Brandt

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2011
    Directed by Neil Burger.

Labels: adventure1, drama6, fantasy2, robert-de-niro, satire1, science-fiction1, super-hero2, suspense2

• 
  Commentary:  Yeah, I know, what am I doing with only the 5th season? A friend of mine gave it to me when I was complaining about having to wait forever to check it out from the library, and told me not to bother giving it back, she was done with it. "Pass it on," she said. Once I'm done with it I will, on to the library. I know from the length of their hold list on this, of which I was once a part, they could use another copy of it. And, yes, I enjoyed it, but not enough to keep, I don't think. Although I'm not sure. We'll see.
  Updated 2/5/18:  "By hook, crook" (not really, regarding the "crook") and purchase I now own all seven seasons of this serial, and I'll probably own the eighth, when it's available. I don't have the luxury of watching this show when it debuts on HBO, but I'm hooked, now, much to my surprise. I don't agree with the critics that it's the best television series ever produced (I haven't made my mind up about that, yet), but I do think it's close, certainly many-notes-worthy, and a production to which I know I'll refer many times. Just in case, since I'm noticing that many links to the producers of these movies and tv series often go dead after awhile, here's the Wikipedia link to Game of Thrones.
  Updated 1/18/21:  As you can see by the title, I now own the entire Game of Thrones series. My favorite seasons are the middle ones, where people are striving to accomplish their goals. I felt I owed it to the series, though, to follow it through to the end, not knowing that the final season would be anticlimactic throughout all six episodes. I'm okay with that, though. Like many others, worldwide, I became addicted, for good reason. The last season competently ended that addiction. Not that I will never watch any of the series, again. I am currently, and slowly, making my way through the series. I'm early into Season 5. Great acting and great storytelling doesn't exist to be abandoned on a shelf.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published August 14, 2016. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
  Update 6/15/2022:  If, like me, you found yourself unpleasantly gob-smacked by the eighth season of this series, you might find this video commentary interesting.
  
  Seasons 1 - 8   

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Peter Dinklage	Tyrion Lannister	Lena Headey	Cercie Lannister	Nikolaj Coster-Waldau	Jamie Lannister	Emilia Clarke	Danerys Targaryen
  Kit Harington	Jon Snow	Sophie Turner	Sansa Stark	Maisie Williams	Arya Stark	Iain Glen	Jorah Mormont
  Alfie Allen/Reek	Theon Greyjoy	Sean Bean	Eddard Stark	Michelle Fairley	Catelyn Stark	Harry Lloyd	Viserys Targaryen
  Isaac Hempstead Wright	Brandon Stark	Jack Gleeson	Joffrey Baratheon	Rory McCann	Sandor "The Hound" Clegane	Aidan Gillen	Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish
  Liam Cunningham	Davos Seaworth	Stephen Dillane	Stannis Baratheon	Carice van Houten	Melisandre	Natalie Dormer	Margaery Tyrell
  Conleth Hill	Varys	Jerome Flynn	Bronn	Charles Dance	Tywin Lannister	John Bradley	Samwell Tarly
  James Cosmo	Jeor Mormont	Joe Dempsie	Gendry	Oona Chaplin	Talisa Stark	Kristofer Hivju	Tormund Giantsbane
  Gwendoline Christie	Brienne of Tarth	Iwan Rheon	Ramsey Snow/Bolton	Hannah Murray	Gilly	Nathalie Emmanuel	Missandei
  Dean-Charles Chapman	Tommen Baratheon	Tom Wlaschiha	Jaqen H'ghar	Indira Varma	Ellaria Sand	Jonathan Pryce	The High Sparrow
  Daniel Portman	Podrick Payne	Bella Ramsey	Lyanna Mormont	Pilou Asbæk	Euron Greyjoy	Anton Lesser	Qyburn
  Gemma Whelan	Yara Greyjoy	Lino Facioli	Robin Arryn	Jacob Anderson	Grey Worm	James Faulkner	Randyll Tarly
  Diana Rigg	Olenna Tyrell	Keisha Castle-Hughes	Obara Sand	Joseph Mawle	Benjen Stark	Kate Dickie	Lysa Arryn
  David Bradley	Walter Frey	Jim Broadbent	Archmaester Ebrose	Max von Sydow	Three-eyed Raven	Julian Glover	Grand Maester Pycelle
  Peter Vaughan	Maester Aemon	Kristian Nairn	Hodor	Jason Momoa	Khal Drogo	Thomas Brodie-Sangster	Jojen Reed

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2011-2019
    Directed by: Okay, so here's a huge disappointment. Despite having many directors, only one of those directors was a woman and she directed only two episodes in Season 4. Shameful.

Labels: action1, adventure1, drama6, fantasy2, female-director3, indira-varma, jonathan-pryce, max-von-sydow, period2, peter-dinklage, political2, royals, spectacle1, suspense2, tragedy1, TV1, violence2, war1

• 
  Commentary:  A couple of years ago my old DVD/VHS player died. I bought a new player, a DVD/BLU-RAY model, on a promotion special that paired it with a random Blu-Ray movie. This is the movie I got. Yes, I watched it. I'm not generally a fan of war movies, although I have a (very) few favorites, most of which, I think, I already own. This is not a movie I would have either sought out or bought. I can't recommend it because I'm not a fan of war movies. I imagine it's okay. I don't really know. I've not watched it again and it remains in my collection only because I forget that it's there. I'm even instituting a new category for this movie: forgotten-movies.
  Update 2/6/18:  So, I'm cleaning up this website, adding and changing links, and I noted that I had not linked the title of this movie to any kind of explanation. I hopped over to Wikipedia and began reading about the film. The write-up, especially the history of it, was so interesting that I've decided I should watch this again from a renewed perspective. Perhaps I'll have more to say about it, once I've re-viewed (yes, the dash is intentional) it.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Dirk Bogarde	Lt-Gen. Frederick Browning	Edward Fox	Lt-Gen. Brian Horrocks	Donald Douglas	Brig. Gerald Lathbury	Michael Caine	Lt-Col. J.O.E. Vandeleur
  Anthony Hopkins	Lt-Col. John Frost	Ben Cross	Trooper Binns	Paul Maxwell	Maj. Gen. Maxwell Taylor	Ryan O'Neal	Brig. Gen. James Gavin
  Elliott Gould	Col. Robert Stout	Arthur Hill	US Army Surgeon Colonel	Robert Redford	Maj. Julian Cook	John Ratzenberger	Lt. Wall
  James Caan	Stf. Sgt. Eddie Dohun	Gene Hackman	Mjr. Gen. Stanisław Sosabowski	Wolfgang Preiss	Gen-fd-mrsch. Gerd von Rundstedt	Maximilian Schell	Gen. der Waffen-SS Wilhelm Bittrich
  Laurence Olivier	Dr. Jan Spaander	Liv Ullmann	Kate ter Horst	Richard Attenborough	Lunatic Wearing Glasses	Erik Chitty	Organist

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1977
    Directed by Richard Attenborough.

Labels: action1, adventure3, anthony-hopkins, drama6, forgotten-movies, historical2, michael-caine, period2, robert-redford, war1

• 
  Commentary:  A sophisticated movie about a completely unsophisticated man in a completely unsophisticated predicament. I watched the movie with enjoyment the first time, without any inkling that I might want to own it. Then came the surprising, delightful ending and I watched it again, immediately. I knew I'd be adding it to my collection. And, dear reader, I did.
    By the way, two writers at RogerEbert.com chose to weigh in on this movie. The first, linked to the title of this post, weighed in after the movie's success at Telluride. The second review was written about a month and a half later, once the movie had saturated American theater screens.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published February August 14, 2016. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Michael Keaton	Riggan Thomson	Benjamin Kanes	Young Riggan/Birdman	Zach Galifianakis	Jake	Edward Norton	Mike Shine
  Andrea Riseborough	Laura Alburn	Amy Ryan	Sylvia Thomson	Emma Stone	Sam Thomson	Naomi Watts	Lesley Truman
  Lindsay Duncan	Tabitha Dickinson	Merritt Wever	Annie	Jeremy Shamos	Ralph	Bill Camp	Crazy Man

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2014
    Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Labels: dramedy1, edward-norton, film-art1, satire1, spiritual1, super-hero2

• 
  Commentary:  I just received this movie today so I haven't yet watched it, but I'll be doing that tonight. At any rate, I had to mention, there are no less than three reviews written about this movie at RogerEbert.com. No, Ebert didn't come back from the dead to review the movie, but two regular reviewers and one non-regular reviewer weighed in on the movie. The first review that came up at the site is linked to the title of this post. Here's the second and here's the third. The second, I think, is going to be the most informative, although I'll let you know once I've read it and watched the movie (I plan to do the movie watching first).
    Frankly, I have a troubled relationship with apocalyptic (and post-apocalyptic, I mean, let's face it, if a movie is about an apocalypse, is stands to reason it's also about the post apocalyptic period, although, I can think of one exception to that rule: The Last Wave; and, come to think of it, Dr. Strangelove doesn't cover the post apocalyptic period, either) movies. There are a few that I love and I think I own most of those. The ones I love are subtle and surprising, like The Last Wave and The Rapture. I'm not sure, from what I've read so far about this movie (a few blurbs, including the blurb on the cover of my copy), that this will be one of my favorites. It seems like it's not about apocalypsis, but uses an apocalypse as an excuse for a fight between the haves and the have nots. Thinking about apocalyptic events put me into an apocalyptic mindset and I ordered two other apocalyptic movies along with this one, both of which I'd seen years ago: Threads and On the Beach, both of which qualify for the "subtle and surprising" category. I've rewatched Threads and will be producing a write-up soon. I have yet to rewatch On the Beach. And, of course, I haven't watched this movie yet, although I notice in the Wikipedia article about it, linked in the next paragraph, that it got unusually good reviews, not all around, there were some critics who found the film less than good, but mostly the reviews were well above average.
    Can't wait to see how it hits me. Stay tuned.
  Update 5/18/2022  I watched this movie a couple or three months ago. The end is excellent, true Bong Joon-ho: One assumed lone survivor, leaving the wrecked train into a snow covered world with a polar bear snuffling around. I don't know why, but this scene captured my imagination. The rest of the film? Eh. A lot of have/have-not fighting. Tilda Swinton going crazy with her role and having what looks to be a fun time. Chris Evans as a totally forgettable protagonist. Lots of interesting bit parts by interesting bit players.
    This movie was a hit with the critics, but, I don't know, I think there are lots more credible and interesting apocalyptic films out there. Maybe I'm not in touch with the apocalyptic zeitgeist. And, the one question I had that was never concretely answered, why a train? I mean, why an apocalyptic train?
    Then, there's Ed Harris playing another version of Christof and John Hurt playing another version of, hmmm, oh, I don't know, name your poison. [This comment, by the way, is not to belittle his work. John Hurt was an astonishing actor with a wiiiide range. It is actors of his calibre that make me ever grateful I exist in a time when performances are recorded and readily available. He did, however, get a little typecast in his later years.]
    But, I'll keep it, especially since it is an example of apocalyptic movie-thought in the second decade of the 21st century, a century which appears to finally promise the long awaited "apocalypse". I mean, if humanity doesn't deliver it, the environment will.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Chris Evans	Curtis Everett	Song Kang-ho	Namgoong Minsoo	Ed Harris	Wilford	John Hurt	Gillam
  Tilda Swinton	Minister Mason	Jamie Bell	Edgar	Octavia Spencer	Tanya	Ewen Bremner	Andrew
  Go Ah-sung	Yona	Alison Pill	Teacher	Vlad Ivanov	Franco the Elder	Luke Pasqualino	Grey

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2013
    Directed by Bong Joon-ho.

Labels: anti-fascist, apocalyptic, bong-joon-ho, john-hurt

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. 
   Commentary:  Another favorite that we watch fairly often, when we need to believe in political integrity.
     Mom especially likes the state dinner for the French President and his wife. Every time we watch that scene she can't help but say, "Wouldn't you just love to attend one of those dinners?" The truth is, I think she would like to spend her entire life going from State Dinner to State Dinner. It would suit her.
     I particularly like that, after I'd established my affection for the movie, a good friend of mine told me that he considers me the real life Sidney Allen Wade. He's wrong, of course, but, still, I spend a lot of time preening inside as I watch this movie.
   Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
     

   Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
   Michael Douglas	U. S. President Alan Shepherd	Annette Bening	Sydney Allen Wade	Martin Sheen	A.J. MacInerney	David Paymer	Leon Kodak
   Samantha Mathis	Janie Basdin	Michael J. Fox	Louis Rothschild	John Mahoney	Leo Solomon	Anna Deavere Smith	Robin McCall
   Nina Siemaszko	Beth Wade	Wendie Malick	Susan Sloan	Anne Haney	Mrs. Chapil	Shawna Waldron	Lucy Shepherd
   Richard Dreyfuss	Bob Rumson	Beau Billingslea	Agent Cooper	Gail Strickland	Esther MacInerney	Joshua Molina	David

   
     Here's the link to the Wikipedia write-up of this movie.
     Release Date: 1995
     Directed by Rob Reiner.

Labels: aaron-sorkin, annette-bening, dramedy2, john-mahoney, michael-douglas, political4, presidential, richard-dreyfuss, romance3, shared-favorite

• Who's watched:  M & G, many times
• Mentions:  *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6* *7* *8* *9* *10*
• 
  Commentary:  We both remain fascinated with this show and continue to watch it, and discuss it while watching it, regularly. As you can read in the mentions, we have eccentric opinions about and reactions to this show.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
  Update 5/18/2022:  Yes, I continue to watch this show. I am, in fact, working my way through, oh, I don't know, my 678th viewing? I can't explain why. I think, partly, it's that the episodes are a half hour and a great way to unwind right after I've tucked myself in, before I go to sleep. The acting is good. The cast is always varied. The story lines meander from dead (literally) serious to hilarious. The characterizations are on point. It's not a show to learn from, but it is a show that provides relaxation with a light touch. These people, all of them, actors, writers and crew, knew what they were doing.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Sarah Jessica Parker	Carrie Bradshaw	Kim Cattrall	Samantha Jones	Kristin Davis	Charlotte York	Cynthia Nixon	Miranda Hobbes
  Willie Garson	Stanford Blatch	Lynn Cohen	Magda	Chris Noth	Mr. Big	Frances Sternhagen	Bunny MacDougal
  Kyle MacLachlan	Trey MacDougal	Anne Meara	Mary Brady	Mikhail Baryshnikov	Aleksandr Petrovsky	Bridget Moynahan	Natasha

  
    I have two copies of Season 3.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1998-2004
    Episodes directed by several people. Lots of female directors in the first seasons although not approaching half; less and less as the seasons progressed.

Labels: cynthia-nixon, dramedy2, erotic, female-director2, popcorn-and-soda6, shared-favorite, TV3, women's-movie1

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1* *2*
• 
  Commentary:  I think I've said quite a lot about our reactions to this movie throughout the main journal. We both find it entertaining and "feel good" inspirational.
    There are a lot of movies, including many from this film's era, previous, post, and all the way through to now, that focus on populist vs. elitist politics. None of them, though, has yet approached the pointedness, pertinence and perceptiveness of this all time classic. I'll bet it will never, ever, not be a popular classic, because, at least in the United States, its story will always be contemporary.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  James Stewart	Jefferson Smith	Jean Arthur	Clarissa Saunders	Claude Rains	Joseph Harrison Paine	Edward Arnold	Jim Taylor
  Thomas Mitchell	Diz Moore	Beulah Bondi	Ma Smith	Astrid Allwyn	Susan Paine	Ruth Donnelly	Mrs. Hopper

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1939
    Directed by Frank Capra.

Labels: anti-fascist, beulah-bondi, claude-rains, dramedy2, frank-capra, james-stewart, political5, romance4, shared-favorite, thomas-mitchell

• Who's watched:  G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  This is a recent purchase, and I haven't watched it, yet, since it arrived. Mom has not seen it and probably would find it boring, distracting, and distract me.
    This movie is one of my Haunting Movies. I was bound to own it at some point. I continue to focus on the scene in which the character played by Danny Aeillo quotes, damn, someone, about the nature of angels.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Tim Robbins	Jacob Singer	Elizabeth Peña	Jezebel Pipkin	Danny Aiello	Louis Denardo	Matt Craven	Michael Newman

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1990
    Directed by Adrian Lyne.

Labels: dramaC, fantasy3, haunting2, horror2, me-favorite4, suspense3, tim-robbins

1. Who's watched:  M & G, many times and off-season
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. 
   Commentary:  This movie turned me into a Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra fan. It used to irritate Mom, though, because it is so believably dark (which is what I love about it...by the time Jimmy Stewart is hanging over the bridge, you're thinking, yep, that's the only way). Now, she focuses on Donna Reed and Beulah Bondi.
     I remember reading somewhere that this is the only Capra movie in which the monster does not receive his comeupance. And, Lionel Barrymore is a superb monster in this movie.
     Roger Ebert christened this movie as one of his "Great Movies". The review is the one linked to the title of this post.
   Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
     

   Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
   James Stewart	George Bailey	Donna Reed	Mary Hatch Bailey	Lionel Barrymore	Mr. Potter	Thomas Mitchell	Uncle Billy
   Henry Travers	Clarence	Beulah Bondi	Mrs. Bailey	Frank Faylen	Ernie	Ward Bond	Bert
   Gloria Grahame	Violet	H. B. Warner	Mr. Gower	Frank Albertson	Sam Wainwright	Bill Edmunds	Mr. Martini

   
     Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
     Release Date: 1946
     Directed by Frank Capra.

Labels: beulah-bondi, Christmas, dramaC, frank-capra, james-stewart, shared-favorite, thomas-mitchell

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None, to my surprise
• 
  Commentary:  This is Mom's favorite version. I'm not sure whether it's because it's a color version, or more 50's, which is a decade she loved, or what. I like this version, but my favorite is Claudette Colbert's.
    See my comments in the write-up for the 1934 original of this film.
    Unlike the 1934 original, multitudes of reviewers flocked to writing about this version. Two of the four interesting reviews I found (first of the two linked in the title of this post; second, here), while both discussed the movie, more inclined toward the subject of the movie and how it was treated. The third review I found does not shy away from the problems Sirk intended to highlight, but reviews the story, in combination with where we are now in race relations (at least, where we were in 2012 when this review was written) meticulously. Finally, the fourth review I found is kind of a combination of the other three.
    I don't have a favorite among the reviews, which is why I included them all. I have to say, though, I am surprised at how much this version has been reviewed compared with how little the 1934 version was reviewed. It's almost as though they are different stories, different movies. Which, in many ways, they are.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Lana Turner	Laura Meredith	Juanita Moore	Annie Johnson	Sandra Dee	Susie	Susan Kohner	Sarah Jane
  John Gavin	Steve Archer	Robert Alda	Allen Loomis	Dan O'Herlihy	Dave Edwards	Mahalia Jackson	Choir Soloist

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1959
    Directed by Douglas Sirk.

Labels: douglas-sirk, dramaC, mother-daughter-dynamics1, romance4