Movies, Mom & Me

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Claudia Cardinale	Jill McBain	Henry Fonda	Frank	Jason Robards	Manuel "Cheyenne" Gutiérrez	Charles Bronson	Harmonica
  Gabriele Ferzetti	Mr. Morton	Paolo Stoppa	Sam the Coachman	Marco Zuanelli	Wobbles	Keenan Wynn	Flagstone Sheriff
  Frank Wolff	Brett McBain	Lionel Stander	The Barman	Woody Strode	Stony 1st Gunman	Jack Elam	Snaky 2nd Gunman
  Al Mulock	Knuckles 3rd Gunman	Enzo Santaniello	Timmy McBain	Simonetta Santaniello	Maureen McBain	Stefano Imparato	Patrick McBain

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1968
    Directed by Sergio Leone.

Labels: henry-fonda, jason-robards-jr, spaghetti-western

# posted by gail @ 19:55    0 comments    email......this post

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  Commentary:  I don't actually have this movie in my collection, yet; it's on the way. But, I watched it last night, uncut, without commercials, at this link, The Day After, courtesy of Super Critical Podcast. Thank you, Super Critical Podcast! In case, Dear Reader, you're interested in knowing the ruminations of Super Critical Podcast about this movie, the link for that episode is here. I recommend you check it out. In fact, I've fallen in love with this channel and recommend it to you if you have any interest in movies featuring nuclearity.
    So, yes, I've watched it. It is the most devastating nuclear apocalypse movie I've seen, thus far. It is not for the faint of heart, but, despite its high level of tragic believability, it's worth it. There was a small but not annoying issue of video fuzziness at the beginning of the movie but I think that may have been due to either my TV or connection, because it corrected itself almost immediately. It is loaded with well-defined characters and scenarios that won't let go of your mind, even after the final credits.
    It was a TV production broadcast during the hey-years of nuclear apocalyptic films, the early 1980s. Of all the nuclear apocalyptic movies I've seen, so far, I have to say that this is the most riveting because it is the most well done and leaves nothing to the imagination. It's been less than 12 hours since I finished the movie and I continue to have images from it pop up, unbidden, in my memory. As you watch, you'll recognize several actors who hadn't yet become readily recognizable when this film was released who later went on to become big-deal-actors. You'll also notice the obvious seriousness with which this production was approached. This was one of the best blendings of message and movie I can recall, without a hint of preachiness in the script. Just daily life lived under a literal nuclear cloud.
    I'll be watching it again, later after I receive it, so I may have more to say about it. Or, you know, not. It was devastatingly realistic and I have a feeling that sense of devastation doesn't let up after multiple viewings. This movie, by the way, is the film that had a huge impact on U. S. President Ronald Reagan and was responsible for causing him to rethink his nuclear war policy.
  Update 1/25/22:  Extra Credit Question: Who do you know (including yourself) who you think would be capable of ordering the launch of a nuclear bomb? Don't worry, Dear Reader, I'll explain and elaborate later.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Jason Robards	Dr. Russell Oakes	Georgann Johnson	Helen Oakes	John Cullum	Jim Dahlberg	Bibi Besch	Eve Dahlberg
  Lori Lethin	Denise Dahlberg	JoBeth Williams	Nurse Nancy Bauer	Calvin Jung	Dr. Sam Hachiya	Steve Guttenberg	Stephen Klein
  John Lithgow	Joe Huxley	Amy Madigan	Alison Ransom	William Allen Young	Airman 1st. Billy McCoy	Arliss Howard	Tom Cooper

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1983
    Directed by Nicholas Meyer.

Labels: apocalyptic, bibi-besch, dramaE, haunting3, jason-robards-jr, john-lithgow, nuclear, reflective, tragedy2, TV3, war3

# posted by gail @ 13:02    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  only G
• Mentions:  *1*
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  Commentary:  I don't know whether my mother will ever see this movie. I saw it in the theater when it first came out. It was a case of 12 Monkeys all over again. Lots of hype and lots of delivery but no delivery that matched the hype.
    I picked up a cheap copy when I turned some videos in because I wanted to see it again, now, some years later, for reasons I explain in the "Mentions" link above. I was surprised that I found myself liking individual achievements spectacularly well: Macy's performance, his character: Exquisite. The Cruise vignettes: Amazing. So, I decided to keep it.
    Why is it possible that Mom won't see this movie? It think it would bore her and she would wonder, out loud, why it is considered to be "apocalyptic". Which, actually, I also wonder.
    I also, by the way, consider this the third in my category of "caregiver" movies. If you've seen it, you'll know why.
    Roger Ebert reviewed this movie twice, once on the regular and once as a Great Movie, linked to the title of this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Jeremy Blackman	Stanley Spector	Tom Cruise	Frank T.J. Mackey	Melinda Dillon	Rose Gator	April Grace	Gwenovier
  Luis Guzman	Luis	Philip Baker Hall	Jimmy Gator	Thomas Jane	Young Jimmy	Philip Seymour Hoffman	Phil Parma
  Ricky Jay	Burt Ramsey/Narrator	Emmanuel Johnson	Dixon	William H. Macy	Donnie Smith	Benjamin Niedens	Young Donny
  Alfred Molina	Solomon Solomon	Julianne Moore	Linda Partridge	John C. Reilly	Ofc. Jim Kurring	Jason Robards	Earl Partridge
  Melora Walters	Claudia Wilson Gator	Henry Gibson	Thurston Howell	Felicity Huffman	Cynthia	Patton Oswalt	Delmer Darion

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1999
    Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

Labels: caregiver, drama8, fantasy2, jason-robards-jr, julianne-moore, tom-cruise

# posted by gail @ 10:38    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1*
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  Commentary:  I was finally moved to buy this movie when I noticed that every time it appeared on television, even if on a channel that corrupted its flow with commercials, Mom and I would tune in, even though we mostly notice it after the movie has started. My fascination for the movie has to do with some of it's techniques, particularly when the camera attempts to duplicate Hank's character's point of view. The small gestures in this film are perfect, as well, and the aria scene never fails to grab me. I'm not sure what Mom likes about the film, but she watches it as intently as I.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Tom Hanks	Andrew Beckett	Denzel Washington	Joe Miller	Jason Robards	Charles Wheeler	Mary Steenburgen	Belinda Conine
  Antonio Banderas	Miguel Álvarez	Joanne Woodward	Sarah Beckett	Robert W. Castle	Bud Beckett	Ann Dowd	Jill Beckett

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1993
    Directed by Jonathan Demme.

Labels: denzel-washington, drama9, jason-robards-jr, joanne-woodward, political4, tom-hanks

# posted by gail @ 09:02    0 comments    email......this post