Thursday, November 23, 2023
All the President's Men
- Commentary: Under construction.
My father and I actually read the book together from which this movie was created, out loud, and discussed it at length. This is an activity my mother and I usually did, so it was a special treat for me (and my father, as well, I have good reason to assume). I still remember bits of our discussions. We never went to see the movie, together, but my father never much appreciated movies, well, except for a few. A very few.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Dustin Hoffman Carl Bernstein Robert Redford Bob Woodward Jack Warden Harry M. Rosenfeld Martin Balsam Howard Simons Hal Holbrook Deep Throat Jane Alexander The Bookkeeper Stephen Collins Hugh W. Sloan Jr. Ned Beatty Martin Dardis Meredith Baxter Deborah Murray Sloan Lindsay Crouse Kay Eddy Robert Walden Donald Segretti F. Murray Abraham Sgt. Paul Leeper Polly Holliday Dardis' Secretary Frank Wills Himself, Security Guard Nicolas Coster Markham John Randolph John Mitchell's Voice
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1976
Directed by Alan J. Pakula.
Labels: alan-j-pakula, f-murray-abraham, jack-warden, journalism, ned-beatty, paranoia-trilogy
Thursday, October 27, 2022
The Fourth Protocol
- Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Michael Caine John Preston Pierce Brosnan Major Valeri Alekseyevich Petrofsky/James Edward Ross Ned Beatty General Pavel Petrovich Borisov Joanna Cassidy Irina Vassilievna Julian Glover Brian Harcourt-Smith Michael Gough Sir Bernard Hemmings Ray McAnally General Yevgeny Sergeyevich Karpov Ian Richardson Sir Nigel Irvine Anton Rodgers George Berenson Caroline Blakiston Angela Berenson Joseph Brady Carmichael Matt Frewer Tom McWhirter
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1987
Directed by John Mackenzie.
Labels: §5, goflexA, michael-caine, ned-beatty, nuclear, spy, thriller3
Thursday, June 09, 2022
Network
- Commentary: Another classic had-to-have favorite. This movie is so good and so correctly prophetic (and so fucking well done) it still scares the bejesus out of me. I am driven to watch it at least twice a year.
Does it surprise you to know that Roger Ebert reviewed this movie twice? He did, again, as one of his "Great Movies", linked to the title of this post, and 24 years earlier when he initially saw it on it's first release.
Update 6/9/2022: This post was originally published on 8/14/16 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Faye Dunaway Diana Christensen Wiliam Holden Max Schumacher Peter Finch Howard Beale Robert Duvall Frank Hackett Wesley Addy Nelson Chaney Ned Beatty Arthur Jensen Beatrice Straight Louise Schumacher Jordan Charney Harry Hunter Conchata Ferrell Barbara Schlesinger Darryl Hickman Bill Herron William Prince Edward Ruddy Ken Kercheval Merrill Grant
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1976
Directed by Sidney Lumet.
Labels: faye-dunaway, journalism, me-favorite1, ned-beatty, political2, prophecy, robert-duvall, satire1
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Wise Blood
- Commentary: I don't know why (although, maybe it's because, on my mother's side, two of my ancestors were preachers, one of whom was a fire-and-brimstone circuit rider; another ancestor was a deaconess; a third was a PhD trained church organist as well as a music professor; I never met any of them, they were long dead when I was close enough in the world to meet them, but, you know, DNA and all ...) but I love "preacher" movies, especially the weird ones (weird preachers, that is) and this one sounds like a delightful doozy.
This is definitely the first and likely the last movie write-up in which a car is one of the characters. Hazel's car, though, plays an important part in this story and in Hazel's life. Remember, although this story takes place after an unspecified war, car culture was clearly in its prime throughout most of the 20th century, so it should be no surprise that Hazel's car is an extension of himself, his "home", as he casually christens it, and he treats it as such. In a way, Hazel's car narrows the time frame of the story, at least in the movie. Its model speaks to the Vietnam War era, although Motes could have been returning from service in any part of the world within the time frame suggested by the car. It was an old car, remember.
More later. Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Brad Dourif Hazel Motes John Huston Grandfather Dan Shor Enoch Emory Mary Nell Santacroce Landlady Harry Dean Stanton Asa Hawks Amy Wright Sabbath Lily Hawks Ned Beatty Hoover Shoates William Hickey Preacher J.L. Parker Karl Marvin Sapp Raymond Betty Lou Groover Leora Watts Hazel Motes' Car 1958 Fairlane 500 Town Sedan
The Wikipedia write-up for this film is here.
Release Date: 1979
Directed by John Huston.
Labels: brad-dourif, Criterion1, harry-dean-stanton, ned-beatty, religion2, southern-gothic
Monday, November 04, 2019
Nashville
- Commentary: Owning this movie is a long time coming for me. I've just reviewed a list of Altman's motion pictures (vs. his "short industrial films", etc., of which there are many) and discovered that I've seen almost all of his films but do not universally love his work, although I admire and am grateful for the entire body of his motion picture work. He tried everything, tried to tackle everything, sometimes succeeded, sometimes, well, didn't, but what he finally committed to film stock was (and is) always interesting.
I think this film, Nashville, is his greatest work. It is observant, reflective, entirely non-judgmental from the perspective of the film maker while allowing his characters and their stories to make their own judgments. Mind you, I am not a classic Country Music fan. There have been many episodes in my life when I have, literally, cringed when listening to a radio station and hearing the first few wails of a slide guitar. But, this movie isn't about country music. It's about the United States. Using the offhand medium of Country Music concerts, Altman captured the ambivalence of the United States' dual in-your-face, get-off-my-property character. The movie is gorgeous. On all levels. I never get tired of watching it; which is why, when I discovered I had a chance to own it, I jumped on it.
In addition, Roger Ebert wrote a second review for Nashville when he christened it one of his "Great Movies" twenty five years after his first review.
I'm inaugurating a new label with this movie: reflective. Likely, that category fits a few other movies, here. I will, eventually, get around to attaching it to the appropriate films. In the meantime, when I'm done, here, entering my new acquisitions, I think I'll settle into a viewing of this movie. Again.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role David Arkin Norman Barbara Baxley Lady Pearl Ned Beatty Delbert Reese Karen Black Connie White Ronee Blakley Barbara Jean Timothy Brown Tommy Brown Keith Carradine Tom Frank Geraldine Chaplin Opal Shelley Duvall Martha Henry Gibson Haven Hamilton Jeff Goldblum Tricycle Man Scott Glenn Pfc. Glenn Kelly Michael Murphy John Triplette Lily Tomlin Linnea Reese Keenan Wynn Mr. Green Thomas Hal Phillips Hal Phillip Walker (voice)
Release Date: 1975
Directed by Robert Altman.
Labels: comedy1, Criterion1, drama3, musical1, ned-beatty, reflective, road-movie, robert-altman, satire1, tragedy1
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Roseanne: 1st & 2nd Seasons
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3*
- Commentary: This is one of both of our's long time favorites. Even with the series at hand, if we're channel surfing and discover an episode we watch it. We will definitely be collecting all the seasons, even the much maligned (and much deserving of being maligned) last season.
As far as post title reviews are concerned, I decided to link the first part of the title up through "1st" to a review that was enthusiastic. I linked "2nd Seasons" to a less enthusiastic but nonetheless informative review. Considering that I've never expanded my collection of this show's dvds, I think that's a fair representation of where I am on the subject of this show.
Update 2/9/18: Well, we didn't collect all the seasons and I'm not sure that I will. My love for this show hasn't evaporated but I haven't, since my mother's death, watched what I have so I'm not sure I'd watch any of the other seasons. I did, take note, watch the syndicated reruns on television, as long as I had a cable subscription. That's over now, though. Perhaps I have a strong enough memory of the series that I don't need to rewatch it, anymore. However, I continue to hang onto it through multiple library dumps of other movies and shows. And, I have fond memories of certain specific scenes in these two seasons, and a few other seasons.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Roseanne Barr Roseanne Conner John Goodman Dan Conner Laurie Metcalf Jackie Harris Michael Fishman D.J. Conner Sara Gilbert Darlene Conner Lecy Goranson Becky Conner Estelle Parsons Beverly Harris Natalie West Crystal Anderson-Conner George Clooney Booker Brooks Fred Thompson Keith Faber Ned Beatty Ed Conner Jared Rushton Chip
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1988-1990
Directed by: Most of the episodes in Season 1 are directed by a woman. All of the episodes in Season 2 are directed by a man.
Labels: comedy1, female-director2, laurie-metcalf, ned-beatty, satire2, shared-favorite, TV2
