Movies, Mom & Me

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    As you peruse reviews for this film, you'll notice that critics were sharply divided on it, despite the fact that audience attendance christened it "a hit", in the trades. The review attached to the title of this post swings both ways and provides, as well, a fascinating review of the making of the film and its impact. This review is an excellent example of the derision the film provoked. If you're looking for a reason why sword and sandal spectable epics took a long hiatus before coming back with the slam-dunk Gladiator in 2000, this movie suggests a reason.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Joan Collins	Esther	Richard Egan	Ahasuerus, King of Persia	Denis O'Dea	Mordecai	Sergio Fantoni	Haman
  Rik Battaglia	Simon	Renato Baldini	Klydrathes	Gabriele Tinti	Samuel	Rosalba Neri	Zeresh
  Robert Buchanan	Hegai	Daniela Rocca	Vashti	Folco Lulli	Tobiah	Ennio Antonelli	Jewish Man

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1960
    Directed by Raoul Walsh.

Labels: bible-movies1, goflexA, period7, spectacle2

# posted by gail @ 17:51    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  I've seen this film more than a few times, checking it out of the library. I managed to get what amounts to a free copy of it, just today, 9/24/22. I don't have it, yet, it'll be arriving Monday, reportedly. I could probably start a write-up of it from my memory of watching it, but I think I want to wait, since it's been awhile (like a few years) since I've seen it last, and I need to luxuriate in it, once again, this time knowing it'll be my personal copy, before writing about it. So, consider this post, for the time being, Under construction.
    And, BTW, Roger Ebert reviewed it. And liked it! Not completely, mind you. His lack of a fourth star is explained, in detail, in his write-up, and not only makes sense, especially considering when the movie came out and Roger wrote his review, but it is provocative, thoughtful and timely, even today, 40 years after it was written. Which is probably a good thing, since it's still a lively seller. I mean, here I am, selecting it as a free movie option! Roger's review is attached to the title of this post. You should read it.
    Another group of critics reviewed this movie, Three Movie Buffs. Their results are more than interesting, they are loaded with logistical details about the movie. If you have a "thing" for this movie, you should read their reviews.
    Anyway, we'll talk more when I receive the movie and watch it afresh.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Arnold Schwarzenegger	Conan the Barbarian	Gerry Lopez	Subotai	Sandahl Bergman	Valeria	James Earl Jones	Thulsa Doom
  Max von Sydow	King Osric	Mako Iwamatsu	Wizard of the Mounds	William Smith	Conan's Father	Sven-Ole Thorsen	Thorgrim
  Ben Davidson	Rexor	Cassandra Gava	Witch	Valérie Quennessen	Osric's Daughter	Nadiuska	Conan's Mother
  Jorge Sanz	Young Conan	Luis Barboo	Red Hair	Franco Columbu	Pictish Scout	Akio Mitamura	Mongol General

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1982
    Directed by John Milius.

Labels: adventure4, fantasy4, max-von-sydow, me-favorite4, oliver-stone, spectacle2, super-hero2, sword-&-sorcery, violence4

# posted by gail @ 18:01    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Arnold Schwarzenegger	T-800 Terminator	Linda Hamilton	Sarah Conner	Edward Furlong	John Conner	Robert Patrick	T-1000 Terminator
  Earl Boen	Dr. Silberman	Joe Morton	Miles Bennett Dyson	S. Epatha Merkerson	Tarissa Dyson	Dean Norris	SWAT team leader
  Michael Edwards	2029 John Conner	Michael Biehn	Kyle Reese	Jenette Goldstein	Janelle Voight	Xander Berkeley	Todd Voight

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1991
    Directed by James Cameron.

Labels: apocalyptic, dramaF, horror2, popcorn-and-soda7, science-fiction2, spectacle2, super-hero2, suspense3, thriller3, tragedy2, violence4

# posted by gail @ 13:04    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Well, people, I looked, and looked, and looked and couldn't find a review of this movie by Roger Ebert anywhere (although the reviews from Three Movie Buffs, to which I linked to the title of this post, more than suffice). I was sure I was, somehow, just missing it. Then, I chanced upon this admission, courtesy of IMDb and a dead link to "ReelzChannel", although Reelz certainly does exist, but searches there for "Roger Ebert" and "Terminator", came up with no results. In case you don't want to wander over to the link, it says that Roger Ebert admitted in 2009 that he'd never seen this movie.
    That just didn't seem plausible, and I'm nothing if not dogged, so, of course, I continued to look and discovered this clip from Siskel & Ebert's television show At the Movies in which Ebert not only admitted to liking the movie, but particularly liked the peculiar angle of the love story. Although the clip is not dated, it is clear from the conversation that Siskel & Ebert were reviewing it during the movie's first theater run, which was in 1984.
    Why is all this important? Well, through the many years since its release, this movie has gone up and up in audience and critical appraisal. The following two links to articles about the movie at Roger Ebert.com [30 Minutes on the Terminator] and the first two movies of the Terminator series [James Cameron's great double feature] underline this growing enthusiasm. In addition, the movie is certainly memorable. Not only did I remember it well, as I described to MFS a few days ago, "There's nothing like watching Arnold Terminator unfold into earthly existence."
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Arnold Schwarzenegger	The Terminator	Michael Biehn	Kyle Reese	Linda Hamilton	Sarah Conner	Paul Winfield	Ed Traxler
  Lance Henriksen	Vukovich	Bess Motta	Ginger	Rick Rossovich	Matt	Earl Boen	Dr. Silberman

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1984
    Directed by James Cameron.

Labels: apocalyptic, dramaF, horror2, popcorn-and-soda7, science-fiction2, spectacle2, super-hero2, suspense3, thriller3, tragedy2, violence4

# posted by gail @ 13:42    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  We acquired this movie just before last Easter when I was on a mission to obtain every jesus/bible related movie that we didn't already own. I didn't know whether Mom had ever seen this movie, but she was up for it when I mentioned it to her and was immediately enraptured in it's sprawl. She's also, of course, is a big fan of over-the-top drama of the period in which this was made.
    So am I, depending, and this movie didn't disappoint me, but, I have to say, The Ten Commandments is still my preferred movie spectacle film. I think. It depends. If I want some realistic spectacle grit, this is my go-to. If I want silky theatrics, then I opt for The Ten Commandments.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Charlton Heston	Judah Ben-Hur	Jack Hawkins	Quintus Arrius	Haya Harareet	Esther	Stephen Boyd	Messala
  Hugh Griffith	Sheik Ilderim	Martha Scott	Miriam	Cathy O'Donnell	Tirzah	Sam Jaffe	Simonides
  Finlay Currie	Balthazar	Frank Thring	Pontius Pilate	Terence Longdon	Drusus	George Relph	Tiberius Caesar

  
    Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
    Release Date: 1959
    Directed by William Wyler.

Labels: action3, adventure3, bible-movies1, charlton-heston, drama7, jesus-dvds, period3, popcorn-and-soda3, revenge1, spectacle2, violence3

# posted by gail @ 10:22    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1* *2*
• 
  Commentary:  My mother's interest in this movie was a big surprise for me. I didn't expect her to enjoy it because it is subtitled, it portrays a brutal episode in history and Werner Herzog spared no one and nothing in making this movie, but she was mesmerized by it. Unfortunately, the only copy we were able to obtain was one that had been "formatted for your screen"...big problem with this movie, since it depends on panoramic scenes, especially in the beginning, but I don't think my mother noticed or cared. I will probably keep tabs on versions of this movie and replace my copy with a widescreen version at some time in the future.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Klaus Kinski	Lope de Aguirre	Helena Rojo	Inés de Atienza	Ruy Guerra	Don Pedro de Ursúa	Del Negro	Brother Gaspar de Carvajal
  Peter Berling	Don Fernando de Guzmán	Cecilia Rivera	Flores de Aguirre	Daniel Ades	Perucho	Alejandro Repullés	Gonzalo Pizarro

  
    One of Roger Ebert's Great Movies.
    Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this film.
    Release Date: 1972
    Directed by Werner Herzog.

Labels: adventure3, drama7, haunting2, historical2, period3, political3, spectacle2, violence3, werner-herzog

# posted by gail @ 09:43    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  I rented this movie a couple of weeks ago just to undergird my decision to purchase it. Mom was thoroughly bored, so bored that she wandered around looking for things to do, at one point, while doing crosswords, asked, "Is that thing still on?!?", so my viewing was highly distracted.
    No matter. Martial Arts movies of all stripes are another of my guilty movie pleasures. I am particularly fascinated with the use of color in this movie. I am approaching it rather more as though it were a Little Buddha movie, rather than a "guilty pleasure" movie. I like the idea of the telling of stories being the subject as well as the discipline of the movie. I find the depiction of the 'heroine', as well, thoughtfully complex, and the world view thought provoking and disturbing.
  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
  Jet Li	Nameless	Tony Leung	Broken Sword	Maggie Cheung	Flying Snow	Chen Daoming	King of Qin

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2002; 2004 in the U.S.
    Directed by Zhang Yimou.

Labels: §1, action3, dramaC, dream2, period6, political5, spectacle2, suspense3

# posted by gail @ 19:41    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  I am probably more of a fan of this movie than my mother. She loves the eye spectacle, and every time we watch it, which is at least once a year, she mentions several times that she would have loved to have lived during the period of the regal, stately Southern U.S.
    Roger Ebert reviewed Gone with the Wind (link to his review in the title of this post) in order to christen it as one of his Great Movies. Very interesting review. He does not sidestep the discomfort we have about it, now, nor does he dismiss the technical brilliance that brought this movie to the screen. Read it, if you get a chance.
    Glenn Erickson DVD Savant weighs in on the movie, twice, cogently. Here's his first review. Here's his second. If you're at all interested in this movie and have gotten past your embarrassment on behalf of the United States and whiteness, in general, for producing either the novel or the movie, you should read these reviews, and, maybe, consider watching the movie.
    For me, I love reminding myself that the best, most successful romance in the history of romance stories contains a heroine who is wily and unredepemptive and whose one sterling quality is her ability to survive, despite who she hurts in the process. The hero, a scoundrel himself, is more sympathetic than the heroine.
    When we watch this movie, it is always a "planned" watching; in other words, we plan appropriate food, make sure the phone ringer is off, and settle in for several hours. It is, for us, an Event 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
  Vivien Leigh	Scarlett O'Hara	Clark Gable	Rhett Butler	Olivia de Havilland	Melanie Hamilton	Leslie Howard	Ashley Wilkes
  Hattie McDaniel	Mammy	Butterfly McQueen	Prissy	Carroll Nye	Frank Kennedy	Harry Davenport	Dr. Meade

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

Labels: dramaC, period6, romance4, shared-favorite, spectacle2

# posted by gail @ 19:21    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  This movie is one of a trilogy of graphic expeditions. You can read more about the trilogy and the individual films at the link provided. They are visually provocative to watch. I've seen all three at least once, own two, and I can't say that the films provoke within me what the Navajo words that entitle each episode 'mean'. This has its frenetic moments but it is so well put together that when you have just about had enough visual speed, it slows down and your mind begins to make sense of what it's seeing, again.
    Of the two we own Mom stayed with this one the longest. She had absolutely no patience for the second one, Powaqqatsi.
    Of the three, this one is my favorite. It is like an animated coffee table book that makes you think and feel. Of the three it is the most active.
  Update 5/8/22:  This post was originally published on 2/7/2005, but I accidentally deleted it a few days ago. Now, it's back, in its original glory.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1982
    Directed by Godfrey Reggio.

Labels: dream2, film-art2, me-favorite4, political4, spectacle2

# posted by gail @ 16:35    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Yes, I paid attention to the note to myself and scrounged for a copy of this movie. I haven't watched it, yet, I just received it today, but plan on snuggling into it tonight.
    This movie is a part of the tidal wave of luxurious English period pieces, more than a few directed by the director of this movie, that appeared in theaters in the late 1960's through the mid 1970's. Not that there aren't many that appeared outside that time frame, there have been (and continue to be). But, during this period there was a peculiar thirst in the (primarily American and British) movie watching public for theatrical stories featuring English actors and English period settings (with complications intact, please). I'm not sure if this movie was the most celebrated one of this group, but it was wildly popular, so popular that, although I wasn't much of a movie attendee during the time it initially hit the theaters (because of where I lived and the island's inavailability of movies and movie theaters), I saw this one during its first run.
    Interesting fact about this Thomas Hardy story: It has been made into a movie at least four times (starting in 1915, culminating, so far, in a 2015 version) and the book version, on Amazon, runs to 4+ pages. Its listings may run on for several more pages. I simply continued no further than the fourth.
    The book (and story) were so popular when I was in high school (when the movie was released) that we read the book in my Comp Lit class. I vaguely remember enjoying the book, I remember vigorous discussions in class about the differences between the movie and the book, but I also remember imagining the characters, as I read, as each of the gaggle of British movie actors who were featured in the film.
    The story has a feminist cast. I remember this being heavily discussed in our Comp Lit class, which shouldn't seem unusual, considering the year we studied it. I also remember, though, being mightily disappointed in the ending of both the movie and the book for this very reason. Although I can't remember if Bathsheba's independence was refuted, in the end, by either presentation, I do remember my disappointment clearly. It crystalized as the knowledge that there was no Alan Bates out there who had, was or would woo me, nor was there a Peter Finch or a Terence Stamp. My independence and feminism, in fact, were considered far from alluring and, at times, abrasive. This issue was not an insignificant part of our classroom discussions.
    Anyway, I'll likely write more once I re-watch the movie, so, Dear Reader, stay tuned. I might even be inspired to re-read the book.
  Update 1/27/2022:  I watched this entire film (it lasts almost three hours) today. Luckily, there were intermissions and entractes (one of each, I think, but I'm not sure) which made for handy make-another-cup-of-coffee breaks. Whew! Very involving, primarily to look at, partially to follow the story. I'd forgotten about that. I'm glad I picked this one up.
    Terence Stamp's performance is so enjoyable. I laughed delightedly at his playfully, fiercely erotic sword-play exhibition devised on the spot to woo Bathsheba. I wished his character had been in the film more, even though the story revolved around his involvement with Bathsheba. As I was watching the movie, I made a vow to seek out more of his filmography.
    Although all the actors turn in peak performances, in my opinion the four clear standouts are Terence Stamp, Peter Finch, Fiona Walker as Liddy and Freddie Jones, who played Cainy Ball with a zest that provoked a smile from me every time his character appeared. I have no complaints about the other actors. Everyone was in exacting form, whipped into shape, no doubt, by director John Schlesinger, who coaxed outstanding performances from even the minor, minor characters. Yes, I know, Julie Christie and Alan Bates are not mentioned above. The problem, from my perspective, is that all the roles excepting the four I mention in the first sentence of this paragraph, were, well, ho-hum. Even Bathsheba Everdene's independence and "feminism" is, well, very visible, but, frankly, all the female characters had very strong wills. When I realized this, about half way through the movie, another part of me stood and took appreciative notice. I wish I could remember if this female independence was present in the book. I think I may have to go back and reread it, just to satisfy my curiosity about that.
    Anyway, I found the film riveting, loads of fun to watch. It made me glad it's a part of my collection. I'll be watching it again. It also whetted my appetite for yet another British movie in the same vein released in the same approximate time period: The Go-Between. Alas, so far, I haven't found a source for the purchase of this one, not Amazon, nor Barnes & Noble, nor anywhere else, unless I want a Region 2 copy that would be of no use to me instead of a Region 1 copy that will actually play on my DVD player. I'm mystified as to why this movie appears not to be available. Ah, well. I'll keep looking.
    When I watch a sprawling, well done epic like this one, I realize, once again, how much I love this type of movie and find myself hungering for another, and another ... So, yes I made a short list of epic movies I own that I haven't seen recently: one Dutch, two American and three British. I'll probably be littering tomorrow and my weekend with them. Too bad rain or snow are not in the forecast. My line-up would be perfect for a precipitous weekend+one.
  Update 1/28/2022:  While pulling a web crawl for The Go-Between to see if I might find a freely available copy to view, I suddenly had a flashback to having watched the movie on Guam when it came out. I'd read the book, not as a class project but because My Florida Sister had become mesmerized by it and I wanted to see what had captured her interest. I enjoyed the book. Then, the movie arrived, I went to see it, and, you know what? Today I remembered my reaction to the film: seething disappointment; which surprised me, at the time. But, now, my memory counsels me, don't look any further, because, again, you won't like what you see. Now, that I'm remembering my initial reaction, I'm wondering if it garnered so much acclaim because it was considered kind of a "Far from the Madding Crowd II" ... only it wasn't. So, that search is over. Thank the movie gods.
    BTW, I included far more names in the table below than were necessary because the names of the characters are so fascinating. In many cases (probably most, if not all, I haven't watched the film through that lens, yet) the names are a take on the portrayal of the person. Or vice versa. I'm willing to bet that Thomas Hardy was suggesting both.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Julie Christie	Bathsheba Everdene	Terence Stamp	Frank Troy	Peter Finch	William Boldwood	Alan Bates	Gabriel Oak
  Fiona Walker	Liddy	Prunella Ransome	Fanny Robin	Alison Leggatt	Mrs. Hurst	Paul Dawkins	Henry Fray
  Denise Coffey	Soberness	John Barrett	Joseph Poorgrass	Freddie Jones	Cainy Ball	Peggy Ann Clifford	Fat Lady at Circus

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1967
    Directed by John Schlesinger.

Labels: dramaE, period6, romance5, spectacle2

# posted by gail @ 14:19    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  Don't tell me you're suprised we purchased this series! Thank the gods, the version with David Attenborough narrating was available. Although we watched the series on TV when it aired on Discovery at the beginning of April (and immediately pre-ordered it), both of us had problems with Sigourney Weaver's narration. I didn't say anything until Mom spoke up and said, "That woman sounds like an old-time school marm! Couldn't they get someone better?!?"
    Yes, they could and did.
    Even if you're a veteran of animal and nature shows, as many Ancient Ones and their caregivers are, this series is a stunner. The addition of the three episode "Planet Earth-The Future" is oddly intriguing, since it involves interviews with died in the wool Greens and those who take issue with all the propositions included in the current global warming hysteria (yes, it is an hysteria, even if it turns out to be reliable), as a well as a smattering of people who are depressed by the realities inherent in trying to get humans to cooperate across the board in changing the ways we live on our planet.
    I noticed that the script is, first, a little contradictory. In one place it mentions that glacial movement is the most devastating eroder of landscape. Then, in another episode, it states that moving water is. Granted, they both states of H₂O, but their different states and properties have vastly different impacts upon the land. I vote for glacial movement. As well, I'm not sure how long this series was in development from the very beginning, but it inaccurately states, in the forest section, that a redwood is the largest living organism on Earth. A few years ago it was discovered that a mushroom was, in fact, the largest living organism. Truth is, we'll probably discover something that's even larger, one of these days.
    Nonetheless, this series is a stunner. We watched it again tonight (which is last night, now). I know we'll watch it again. And again.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2006
    The series was co-directed by Alastair Fothergill & Mark Linfield.

Labels: documentary1, film-art1, interview, mom-favorite1, political3, popcorn-and-soda3, science, sigourney-weaver, spectacle2, TV1

# posted by gail @ 02:19    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  This is the story of the biblical Esther with additional drama and eye candy. Although some of it is authentic, much was added in order to attract an audience. I don't think it got very good reviews, but I've noticed, as well, that Costco has increased its stock of this movie in order to accommodate the high demand for it on DVD. I understand that demand. It is thoroughly involving and enjoyable to watch. John Rhys-Davies is commanding, as always, the portrayal of Esther is enjoyably whimsical, the King of Persia, which not particularly well acted, is played by a man who has a sufficiently exotic charisma, even the part of Haggai is noteworthy. It's fun, as well, to watch the cameos of Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif. It is full of eye candy, a rival to The Ten Commandments, at least in this respect, and the dramatic emphasis is satisfying. Although it is probably the least accurate of the movie bible portrayals that we own, I would have to say that it's one of my mother's favorites. At this writing we've probably viewed it four times, three at my mother's request, and we've had it only two weeks. Much to my ambivalent chagrin and delight, it's a winner in our household.
    The only reliable and fair review I could find is, yes, a "Christian" review, for a "Christian" audience, but it is surprisingly fair and actual brings some critical skill to bear, noticing technical flaws that I didn't notice.
  Update 8/2/21:  Funny thing. As I was adding the director to this movie, I was reminded of my ambivalence about it, then, suddenly, I remembered when I saw and bought the movie at Costco, without having seen it.
    There was a woman next to me at the DVD table (which Costco no longer has) picking up a copy and saying to me, "I just love this movie! Don't you just love this movie?"
    I admitted that I hadn't yet seen it and was buying it because my mother enjoys bible movies.
    "Oh," she gushed, "You'll both just love it!"
    Weird that I even have that memory!
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Tiffany Dupont	Hadassah/Esther	Luke Goss	Xerxes I of Persia	John Rhys-Davies	Mordecai	Omar Sharif	Prince Memucan
  Tommy Lister, Jr.	Hegai	Jonah Lotan	Jesse	John Noble	Admatha	James Callis	Haman
  Peter O'Toole	Prophet Samuel	Denzil Smith	Prince Carshena	Jyoti Dogra	Queen Vashti	Tom Alter	King Saul
  Aditya Bal	King Agag	Dilshad Patel	Anna	Nimrat Kaur	Sarah	Asif Basra	Prince Marsena

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2006
    Directed by Michael O. Sajbel.

Labels: bible-movies1, mom-favorite1, popcorn-and-soda3, royals, spectacle2

# posted by gail @ 12:54    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1*
• 
  Commentary:  Yet another one of Mom's "jesus-dvds" (I use this term tongue-in-cheek, as I also consider The Ten Commandments a "jesus-dvd"). I didn't think we'd ever own it because the last time we watched it on TV I noticed there were no English subtitles, which is essential for my mother's enjoyment of any movie. I found a cheap copy of it at the grocery store today, though, with closed captioning (although no English subtitles, which is unfortunate since closed captioning is sometimes kind of iffy on our set) so decided I'd get it for Mom. I think this is one of her favorites of this genre; not because it features yet another Nordic Jesus, but because of the scope and grand presentation. And, it's length. Weighty movies work better for her when they go to extreme lengths. This is not my favorite, but I am attracted to it's spectacle.
    Now all we need to do is procure a copy of The Last Temptation of Christ [we finally did procure a copy of this movie] and Mom will figure we're set.
  Update 2/7/18:  Yes, I donated this movie to my local library. In the end, I knew I would never watch it again. Funny, because there are several jesus-dvds and bible epics in my/our collection that I enjoy, even when they are clearly cheesy. But this one? No can do. Sorry, Mom.
  Update 5/16/2022:  The cast in this movie is stupendous. Take a look at the Wikipedia segment about it; not the listing, but the paragraph below. An even better, more complete, list is the one at IMDb, as it attaches more actors to their roles than Wikipedia. It's a lot of fun to go through it. It was as though the production company decided to corral every actor signed to the overseeing studio into one movie before they started dying off. I mean, Pat Boone as The Angel at the Tomb? Really? Clearly, I mean, clearly a vanity project, and an unsuccessful one, at that. But, Mom loved it. I have a feeling there were, and are, a lot of Christian women "of a certain age" that feel the same.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Max von Sydow	Jesus	Dorothy McGuire	The Virgin Mary	Charlton Heston	John the Baptist	Claude Rains	Herod the Great
  José Ferrer	Herod Antipas	Telly Savalas	Pontius Pilate	Martin Landau	Caiaphas	David McCallum	Judas Iscariot
  Donald Pleasence	The Dark Hermit - Satan	Michael Anderson Jr.	James the Less	Roddy McDowall	Matthew	Joanna Dunham	Mary Magdalene
  Joseph Schildkraut	Nicodemus	Ed Wynn	Old Aram	Pat Boone	Angel at the Tomb	Shelley Winters	Woman Who Is Healed

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1965
    Directed by George Stevens.

Labels: bible-movies1, charlton-heston, claude-rains, drama8, jesus-dvds, max-von-sydow, mom-favorite1, period4, spectacle2, van-heflin

# posted by gail @ 13:47    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1* *2* *3* *4* *5*
• 
  Commentary:  Although I can't remember my journal comments, I'm sure, if you're even a semi-regular reader of my journal(s) about my mother, you know that this is one of my mother's all time favorites, and I've come to enjoy it, as well. I love the opulence, the story, the acting and the sets. I am proud to say that I can quote dialog from this movie. I never get tired of my mother wanting to see this movie. Each time she decides to watch this movie, the chances always become excellent that I will drop what I'm doing and join her.
  Update 2/10/18:  For fun, I thought I'd link the title of this write-up to the original 1956 review of this movie in the New York Times.
  Update 8/19/19:  I just discovered, to my dismay, that the old title link to the original NYT review of this movie dead-ended; so, I looked up the review and attached the new link. Just in case, though, I am appending the entire November 9, 1956, review (by Bosley Crowther) below. Take note of the opening sentence, it's quite interesting. So is the later commentary on the special effects in the movie:
  
    "AGAINST the raw news of modern conflict between Egypt and Israel—a conflict that has its preamble in the Book of Exodus—Cecil B. De Mille's "The Ten Commandments" was given its world première last night at the Criterion Theatre, and the coincidence was profound. For Mr. De Mille's latest rendering of Biblical literature in the spectacular framing and colloquial idiom of the screen tells an arresting story of Moses, the ancient Israelite who was a slave with his people in Egypt and who struggled to set them free.
    "As Mr. De Mille presents it in this three-hour-and-thirty-nine-minute film, which is by far the largest and most expensive that he has ever made, it is a moving story of the spirit of freedom rising in a man, under the divine inspiration of his Maker. And, as such, it strikes a ringing note today.
    "But aside from the timely arrival and contemporary context of this film, it is also a rather handsome romance in Mr. De Mille's best massive style. To the fundamental story of Moses, as told in the Old Testament and reflected in other ancient writings consulted by Mr. De Mille, he and his corps of screen playwrights have added some frank apocrypha which, while they may not be traceable in history (or even in legend), make for a robust tale.
    "In this imaginative recount, Moses is raised as a prince in the palace of Egypt's Pharaoh, after being found, as the Bible tells, by the Pharaoh's daughter in the bullrushes, where he was hidden by his mother, a Hebrew slave. And as a presumed Egyptian, he is a candidate for the Pharaoh's throne and a rival for the love of a luscious princess with the Pharaoh's own son Rameses.
    "As one might well imagine, the plot-minded Mr. De Mille does not pass lightly or briefly over this phase of his tale. Moses, as played by Charlton Heston, is a handsome and haughty young prince who warrants considerable attention as a heroic man of the ancient world. And Anne Baxter as the sensual princess and Yule Brynner as the rival, Rameses, are unquestionably apt and complementary to a lusty and melodramatic romance.
    "But the story is brought back to contact with the Bible and with its inspirational trend when Moses discovers, acknowledges and is exiled from Egypt because of his Hebraic birth. Then Mr. De Mille, who, incidentally, acts as narrator for his film in many of its more exalted stretches, takes him into the wilderness and establishes his contact with his Maker, which leads to the Exodus and the Covenant on Mount Sinai.
    "In the latter phases of the drama, wherein the impulse to set his people free from the bondage of Egypt flames in Moses, the spiritual and supernatural surge comes somewhat bluntly in the picture, and the performance of such awesome miracles as the crossing of the Red Sea and the burning of the Ten Commandments into the tablets of stone may strike the less devout viewer as a bit mechanical and abrupt.
    "Also, and with all due regard for the technical difficulties besetting Mr. De Mille, we must say his special effects department was not up to sets or costumes. The parting of the Red Sea is an obvious piece of camera trickery in which two churning walls of water frame a course as smooth and dry as a race track. And the striking off of the Ten Commandments by successive thunderbolts, while a deep voice intones their contents is disconcertingly mechanical.
    "However, in its other technical aspects—in its remarkable settings and décor, including an overwhelming facade of the Egyptian city from which the Exodus begins, and in the glowing Technicolor in which the picture is filmed—Mr. De Mille has worked photographic wonders. And his large cast of characters is very good, from Sir Cedric Hardwicke as a droll and urbane Pharaoh to Edward G. Robinson as a treacherous overlord. Yvonne DeCarlo as the Midianite shepherdess to whom Moses is wed is notably good in a severe role, as is John Derek as a reckless Joshua.
    "This is unquestionably a picture to which one must bring something more than a mere wish for entertainment in order to get a full effect from it. But for those to whom its fundamentalism will be entirely credible, it should be altogether thrilling and perhaps even spiritually profound."
  
    The title link to the NYT article that ran when the movie premiered, is back, again, and appears to be generally available to all digital readers of NYT, not just subscribers. I'm not sure why, and I don't trust it, so, just in case, I'm keeping this link in reserve.
    As an aside, from a Special Feature which accompanies the DVD of the movie, Charlton Heston tells viewers that he also voiced God in the movie, and gives an interesting reason: He imagined that the voice of God would come from within oneself and would, therefore, sound like oneself.
  Update 6/22/2022 Regarding the voice of God:  Although there is considerable confusion online about who voiced God in this movie, what finally seems apparent is that God was voiced by more than one actor. Jesse Delos Jewkes definitely voiced God in the Ten Commandments Tablet scene. [See, also, this article about Jesse Delos Jewkes.] Charlton Heston, in an interview available on my "Special Edition" copy of the movie, said that he was the voice of God; it seems apparent that, for the Burning Bush scene, he probably was (which is confirmed in the Wikipedia article about this movie). Other sources credit Cecil B. DeMille as voicing God in certain segments of the movie, but I cannot find anything authoritative to confirm this. Perhaps we will never know, for sure, how many actors voiced God in this movie and who all of them were.
    Yet another link, if you can handle it. Aside from the DVD Savant review I linked in the title, he wrote another review when the blu-ray edition was released with an extra 11 minutes of footage added to the film. I think. I'm not sure. That might be an extra 11 minutes of special features. At any rate, although some of the review is repetitive, it also adds knowledge and perspective, having been written 7 years after his initial review. So, I'm including it in the immediately previous link.
  My Final Commentary 8/19/19:  I don't consider it true that "one must bring something more than a mere wish for entertainment in order to get a full effect" of the movie. I was not a god-believer when I initially saw the movie and have not been since. The movie's "full effect", however, subsumes me every time I watch it. In fact, after having updated this post, I'm thinking, this afternoon might be a good time for me to watch the movie, again. Just for fun, and to enjoy that subsumation experience, once again.
  My Absolute Final Commentary 6/21/2022:  I'm about a third of the way through a special on YouTube about the making of The Ten Commandments - 1956. Watching it reminded me of some family history surrounding this movie that I want to record. This movie is the very first DVD that Mom and I obtained. At that time, neither of us had any idea that we would build a large collection around it. One year, I'm not sure which year but it was definitely post 1997 (when she bought the house in Prescott, in which I continue to reside), MFS sent us a coupon for Blockbuster Video in celebration of some holiday or birthday or something-or-other. Mom and I initially figured we'd use it to rent movies, since we'd established a habit of doing this in Mesa and Prescott. Mom sent me to the store while she begged off by saying, "I feel a nap coming on. Get something good for tonight." When I discovered that The Ten Commandments - 1956 was on sale and fit right into the budget established by the gift certificate from MFS, I realized I had a decision to make. I knew that this was a movie that both Mom and I would want to see again and again and decided, instead of renting a few movies that we may or may not watch before they were due back, to buy this movie. I remember Mom being very excited about my choice of "rental" and even more excited when I told her I out-right bought it so we could watch it whenever we wanted. That's where, and how, our movie collection began. From that point on Mom's preference was to own, not to rent, and I had no quarrel with that decision. No, Virginia, I don't remember what our second movie purchase was. It doesn't matter, really. With this movie, alone, our collection was off and running.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Charlton Heston	Moses/Voice of God	Sir Cedric Hardwicke	Seti I	Yul Brynner	Rameses II	Anne Baxter	Nefretiri
  Edward G. Robinson	Dathan	Yvonne De Carlo	Sephora	Debra Paget	Lilia	John Derek	Joshua
  Nina Foch	Bithiah	Martha Scott	Yochabel	Judith Anderson	Memnet	Vincent Price	Baka
  John Carradine	Aaron	Olive Deering	Miriam	Eduard Franz	Jethro	John Miljan	The Blind One

  
    Here is the Wikipedia article about the movie, just in case.
    Release Date: 1956
    Directed and Narrated by Cecil B. DeMille.

Labels: bible-movies1, charlton-heston, drama8, moses, period4, popcorn-and-soda4, religion1, shared-favorite, spectacle2

# posted by gail @ 12:58    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
• 
  Commentary:  For both my mother and me, the controversy over this movie was beside the point. My mother is an aficionado of both Jesus and religious movies, so, of course, she had to see this one. If I hadn't been living with my mother when it came out, I probably would not have seen it, but not in some sort of intellectual or spiritual protest. I wouldn't have bothered because I know the story so well and know what I believe about the issues it raises.
    The rough and violent nature of the movie bothered neither of us. We discussed, briefly, whether Jesus was singled out for unusual torture, as, basically, his crucifixion was all in a day's work, and he wasn't the only person crucified on the day he died, nor was he the only person ever convicted of exactly the type of political treason that sent him to Golgotha.
    Other than that, my mother's favorite "character" in the movie is the oblique, white head of who she assumes to be "satan", or, more appropriately, as she expressed it, the spirit of evil and selfishness luring Jesus to turn his back on his mission. The head reminds me a bit of the spirit masks floating about in Spirited Away.
    I've linked the title of this post to Roger Ebert's extraordinary and cogent review of this movie.
    The movie is definitely a winner from the "Bible Movie" perspective, for my mother.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Jim Caviezel	Jesus of Nazareth	Maia Morgenstern	Mary, mother of Jesus	Monica Bellucci	Mary Magdalene	Luca Lionello	Judas Iscariot
  Rosalinda Celentano	Satan	Luca De Dominicis	Herod Ántipas	Pietro Sarubbi	Barabbus	Hristo Naumov Shopov	Pontius Pilate
  Giacinto Ferro	Joseph of Arimathia	Sergio Rubini	Dismas, Penitant Thief	Mattia Sbragia	Caiaphas	Francesco De Vito	Peter

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film, which outlines some of the controversy against which Roger Ebert was writing in his review.
    Release Date: 2004
    Directed by Mel Gibson.

Labels: bible-movies1, drama8, jesus-dvds, mel-gibson, mom-favorite1, period4, religion1, spectacle2, violence3

# posted by gail @ 12:53    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1*
• 
  Commentary:  This is one of my parents' historical favorites. I remember watching it in the theater but discovered, upon rewatching it (I got it for my mother's birthday this year) that I'd misremembered quite a bit of it and apparently mixed it up with another movie that featured the great prairie land grab, which isn't covered in this film. My mother, who has become much more sophisticated about the depictions of Native Americans in movies, although there is actually little in this film but N.A. hearsay, was unsettled enough by what it included to voice her objections. Otherwise, we both enjoyed the sprawl, became surprisingly involved in the stories, loved some of the individual performances (Will Geer's, in particular, as the patriach of a river pirate family and Carroll Baker's surprisingly subtle performance as a pioneer wife). I was intrigued by the Civil War sequence, as well. My mother devoured the entire movie and breathed a satisfied sigh through a satisfied smile when it was over. "Let's start that again," she said. Luckily, we had another movie which she was equally anticipating, Jeremiah Johnson. This movie will be one of those "snowy/rainy day when I'm baking" movies, I'm sure. I don't think I'll become as fascinated with it as I have The Ten Commandments, of which I often find myself needing a fix, but I don't think I'll ignore it when I'm playing it for Mom, as I do some movies.
  P.S.  There are so many stars in this movie that I almost considered only listing one per section. The point of these listings, though, is to highlight actors in whose work I might like to luxuriate on, say, a couple of back-to-back snow or monsoon days. Leaving this movie out would be a travesty to that desire.
    Thus, in order to make the listings a bit less jumbled, I'm setting them up as did Wikipedia, by section in the multiple tables below.
    The movie is narrated by Spencer Tracy.
  
  The Rivers   

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  James Stewart	Linus Rawlings	Carroll Baker	Eve Prescott Rawlings	Debbie Reynolds	Lilith Prescott van Valen	Karl Malden	Zebulon Prescott
  Agnes Moorehead	Rebecca Prescott	Walter Brennan	Col. Jeb Hawkins	Brigid Bazlen	Dora Hawkins	Lee Van Cleef	River Pirate

  
  The Plains   

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Gregory Peck	Cleve Van Valen	Robert Preston	Roger Morgan	Thelma Ritter	Agatha Clegg
  David Brian	Lilith's attorney	John Larch	Gambler Grimes	Clinton Sundberg	Hylan Seabury

  
  The Civil War   

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  George Peppard	Zeb Rawlings	Andy Devine	Cpl Peterson	Harry Morgan	Gen. Ulysses S. Grant	John Wayne	Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman
  Russ Tamblyn	Confederate Deserter	Raymond Massey	President Abraham Lincoln	Ken Curtis	Cpl. Ben	Jay C. Flippen	Huggins

  
  The Railroad   

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Henry Fonda	Jethro Stuart	Richard Widmark	Mike King

  
  The Outlaws   

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Lee J. Cobb	Marshal Lou Ramsey	Eli Wallach	Charlie Gant	Carolyn Jones	Julie Rawlings
  Mickey Shaughnessy	Deputy Stover	Harry Dean Stanton	Member of Gant's Gang	Jack Lambert	Member of Gant's Gang

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1962
    Directed by Henry Hathaway, John Ford and George Marshall.

Labels: carroll-baker, dad-favorite, debbie-reynolds, eli-wallach, gregory-peck, harry-dean-stanton, henry-fonda, james-stewart, karl-malden, lee-j-cobb, mom-favorite1, spectacle2, spencer-tracy, thelma-ritter, western

# posted by gail @ 13:18    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  I actually asked Mom, when I noticed the 40th anniversary edition of this movie at Costco, if she wanted me to purchase a copy. Silly question. Although most of the songs are too catchy to be believed and I have good-but-not-quite-reverent memories of this movie, if she'd said "No" I would have heeded her request. Some years ago, when one of my nieces was much younger, this movie was her absolute favorite, always playing at her family's house to the point where I entered "The Sound of Music" overload and have yet to exit that state. I have to say, though, "watching" the movie while doing chores and tending to my mother is pleasant and my mother is thoroughly entertained, singing along, rocker-dancing, etc. As well, this edition includes the Biography channel program about the real Von Trapp family, which is enormously interesting, so much so that we found ourselves searching through movie scenes afterwards to compare fact with fiction.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Julie Andrews	Maria	Christopher Plummer	Cpt. von Trapp	Eleanor Parker	Elsa von Schraeder	Richard Haydn	Max Detweiler
  Peggy Wood	Mother Abbess	Charmian Carr	Liesl von Trapp	Daniel Truhitte	Rolf Gruber	Nicholas Hammond	Friedrich von Trapp
  Angela Cartwright	Brigitta von Trapp	Marni Nixon	Sister Sophia	Anna Lee	Sister Margaretta	Portia Nelson	Sister Berthe

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1965
    Directed by Robert Wise.

Labels: biography2, christopher-plummer, julie-andrews, musical1, period4, popcorn-and-soda4, romance2, spectacle2

# posted by gail @ 22:40    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1*
• 
  Commentary:  This movie causes both Mom & me to swoon. I'm pleased we finally own a copy. It's a "mood movie" for me: When I'm in the mood to watch it, nothing can take it's place and when we didn't own it I hungered for it when I wanted to see it.
    Here you will find a list of resources about Pu Yi, people surrounding him and his time in history. Excellent resource.
  Update 5/13/2022:  Yes, I continue to hunger for this movie, at least once a year, sometimes more. It has seemed especially pertinent within the last few years because of the political clashes around the globe over who has a right to govern, and, sometimes, own, countries and regions. Although there is usually some coverage of the challenged governments, these days, there is hardly any coverage of the personal effects on ousted leaders. Covering these concerns regarding the family and staff of those leaders is covered almost never.
    Besides this, there are many excellent actors playing these roles.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  John Lone	Adult Puyi	Joan Chen	Wanrong	Peter O'Toole	Reginald Johnston	Ying Ruocheng	Camp Warden
  Victor Wong	Chen Baochen	Dennis Dun	Big Li	Ryuichi Sakamoto	Masahiko Amakasu	Maggie Han	Eastern Jewel
  Ric Young	Camp Interrogator	Vivian Wu	Wenxiu	Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa	Chang	Lisa Lu	Empress Dowager Cixi
  Basil Pao	Prince Chun	Dong Liang	Lady Consort Chun	Henry O	Lord Chamberlain	Tijger Tsou	Puyi 8 years

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

Labels: biography2, coming-of-age2, dramaA, haunting2, historical3, me-favorite2, political4, royals, spectacle2

# posted by gail @ 17:12    0 comments    email......this post