(no subject)
Catching up...
Rancho Notorious - Turner Classic Movies came through on this one. It's been on my "I must see every Fritz Lang Film" list for a long time and I'm pretty sure it hasn't been available on video for a long, long time.
Anyhow, I'm not usually one for westerns (I suppose I just haven't seen very many), but I enjoyed this one. Marlene Dietrich makes everything wonderful. Plus, you get the added bonus of Lang messing with your mind.
Also, during the course of watching I suddenly realized that Madeline Kahn's character in Blazing Saddles is a spoof of Dietrich. Actually, I think I knew that, I just never really understood the reference having not seen any of her westerns.
Good show, check your tv listings.
Witness For the Prosecution - I loved this! Great suspense/courtroom film. Charles Laughton totally made this film as lawyer recovering from an illness. His reserved, yet silly actions made me laugh. It was a great comedic strategy to lighten up the more serious subject matter. Again, Dietrich was great (how could she not be?) as the wife defending her husband from murder charges.
I'd recommend this one to anyone (and it's on DVD!)
Shanghai Express
- This is a really beautiful film. Has that iconic image of Dietrich with the severe shadow smoking a cigarette. The story was a bit weak, but good eye candy. Nevermind that there is a chinese food place by my house that shares it's name with the title of this film.
Again, check the tv listings for this one...you may be able to find it on video too.
Chicago - I was prepared to thoroughly hate this film, but I actually enjoyed it. I've never seen a stage production of it and I'd only heard a bit of the music before.
Good things: music, staging, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, and the entire chorus.
Bad things: THE CASTING.
Good lord, whoever thought Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere would be good together was seriously out of their mind. Catherine Zeta-Jones wasn't too bad with the musical numbers, but her acting was a little annoying. Renee Zellweger was okay, but again, something wasn't right. And Richard Gere was so totally wrong it's not even funny. The weird thing is that the chorus members (especially in the tango sequence) totally outshined the leads. I guess they couldn't cast unknowns (um, why not?), but I'm sure they could've found better people.
At leas the music is great. (see it if you like musicals)
Punch-Drunk Love - Eh.
The Iron Ladies - true story about a queer Thai volleyball team. It was a cute film, but a very amatuerish production. Cultural differences made it somewhat difficult to not be offended, but then I kept thinking "maybe this is what works there." I think there may have been a lot lost in the translation.
Funny and heartwarming, just don't expect too much.
The Trouble With Harry
- I'd seen this before, but I guess I forgot the title. Anyhow, HITCHCOCK DOES COMEDY. And he does it well! This is a very funny story. Minimal staging. The casting is great. Shirley MacLaine and John Forsythe have the best delivery.
See it, it's good.
Dark City - Ironically, everytime I see this movie I forget what it's about. I think after the third viewing, I've decided I don't like it.
Not sure why, I just don't like it.
Equilibrium - Kind of has the Matrix sort of feel. In fact, it feels like a rip-off of other films while you are watching it, but it was rather enjoyable. Still in the sci-fi vein, it seems like a more plausible story than something like the Matrix. Christian Bale is the main guy and I like him. And that's why you should watch this. This is an action film for the most part. Watch it LOUD.
Elling - I watched this awhile ago, so I don't really remember specifics, but it made me uncomfortable and I don't think I found the humor as humorous as they intended. Entertaining though and I really liked the guy with all the books. Eh, I don't remember...
Rancho Notorious - Turner Classic Movies came through on this one. It's been on my "I must see every Fritz Lang Film" list for a long time and I'm pretty sure it hasn't been available on video for a long, long time.
Anyhow, I'm not usually one for westerns (I suppose I just haven't seen very many), but I enjoyed this one. Marlene Dietrich makes everything wonderful. Plus, you get the added bonus of Lang messing with your mind.
Also, during the course of watching I suddenly realized that Madeline Kahn's character in Blazing Saddles is a spoof of Dietrich. Actually, I think I knew that, I just never really understood the reference having not seen any of her westerns.
Good show, check your tv listings.
Witness For the Prosecution - I loved this! Great suspense/courtroom film. Charles Laughton totally made this film as lawyer recovering from an illness. His reserved, yet silly actions made me laugh. It was a great comedic strategy to lighten up the more serious subject matter. Again, Dietrich was great (how could she not be?) as the wife defending her husband from murder charges.
I'd recommend this one to anyone (and it's on DVD!)
Shanghai Express
- This is a really beautiful film. Has that iconic image of Dietrich with the severe shadow smoking a cigarette. The story was a bit weak, but good eye candy. Nevermind that there is a chinese food place by my house that shares it's name with the title of this film.
Again, check the tv listings for this one...you may be able to find it on video too.
Chicago - I was prepared to thoroughly hate this film, but I actually enjoyed it. I've never seen a stage production of it and I'd only heard a bit of the music before.
Good things: music, staging, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, and the entire chorus.
Bad things: THE CASTING.
Good lord, whoever thought Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere would be good together was seriously out of their mind. Catherine Zeta-Jones wasn't too bad with the musical numbers, but her acting was a little annoying. Renee Zellweger was okay, but again, something wasn't right. And Richard Gere was so totally wrong it's not even funny. The weird thing is that the chorus members (especially in the tango sequence) totally outshined the leads. I guess they couldn't cast unknowns (um, why not?), but I'm sure they could've found better people.
At leas the music is great. (see it if you like musicals)
Punch-Drunk Love - Eh.
The Iron Ladies - true story about a queer Thai volleyball team. It was a cute film, but a very amatuerish production. Cultural differences made it somewhat difficult to not be offended, but then I kept thinking "maybe this is what works there." I think there may have been a lot lost in the translation.
Funny and heartwarming, just don't expect too much.
The Trouble With Harry
- I'd seen this before, but I guess I forgot the title. Anyhow, HITCHCOCK DOES COMEDY. And he does it well! This is a very funny story. Minimal staging. The casting is great. Shirley MacLaine and John Forsythe have the best delivery.
See it, it's good.
Dark City - Ironically, everytime I see this movie I forget what it's about. I think after the third viewing, I've decided I don't like it.
Not sure why, I just don't like it.
Equilibrium - Kind of has the Matrix sort of feel. In fact, it feels like a rip-off of other films while you are watching it, but it was rather enjoyable. Still in the sci-fi vein, it seems like a more plausible story than something like the Matrix. Christian Bale is the main guy and I like him. And that's why you should watch this. This is an action film for the most part. Watch it LOUD.
Elling - I watched this awhile ago, so I don't really remember specifics, but it made me uncomfortable and I don't think I found the humor as humorous as they intended. Entertaining though and I really liked the guy with all the books. Eh, I don't remember...