#3791
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bad
It's either age or just a bad memory...Here's something I wonder. One of the cable channels around here carries a lot of movies featuring a single mother whose child is in danger from some kind of psycho. Is the intended audience single mothers? I would think that they would want to avoid that topic.
Digression...The Christmas music starts right after Thanksgiving, giving us a whole month. They should show the old skit that was on Saturday Night Live: Santa Clause the Eliminator, Massacre on 34th St. (the audience actually groaned when they saw a lot of Cabbage Patch dolls being destroyed!) |
#3792
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THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE (1955). Finished reading the excellent gritty novel by Evan Hunter and although this was quite controversial in its time, find it very stagnant and it really has not improved with age, sadly as Glen Ford and Sidney Poitier are both pretty good. Look for a young Jaime Farr (MASH) here who also is pretty good on the commentary. **1/2
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#3793
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Quote:
The Stranger (1946) 9/10 Written, directed, starring Orson Welles, also has Edward G Robinson. A US government agent is looking for an ex Nasi in the US. Very good. It's a thriller with some horror aspects. This is on Netflix now. Highly recommend it. |
#3794
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The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
7/10 "Recently released from prison, Dix Handley (Sterling Hayden) concocts a plan to steal $1 million in jewels. Dix gathers a team of small-time crooks, including a safecracker (Anthony Caruso) and a lawyer (Louis Calhern)." Also has a young Marilyn Monroe. It's a bit of a light drama, with a classic film noir setting (but without a detective/dick), and heist film features, but mostly it's not exciting. The characters are semi-likeable anti-heros, and it's a morality play at the same time. I can't say I liked it, but it's made well... matter of taste. |
#3795
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Asphalt Jungle
I wouldn't call the Asphalt Jungle light. The ending is kind of...musn't spoil.
Then, in the scene with Marilyn Monroe, it sorts of implies that Al Jaffee's character is some kind of pervert. The way he keeps giving nickels to Monroe's character to put in the jukebox so he can watch her dance. And the way he looks at her. On the other hand, who needs to be perverted to like watching Marilyn Monroe? |
#3796
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The girl putting the coins in the jukebox wasn't Monroe -- she plays the criminal financier's mistress. But yes, Jaffee made it clear he's going to spend his stash on women in Mexico, and he started early in the bar, showing how each character has been snared by their desire and ill-gotten gain. |
#3797
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#3798
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Opps! Yep, I was thinking of John Ford the director/actor
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#3799
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THE SET-UP (1949). Seems to be a lot of Noir films being discussed, so let's add another one. This is quite gritty and somewhat depressing flick of a washed up boxer (Robert Ryan is great) who finds circumstances changing from pure pluck and bad luck. Another interesting part of this is that it is shot in real time. Small little gem waiting to be discovered. ***1/2
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#3800
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Shot in real time? You mean with shot with one take, like Rope? Or that it follows one linear timeline, without jumping ahead in time nor flashbacks, like The Big Heat (which stays with Bogart)? You wrote, "who finds circumstances changing from pure pluck and bad luck." Did you mean changing back and forth from pure luck to pure bad luck? |
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