Keeping Track (May 31, 2012)
by HELEN GEIB
Last Week at the Movies
My film fest stamina isn’t what it once was. I took in a mere eight movies over three days at Cinevent, the annual classic film festival held in Columbus, Ohio over Memorial Day weekend (consider that three of those eight were only about an hour long, and that count really isn’t much!). Highly unusual for me, I saw more sound films than silents this year.
The Headless Horseman (1922)- highlights are Will Rogers as Ichabod and a very fine night ride
The Case of the Howling Dog (1934)- unmemorable although it should be said Perry Mason interpreted by Warren William came a lot closer to Erle Stanley Gardner’s original (and I always get a kick out of watching what he does with his eyebrows)
The Shock Punch (1925)- a disjointed mess of a comedy starring Richard Dix
Smoky (1946)- a nice Western for the whole family, with lovely Technicolor photography of Utah and Arizona and a typically likable Fred MacMurray
The Road to Yesterday (1925)- the program notes quoted a contemporary reviewer’s judgment that the story of this Cecil B. DeMille production “lacked clarity”; and how, yet it exerted a terrible fascination
The Princess and the Pirate (1944)- a good time with Bob Hope, Virginia Mayo, Victor McLaglen, Walter Brennan, and Walter Slezak
The Foreman Went to France (1942)- this excellent Ealing suspenser set in France as the tanks rolled in was my festival highlight
The breakdown of a so-so program: one great, two liked, one with points of interest, one eh, one bad, one must be seen to be believed.
Last Week at Home
Throwdown- had some film club friends over to watch it as a follow-up to Sanshiro Sugata as movie of the month in January
Sword of Desperation- how else could it end but in blood and betrayal?
Yeh Dillagi- a surprisingly successful variation on Sabrina
New in Theaters This Weekend
Fairy tale feminist revisionism continues with Snow White and the Huntsman. I’m not terribly sanguine but I’ll see it anyway.
What have you been watching? What are you looking forward to?
Last/This Week at Home
Safe House- terrible film; I hated it and was bored from early on
Sweet Smell of Success- (Criterion Blu-ray) it was my second viewing of this terrific classic
The Seventh Seal- (Criterion Blu-ray) it was my first viewing of this terrific classic; from Bergman I have only watched that, The Virgin Spring, and Cries and Whispers
Kuroneko- (Criterion Blu-ray) a terrifically atmospheric Japanese ghost story that utilizes great black and white cinematography and awesome shadow play
Nevada Smith- a really good Western that is much darker in context than it is in its delivery, and it stars Hollywood’s coolest actor Steve McQueen
The Raid- I kind of hate it and was bored from early on
@Nir ‘Seventh Seal’ is one of my favorites as well. An interesting Bergman film that you should see is ‘Persona’, which some consider the most bizarre movie ever made. ‘Passion of Anna’ is another interesting one. You can read a review of that on my blog if you like.
I’m glad you like Steve McQueen too. I consider him to be one of the all-time best actors. ‘Bullitt’ and ‘The Getaway’ are two of his best films in my opinion. I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but he was born and raised right here in Indianapolis.
@Nir: A shorter list from you this week- I hope that means you’re feeling better and getting out more.
Of your classics I’ve only seen ‘Sweet Smell of Success”. Not many movies are as hard and cynical. The cinematography is superb and of course Lancaster and Curtis are excellent. In fact, it gave me a new respect for Tony Curtis as an actor. I’d enjoyed a few of his comedy performances before but never suspected he had such versatility. He wasn’t in very many good movies but when he did get one, he rose to the occasion.
I like Steve McQueen without being a fan. I’ll admit to being conventional and preferring “The Great Escape” and “The Magnificent Seven”.
@Helen, “Great Escape” and “Mag 7″ are classics for a reason. :O)
Re Sweet/Success, I love that movie. Can you believe that it’s from director Alexander Mackendrick? He’s responsible for such classics as Whisky Galore!, The Man in the White Suit, The Ladykillers, and A High Wind in Jamaica (admittedly not a classic but a good film, regardless).
@Richard, I’ve heard of Persona and wanted to watched a few months ago. Don’t know why I didn’t. I’ll look into it in the next few months. :O)
And yes, Helen, I’ve been up and about since Monday. But the job search continues and it’s still darn tough.