tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34251625840235454762024-02-01T18:52:05.375-08:00Well FilmedImproving my exposure to great filmsWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-2769704759809814302010-01-18T15:08:00.000-08:002010-01-18T15:59:06.124-08:002001: A Space Odyssey (1968)<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTe1on8EcYljfFcvmXo98o47Z1U4Fwao8EWVBzhuwoDw5VoHkZXjVHgW6Xkm56Fv_HD0x0HsxTiHouHPj3ml34QpMtg6z8ScNkXt9gAkfFGc8dTOiE-HAf2SSwYGp5DkBcQxkCz_ankk2C/s1600-h/2001+poster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTe1on8EcYljfFcvmXo98o47Z1U4Fwao8EWVBzhuwoDw5VoHkZXjVHgW6Xkm56Fv_HD0x0HsxTiHouHPj3ml34QpMtg6z8ScNkXt9gAkfFGc8dTOiE-HAf2SSwYGp5DkBcQxkCz_ankk2C/s200/2001+poster.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428221286101191762" /></a></div><br /><div class="review-section">Preamble</div><div>A huge gap since my last post - I've simply been very busy - swanning off to South Africa and so on. Still, back to it. I'm watching this out of order because it happened to be the next one I got from LoveFilm. </div><br /><div class="review-section">What I already knew</div><div>Quite a lot really. I've seen the film a couple of times, and read the book (and the sequels) quite a few more times than that. So I really know the story quite well, and while there are some differences between the book and the film, these are really quite minor. So there were no real surprises for me here, but I tried to watch it with fresh eyes.</div><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><div class="review-section">Review</div><div>This film starts quite slowly, and in fact moves quite slowly all the way through. What really stands out is that there is no dialogue for almost the fist 30 minutes of the film. The initial sequence covers a group of apes in pre-history, and and their interaction with a strange monolith that appears one day.</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjvA1XVv-eVBmR3OoEPIymqIPIP_fUcOqR-UhqujtS4dxECZ4UcN9j2RVbpl7LnKKPvRhyphenhyphen4h9Wld0HopWYphILOQmd1MsbZ-4uSenQapqV_mzzPxShe-fxXQ5RGWogjbHHIckzMsQt1nK/s1600-h/2001+apes.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjvA1XVv-eVBmR3OoEPIymqIPIP_fUcOqR-UhqujtS4dxECZ4UcN9j2RVbpl7LnKKPvRhyphenhyphen4h9Wld0HopWYphILOQmd1MsbZ-4uSenQapqV_mzzPxShe-fxXQ5RGWogjbHHIckzMsQt1nK/s200/2001+apes.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428222803951607586" /></a>The apes are less realistic than I remember, but possibly quite good for the time the film was made. I think the film suffers in comparison to the book in this sequence, as it's not exactly clear what is happening There are a couple of jarring moments when there seem to be very hard cuts with sudden changes in noise or music, but generally it's not badly done. What was quite disappointing for me was the transition to the second section of the film, which is held up as quite an iconic piece of film-making. The concept is very striking - a spinning bone transitioning to a spaceship - but the execution is actually pretty amateurish to my eye, the bone spins in two different directions, and the cut is to a static spaceship. I'm just not sure why it is so highly praised. Still.</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnu7Uufb1NgPqhyphenhyphenieFadCc2GPFxoqNDnQD3dntd3GCHaowrDpZAjKbkTC2nJENQdQplW0d9HOLELzLr6CXPFfCK0gcT4DfbMXHdBta3Ahg23GcGxcHnJTOQT5ot9EbnXOOxlXCbsqHGxc/s1600-h/2001_Floyd_publicity_still.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 186px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnu7Uufb1NgPqhyphenhyphenieFadCc2GPFxoqNDnQD3dntd3GCHaowrDpZAjKbkTC2nJENQdQplW0d9HOLELzLr6CXPFfCK0gcT4DfbMXHdBta3Ahg23GcGxcHnJTOQT5ot9EbnXOOxlXCbsqHGxc/s200/2001_Floyd_publicity_still.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428224955528910850" /></a>The second section of the film is really the exposition for the third sequence, and follows <span style="font-weight:bold;">Dr Heywood Floyd</span> (William Sylvester) as he travels to the moon to report on the progress of an investigation into another monolith that has appeared on the moon. The physical presentation of space travel looks a bit dated now, but visually it is very stylish and consistent, and there is some nice use of music - I particularly liked the use of dance music to cover the spaceship docking. Then, in really the only surprise for me, Leonard Rossiter appears - I had completely forgotten that he was in it. Floyd goes to the moon, there are some dodgy attempts at low-gravity effects, and some quite jarring exposition explaining what happened 'at the beginning' to Floyd (which I'm sure he would have known anyway). Then the monolith is visited, and we transition to the third section.</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsgzsHkYB4KNXk3s7cr3ZkRyfvYxYCschZI1xXFY7f9IoyW05g0kN_MN5tGb5-6SbhuhOdzsSsprBATVevoBPUCvUBSU1zK0RgTO_GPbaq2ZnCe3_MOud-ydzvwqdgGZS_6Amgx-F3jQt/s1600-h/poole+bowman.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsgzsHkYB4KNXk3s7cr3ZkRyfvYxYCschZI1xXFY7f9IoyW05g0kN_MN5tGb5-6SbhuhOdzsSsprBATVevoBPUCvUBSU1zK0RgTO_GPbaq2ZnCe3_MOud-ydzvwqdgGZS_6Amgx-F3jQt/s200/poole+bowman.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428226465717238642" /></a>This section follows <span style="font-weight:bold;">Dave Bowman</span> (Keir Dullea) and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Frank Poole</span> (Gary Lockwood) as they go about life on a spaceship travelling to Jupiter, controlled by the on-board computer - HAL9000. HAL is really the central character of this part of the film, and was given a great presence, even though he is simply a block panel with a red light, and a disembodied voice (which is very well delivered). The depiction of space travel in this section is much better, in my opinion, to the previous section, although there are a couple of sequences which look a bit off. The plot really comes alive when things go wrong, Frank is killed and Dave is forced to de-activate HAL. This is all done with very little dialogue. Frank dies in silence, and HAL fades out singing <span style="font-style:italic;">'Daisy, daisy...'</span> which is another iconic scene. It's a very atmospheric section of the film, and does begin to show why the film is highly regarded.</div><br /><div>Then, frankly, it all goes nuts and Dave spends what feels like ages going through some weird 60s acid trip journey with lots of flashing lights and general oddness, until he ends up in a room where he lives, ages, and dies all in one long very cleverly blended sequence, only to be confronted with the monolith again, and becomes a '<span style="font-style:italic;">Star Child</span>'</div><br /><div>This is where I have the advantage, having read the books, I understand a fair bit of what is going on here, but I can imagine for people who have only seen the film, this whole sequence must be pretty confusing.</div><br /><div>Overall, I enjoyed this, although perhaps not as much as I expected. It certainly caught my attention, and created a space of its own, a mood and an atmosphere, and when the end credits came on, it was a little jerk back to reality as I had almost forgotten I was watching a film - which is probably a sign of a good movie I guess. Kubrick presents the story beautifully, and does so without it being obvious what he is doing. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much without the knowledge form the books, but that's probably my fault. It's a great presentation, I'm just not sure that the plot is made clear. But then maybe that's the idea - Kubrick was never one to do things normally :)</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmnlgyvKbYzJVA7xg4q3H8vFFQAu959pnZbJ9JQb8rS_IihsEIlu-0IEuxZWjoqlYNAIk_Merk6c8DLWRE9gm73xxCjw4tcglv89MEc4h3x-JNcKUcNXvDhzc4vEymPTyDn7Ai7gPoTR-/s1600-h/2001+hal.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmnlgyvKbYzJVA7xg4q3H8vFFQAu959pnZbJ9JQb8rS_IihsEIlu-0IEuxZWjoqlYNAIk_Merk6c8DLWRE9gm73xxCjw4tcglv89MEc4h3x-JNcKUcNXvDhzc4vEymPTyDn7Ai7gPoTR-/s200/2001+hal.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428228509290197682" /></a></div><br /><div>Rating: <span style="font-weight:bold;">rent it</span> (then buy it if you like it)</div><br /><div class="review-section">Mrs Worm's opinion</div><div>She didn't watch it</div><br /><div class="review-section">Useful links</div><div><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/">IMDB</a> | <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970327/REVIEWS08/401010362/1023">Roger Ebert</a> | <a href="http://www.mrqe.com/movies/m100015637">MRQE</a></div><br /></span>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-30018597628650875002009-07-28T16:30:00.000-07:002009-07-28T16:41:39.666-07:00The Wizard of Oz (1939)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DYcbGwfjRUqTT5PkYa0DbHfMmI-eoIwkBYH0q12Ogi7pYHCF9aDbUproOBogDfCwLnnDF0MFFpgh1CIlRD_VjGxo5P-72lNXa0Yygoxs4bLV0c3gmvi4pyU3BPPZuk3lBsYcXsZhv-Ub/s1600-h/oz+poster.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DYcbGwfjRUqTT5PkYa0DbHfMmI-eoIwkBYH0q12Ogi7pYHCF9aDbUproOBogDfCwLnnDF0MFFpgh1CIlRD_VjGxo5P-72lNXa0Yygoxs4bLV0c3gmvi4pyU3BPPZuk3lBsYcXsZhv-Ub/s200/oz+poster.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363659327308195858" /></a><div class="review-section">Preamble</div><div>Another one to look forward to. I haven't watched <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> for years, certainly since I was a kid, so I was looking forward to viewing it through adult eyes. If that doesn't sounds a bit creepy.. ;) </div><br /><div class="review-section">What I already knew</div><div><i>The Wizard of Oz</i> is one of those films that has become so ubiquitious that it has become something of a joke - like <i>The Great Escape</i>. When I was young it felt like it was on at Christmas every year (although I'm sure it wasn't), and I must have seen it half a dozen times. I certainly knew the plot, the characters, the black and white/colour change, the songs, and many of the lines. So it's not exactly new territory.</div><br /><span class="fullpost"><div class="review-section">Review</div><div>The titles reminded me that the film was based on a book - like many of the films in this list, and I really must get round to reading it - another trivia fact that I knew is that the book was written by Frank Baum; always a handy thing to know in a pub quiz.</div><br /><div>In case you've been in a coma and never seen The Wizard of Oz, the plot is very simple - <b>Dorothy</b> is traumatized by a nasty neighbour threatening her dog, <b>Toto</b>, and decides to run away. She meets a travelling conjuror who changes her mind, but as she returns home a twister springs up and she is injured, slipping into a dream which echoes her fears about her life at home.</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6KqHTyJ4OtuKgg07e_r2MhdQr6IO01fxhZJocdSUSDdYLo6o29XUjwseifHKpsG1IkpzNI2ZaR5x926PmINWizGLChcA4PDRzuYnQ8Ubncqi-rhvzOTqfZQ4ByQcnASUn__u9ZKLVF5f/s1600-h/oz+sepia.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6KqHTyJ4OtuKgg07e_r2MhdQr6IO01fxhZJocdSUSDdYLo6o29XUjwseifHKpsG1IkpzNI2ZaR5x926PmINWizGLChcA4PDRzuYnQ8Ubncqi-rhvzOTqfZQ4ByQcnASUn__u9ZKLVF5f/s200/oz+sepia.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363658485775614610" /></a>The opening scenes, shown in a sepia-toned version of black and white, are far longer than I remembered and set up the background for what follows quite well. I'm not sure why they went for sepia rather than true black and white, but it does work quite well, having a softer tone than the harsher black and white might have. The onset of the storm is rather sudden for my taste, I think more could have been achieved by building it more slowly, but that's just me.</div><br /><div>The transition to Oz and colour is very well handled, and brings up the point that (in my opinion) the effects on this film were actually quite advanced for their time. I may be quite wrong about that, but this is the first time in watching films on the list that I have felt that the effects were good, so I thought it worth mentioning.</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2a-pKF3z6bWV_OvSITO_TtwvzkNMNr_BnRXR2JaWABduwpipY5Nvo1bBhAm4ydkVOm6UiAp3YFWwJ06AfObP1RD6pxJTr9fyj-yAUS5qdnBY-_CaKrTu40W0hN8itVzXLL4A3rWSc9-VC/s1600-h/oz+lion.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2a-pKF3z6bWV_OvSITO_TtwvzkNMNr_BnRXR2JaWABduwpipY5Nvo1bBhAm4ydkVOm6UiAp3YFWwJ06AfObP1RD6pxJTr9fyj-yAUS5qdnBY-_CaKrTu40W0hN8itVzXLL4A3rWSc9-VC/s200/oz+lion.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363658794391309874" /></a>I would never have thought so in the past, but through the film I felt a growing affection for the <b>Cowardly Lion</b>. I'm not really sure why - he's not a particularly loveable character, but I guess we all love an underdog and he does have some nice lines, and I just like doing the "put 'em up. put 'em up" impression I supppose :)</div><br /><div>The character of <b>Glinda</b>, the good witch, bothered me for a while although I couldn't work out why, and then I realised that she reminded me of the 'Ghost of Christmas Present' character from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096061/">Scrooged</a>. Carol Kane plays that part like a sort of caricature of <b>Glinda</b>, which I had never realised before. One thing that I was hoping I would pick up through watching these films is the influence that films have on those that follow, and in some small way maybe this is one of those instances.</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDuZJIZcgBuROk8-7vuzAwj-twXIbseTog50yjbq0cAk0v55apNLMYMQm1ctqxodOnGr9_97zFkxjRsyVoxiOtcr7MFylorI2fZXRZpEGj4bn4L6_pD1pV2onjte2XcwLz_gMZdx7KNYn/s1600-h/oz+cast.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDuZJIZcgBuROk8-7vuzAwj-twXIbseTog50yjbq0cAk0v55apNLMYMQm1ctqxodOnGr9_97zFkxjRsyVoxiOtcr7MFylorI2fZXRZpEGj4bn4L6_pD1pV2onjte2XcwLz_gMZdx7KNYn/s200/oz+cast.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363659060698449762" /></a>The main action of the film centers around the four main characters - <b>Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion</b>. It quite an impressive ensemble, and they work together very well. One thing that I had never realised before was that Judy Garland was only 16 when she made this film - she has a vey mature voice for her age, and she really dominates much of the action on screen, which is impressive for such a young performer.</div><br /><div>Eventually of course, all things must come to an end, and with another of those iconic lines that everyone knows, <b>Dorothy</b> declares that 'there's no place like home' and so returns to Kansas. It's a nice resolution to the film, if slightly predictable, and leaves a good feeling. A bit 'Hollywood' perhaps, but it suits the film perfectly. Overall, I did enjoy this, proabably more that I thought I would. I thought of it as something of a 'kids' film, but it has some quite adult themes in places, and there is plenty to enjoy. It's hardly taxing, but it does exactly what it says on the tin, and the musical numbers keep the momentum going without being over the top.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8d3ywoldHAPIi0aEwfEWOSoli9xU7Uv3KwIQCfqMYg0FIJIUci_FqWnhY_hdhdno7PBo4XVarGavPFa6EfDLAaayaphfARVJPg0K58A2hBXXV4fWvYgCpfY2oE3D-nisoRIDwekdsnND/s1600-h/oz+shoes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8d3ywoldHAPIi0aEwfEWOSoli9xU7Uv3KwIQCfqMYg0FIJIUci_FqWnhY_hdhdno7PBo4XVarGavPFa6EfDLAaayaphfARVJPg0K58A2hBXXV4fWvYgCpfY2oE3D-nisoRIDwekdsnND/s200/oz+shoes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363658170438749746" /></a><div>Rating : <b>Buy it</b></div><br /><div class="review-section">Mrs Worm's Opinion</div><div>Watch this space.</div><br /><div class="review-section">Useful links</div><div><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/">IMDB</a> | <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19961222/REVIEWS08/401010348/1023">Roger Ebert</a> | <a href="http://www.mrqe.com/movies/m100000002">MRQE</a></div><br /></span>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-51538111579628771242009-07-27T10:44:00.000-07:002009-07-27T17:04:42.568-07:00The Third Man (1949)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJkge8oPkCmlE3EpBJXaIcwWR7Ikyw8Z6RQswiy2wvfqdOQRBoj_5z_rOWc93dD5B6necduteHILl7hQsI8NGvI1c92MgDkfj3UPCB5RyXd3oISkZM9z6oW5bgWay_zelDIgGW6lMl580/s1600-h/third+man+poster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJkge8oPkCmlE3EpBJXaIcwWR7Ikyw8Z6RQswiy2wvfqdOQRBoj_5z_rOWc93dD5B6necduteHILl7hQsI8NGvI1c92MgDkfj3UPCB5RyXd3oISkZM9z6oW5bgWay_zelDIgGW6lMl580/s200/third+man+poster.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363207692603208594" /></a><div class="review-section">Preamble</div><div>This is probably the first of these films since <i>Casablanca</i> that I was really looking forward to seeing, simply because I have not seen it for a long time</div><br /><div class="review-section">What I already knew</div><div>I have seen <i>The Third Man</i> before, although not for quite a few years. Therefore I knew that this was based on a novel by Graham Greene, I basically knew the plot, the fact that it features Orson Welles and the signature zither tune. I also know its reputation as a great film (unlike some of the others that I have never heard of).</div><br /><span class="fullpost"><div class="review-section">Review</div><div>The first thing that struck me from the titles was that Graham Greene also wrote the screenplay - something I didn't realise before. Then there was the voiceover exposition at the start of the film - which I'm not sure was entirely necessary. Sometimes these things work, and sometimes they seem a bit forced. In this case, I think it struck me as a bit forced.</div><br /><div>The story moves along quite quickly, and you do have to pay attention to keep up. There is an off-balance feel about the action, as if nothing is quite what it seems. This is emphasised by the camera work, which makes much use of tilted camera shots, which keeps everythgin feeling a little out-of-place and odd. The music is simple but varied, and does tie the whole film together quite well.</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOa1pSN-wenXsp2OAwowxRzR5esK7d89uuAMmkDtacrVAhEEshyphenhyphenX_yP5Hha6w03KZa_ZUWgtk5iamHgcYx5M4XI2i2mzS0HIisMA6AYQm5D4p8YHm37rdkLqDbl7Mgli_bXllHRcPIf7tB/s1600-h/third+man+cotten.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOa1pSN-wenXsp2OAwowxRzR5esK7d89uuAMmkDtacrVAhEEshyphenhyphenX_yP5Hha6w03KZa_ZUWgtk5iamHgcYx5M4XI2i2mzS0HIisMA6AYQm5D4p8YHm37rdkLqDbl7Mgli_bXllHRcPIf7tB/s200/third+man+cotten.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363207541708463186" /></a>The film centres around <b>Holly Martins</b> (Jospeh Cotten) who arrives in Vienna to start working with/for an old friend <b>Harry Lime</b> (Orson Welles) only to find that Harry died a few days before. His suspicions are raised, and he starts to do some investigating to see if he can find out 'what really happens'. There are plenty of ins-and-outs, not the least of which is Holly meeting, and falling for, Harry's girldfriend - <b>Anna Schmidt</b> (Alida Valli).</div><br /><div>This is probably the one part of the film that doesn't quite ring true for me. Perhaps it's just me, but as with <i>Vertigo</i>, I didn't really feel that there was much of a relationship there - I didn't quite understand why Holly would fall for Anna so quickly or so deeply. Despite this, it was a good solid performance from them both.</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Vq_EVQCz2X77bM4XlxLTrMbIm9944cFSDDUt0AHQ10VwwcLFUrYyqW0dw5VsxnISR_1iJ-ki8HWhzzd_-tvcmPvKuzPedAGsVh-YFnrVnbhRaJV9eJyieMps-YX1_fsdj81jDJr19X2v/s1600-h/third+man+harry.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Vq_EVQCz2X77bM4XlxLTrMbIm9944cFSDDUt0AHQ10VwwcLFUrYyqW0dw5VsxnISR_1iJ-ki8HWhzzd_-tvcmPvKuzPedAGsVh-YFnrVnbhRaJV9eJyieMps-YX1_fsdj81jDJr19X2v/s200/third+man+harry.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363207394516864882" /></a>There are also solid performances from Trevor Howard as <b>Major Calloway</b> and Bernard Lee as <b>Serjeant Paine</b>, but frankly the whole film is stolen by Orson Welles when he finally turns up. This is not simply becuase it is a great performance (although it is); it is also because there has been a steady but building myhtology built up about <b>Harry Lime</b>. There is almost a great big hole in the film until he actually enters the action, and it is a beautiful entrance. While there are some good action sequences (such as the chase through the sewers), it is the dialogue that really drives this film, and it is nicely done, without being overbearing.</div><br /><div>This is quite a dark film - much of it takes place at night or in dark settings, which is used to build tension and atmosphere, either in obvious ways or in more subtle ways, but it all works quite well.</div><br /><div>Overall, I enjoyed this very much, and would definately watch it again, if only for Orson Welles' entrance</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-LI_-BXl7Ooy-czPM-vVePpa1lazHNW3YF2piS_hGeaPtu-BsXxHRCkFDC8ws7WwuF08cYjzKkAOct1xNDzC7evkZkiCpqXZfJfZ7bH44aNoNuvRmhhf2oZO09X2hzwsI8HvopkfHbmu/s1600-h/third+man+end.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-LI_-BXl7Ooy-czPM-vVePpa1lazHNW3YF2piS_hGeaPtu-BsXxHRCkFDC8ws7WwuF08cYjzKkAOct1xNDzC7evkZkiCpqXZfJfZ7bH44aNoNuvRmhhf2oZO09X2hzwsI8HvopkfHbmu/s200/third+man+end.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363207194731768962" /></a></div><br /><div>Rating : <b>Buy it</b></div><br /><div class="review-section">Mrs Worm's Opinion</div><div><i>The music is very annoying</i></div><br /><div class="review-section">Useful links</div><div><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041959/">IMDB</a> | <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19961208/REVIEWS08/401010366/1023">Roger Ebert</a> | <a href="http://www.mrqe.com/movies/m100032116">MRQE</a></div><br /></span>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-84119915481624436772009-07-26T04:43:00.000-07:002009-07-27T08:06:02.519-07:00The Night of the Hunter (1955)<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8MTVCe_DwltDchMWVWQUikRh7kd2rg3UYwi4WPH6afhK_BWeaeTIcOldYEpIlTn1_dluvljOm7e3HPbp5UMZ0c5B3llDmnc9KghABj3aXozN7FTrvB0VEtgHz5scnlt2h6VnEYgwwN-C/s1600-h/hunter+-+poster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8MTVCe_DwltDchMWVWQUikRh7kd2rg3UYwi4WPH6afhK_BWeaeTIcOldYEpIlTn1_dluvljOm7e3HPbp5UMZ0c5B3llDmnc9KghABj3aXozN7FTrvB0VEtgHz5scnlt2h6VnEYgwwN-C/s200/hunter+-+poster.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362733463887990258" /></a></div><br /><div class="review-section">Preamble</div><div>A slight gap since my last post I'm afraid, but hopefully it was worth waiting for, I know it was for me :)</div><br /><div class="review-section">What I already knew</div><div>Very little. I had vaguely heard of the film, but only knew that it was one of those films that didn't do very well when it was released and has built up a following since.</div><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><div class="review-section">Review</div><div>This film starts in a slightly jarring style. The titles are relatively innocuous, but the music is a lullaby-style song which seems out-of-place given the subject of the film. However this is perfect for the style of what follows, and actually sets it up quite well.</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTsejst0WVJ16DpM8wuYk5JwxoaAlQMHzlwlru4NNDXabgYwkbgL54HpW-AnWaGY8GYAhJS5C0cNFJ_6PH7KVXnDi3-Id1Z8A28pExMqa9kiIcDgUqOUy08a6avFUGkcv1r-aZUP7gF3Q/s1600-h/hunter+-+appearance.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTsejst0WVJ16DpM8wuYk5JwxoaAlQMHzlwlru4NNDXabgYwkbgL54HpW-AnWaGY8GYAhJS5C0cNFJ_6PH7KVXnDi3-Id1Z8A28pExMqa9kiIcDgUqOUy08a6avFUGkcv1r-aZUP7gF3Q/s200/hunter+-+appearance.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362736003214427618" /></a><br />The whole impact of the film is based upon the stylistic approach, which is slightly odd but very compelling. Light and shadow are used to great effect, sound is used to foreshadow events, and the sets and scenery are in places realistic, and in others quite highly stylised and unrealistic. The establishing of Robert Mitchum as Harry Powell is done well. He is a complex guy, and you come to understand this quite quickly.</div><br /><div>The plot is pretty simple really, Preacher <span style="font-weight:bold;">Harry Powell</span> is in prison with <span style="font-weight:bold;">Ben Harper</span> and finds out that Harper hid $10,000 somewhere around his house. Harper is hanged, and when Powell is released he tracks down the family of his cellmate to try and find the money. He does this in a fairly standard way, by courting and marrying the widow, and trying to prise the location of the money out of the children.</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6mdSCstL8Sye_TWhLWSvhmMggkT8OBSUyJ51P7jEeqJ3VxxQUrZMMXNuFFOM2pqsqMiHVXC-BmjRM9V-bBj_Hm95KJqlFpkOQKHB_VFu5JEJ2Qjv3RlldeI10sHFoW2ASzN5CogciFBY/s1600-h/Hunter+-+scene.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6mdSCstL8Sye_TWhLWSvhmMggkT8OBSUyJ51P7jEeqJ3VxxQUrZMMXNuFFOM2pqsqMiHVXC-BmjRM9V-bBj_Hm95KJqlFpkOQKHB_VFu5JEJ2Qjv3RlldeI10sHFoW2ASzN5CogciFBY/s200/Hunter+-+scene.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362740861748086770" /></a>Harry is not a straightforward preacher though, and his relationship with his new wife, and her children, is oddly formed and menacing. The whole mood of this is helped by the style of the film, and in particular some of the sets, which are created in a stylised and almost theatrical way (to my eye). There are also some almost surrealistic scenes, and moments that are jarring in impact - perhaps this is the intention - I never know.</div><br /><div>In passing, one thing that stood out for me is that Robert Mitchum really reminds me of Brad Garret's character in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115167/">Everybody Loves Raymond</a>. I'm not sure if Brad Garret was aware of this, but the portrayals are very similar in their mannarisms and speech patterns.</div><br /><div>Overall, there is plenty in this film that I didn't quite understand and I'd like to see it again to try and work some things out. I didn't quite buy the portrayal of Harry Powell; I think he was too obviously 'dodgy', but that is perhaps my modern viewpoint. The overall impact of the film is very good indeed, and there are some great moments to enjoy.</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMsXtrLKweJrwy17EhgLBvakQqGl3_A-hhRabujjAc6kbdhRukDY4ki-InUPOohBrqtCDRUpg-5EBWuWsNMEPOK62mZssSIaPmt1iA-8ObPViSPaWwAD2nVLGVub73JTJ88_WWpBzTqOn/s1600-h/hunter+-+waiting.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMsXtrLKweJrwy17EhgLBvakQqGl3_A-hhRabujjAc6kbdhRukDY4ki-InUPOohBrqtCDRUpg-5EBWuWsNMEPOK62mZssSIaPmt1iA-8ObPViSPaWwAD2nVLGVub73JTJ88_WWpBzTqOn/s200/hunter+-+waiting.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362744474015166930" /></a></div><br /><div>Rating: <span style="font-weight:bold;">buy it</span></div><br /><div class="review-section">Mrs Worm's opinion</div><div>She didn't watch it</div><br /></span>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-58945931441287886822009-07-18T07:29:00.000-07:002009-07-27T14:14:37.871-07:00Les Vancances de Monsieur Hulot (Mr Hulot's Holiday) (1953)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzyN-H39s_V48OliZuAaL292UG-IXd_VzZoOWgHXJy-Qltoh5xg7jc2vrtiW1oPdGVetjaV1InVQLTfYHPv8pX27RxP8PEtUg8xE8xHSOkOczN9CcePFeH3qmKWqPR9QUGn0ZnQopj9hj/s1600-h/hulot+poster.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359815695781408274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzyN-H39s_V48OliZuAaL292UG-IXd_VzZoOWgHXJy-Qltoh5xg7jc2vrtiW1oPdGVetjaV1InVQLTfYHPv8pX27RxP8PEtUg8xE8xHSOkOczN9CcePFeH3qmKWqPR9QUGn0ZnQopj9hj/s200/hulot+poster.jpg" border="0" /></a><div class="review-section">Preamble</div><div>A bit of a light break here. Although <i>A Hard Day's Night</i> is a light, comedic film; <i>Mr Hulot</i> is a very light pice of frippery.</div><br /><div class="review-section">What I already knew</div><div>I have heard of this film here and there for quite a long time. I can't remember where I first heard of it, but it has always been referred to in very complimentary terms. In my mind, Jacques Tati was always some kind of genius of silent comedy - although I have never seen one of his films until now.</div><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><div class="review-section">Review</div><div>This film is really very simple to summarise. <b>Mr Hulot</b> (played by Jacques Tati) goes to the seaside on holiday - and gets into various comedic situations. It really is that simple. There is no plot as such.</div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359815777022365650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_ec8-oRfzm8_o2l1IACxxygxUY-uhnSbkiVuhhN6F9Y4vw23rWp606dEzh8CJ6jILeu3KnYOEHGefHc1OUZWB-IX-5iKY2GSaiFQ6XUKHBmiPqPXCa1DNNW9naMV68rCkpx06nnr715q/s200/hulot+tati.JPG" border="0" />I'm not quite sure why, but I had always imagined that Jacques Tati would be distinguished gentlemen in his fifties or sixties. I was utterly wrong - he is quite a simple-looking chap in his thirties. His performance, however, is very mature. He develops a character very quickly, and there are some lovely touches in the physical comedy.</div><br /><div>On the other hand, there are some very clunky and forced moments - such as the tennis scene - which really spoil the flow of the film. I'm not even sure that I really saw anything that stands out in a cinematic sense, and I'm not sure that I was meant to. This is a simple film that carries you along without demanding anything of the viewer.</div><br /><div>Overall, I came away from this film slightly confused about what it was trying to say. Not very much it would appear. It was enjoyable, but it felt like nothing really happened. Apart from a couple of moments, there are no really memorable scenes, and because of the lack of dialogue there aren't any sparkling lines to resonate in your mind.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359815841858238706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 153px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgLSXrKdDMV8FhgEShTntTcCgtmPjT0XxN_ZFv5WulQ8JeutYpuSsLAiM8CpUWElYk6CZ4_yQju5gXPbuefyUA3AVUt8MVCM5N8vNkc2h9J58egPofN3K6iHanDvgIw5-JZfAiL4T3f99/s200/hulot+end.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Rating: <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Rent it</span></div><br /><div class="review-section">Mrs Worm's Opinion</div><div>She didn't watch it.</div><br /></span>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-4969899178220411512009-07-12T14:42:00.000-07:002009-07-27T14:26:11.095-07:00A Hard Day's Night (1964)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLSS67t7hqLibmh5fpbcth19i5If0tgS58DjN0_PvfdqZrPD_HKM-66MYDFUjCK0ewrbuGtJxghmhKWcOf-tt1tFjgQrPXSpfc2dR5FOkZwmthKEn6BlR7dUmbyQoiD6Dy2At8-qHFJPq/s200/hard+days+poster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLSS67t7hqLibmh5fpbcth19i5If0tgS58DjN0_PvfdqZrPD_HKM-66MYDFUjCK0ewrbuGtJxghmhKWcOf-tt1tFjgQrPXSpfc2dR5FOkZwmthKEn6BlR7dUmbyQoiD6Dy2At8-qHFJPq/s200/hard+days+poster.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357695377602386898"/></a><div class="review-section">Preamble</div><div>This is going to be a hard review to write. Not only is this the first film on the list that I have seen before (a few times if I'm honest), I am also a big fan of The Beatles so I am going to have to work hard to seperate my impressions of the band and their music from those of the film. My apologies in advance if I don't succeed. The problem is slightly eased by the fact that the music and film were really developed together, and need to be treated as a single item in many ways.</div><br /><div class="review-section">What I already knew</div><div>Quite a lot really. I've seen A Hard Day's Night previously, and as a Beatles fan I know a fair bit of the history, so this is far from unknown territory for me. Most notable for me is probably the fact that I really didn't expect to see this film on the list; I had never considered it in terms of a film before, concentrating more on the music.</div><br /><span class="fullpost"><div class="review-section">Review</div><div>How else could this film open other than with that iconic first chord from <i>A Hard Day's Night</i> (the song)? The amount of debate about exactly what the chord <b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">is</span></b> frankly boggles the mind, and either demonstrates the brilliance of <b>The Beatles</b>, or shows obsession gone mad. You decide.</div><br /><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezdaJGGMAiwRpB-chI-nXGPakfJKR13qAcuOyQQgFDFsym5JlfVyYvBv7XvkMO3OIUz7EDbTEGYNgxPda6q6yb7bpGnzYDYauKPDWy3CbBYLIx0Iwz9gw9RwRJdfQu75SW1Km0Oz-vMvl/s200/hard+opening.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357698519216942770" />The opening scene of John, George and Ringo running down the road really sets the mood for the film, especially when George falls over (probably due to running while keeping one hand in his pocket...fool!) which actually looks quite painful. <i>A Hard Day's Night</i> is not scared of making <b>The Beatles</b> looking a bit foolish, which is quite refreshing. It also doesn't look scripted, and possibly exposes a 'real' glimpse of the boys, which is something that continues throughout the film.</div><br /><div>To digress slightly, one thing I have been struggling with a bit so far in watching the films on my list is that it's hard to view them in the context of the time they were made. In the case of <i>A Hard Day's Night</i> I find this slightly easier because of what I know about the band, and it is worth bearing in mind that the film was made relatively early in <b>The Beatles</b> career. This was 1964 - about a year after they really made it big, and only a couple of years before they basically stopped playing live and became a studio band.</div><br /><div>Once the opening 'chase' scene is over, you soon realise that as actors, <b>The Beatles</b> make very good musicians. That said, the timing is very good in places - particularly from John Lennon, and there are some great one-liners. The film is basically a vehicle for the the songs, but actually stands on its own in many ways. It's really a mixture of styles - some which were quite progressive for the time, and some which were more traditional. There are some great comedic moments - such as John Lennon in the bath, and some great performances; the sequence of <i>And I Love Her</i> really stood out for me.</div><br /><div>The style and mood of the film moves around quite a lot ad and feels quite experimental at times, and while this could easily be confusing and result in a real mess; the whole thing hangs together very well. Probably what stand out the most are the scenes of screaming girls, pulling their hair and wailing at their favourite Beatle. While these images have become something of a cliche, from speaking to my mother who saw them live, and retains fond memories of the time - that is exactly what it was like.</div><br /><div>Clearly, this film doesn't make any great statments about life, and it was never intended to. My impression is that it was simply another marketing tool, but one that managed to utilise a talented director and four great 'ordinary' lads to create something unique. I don't think I can truly separate my admiration for <b>The Beatles</b> from the film, but perhaps that is not the point. The energy genuinely carries you along, and it's a very quick 90 minutes. </div><br /><div>Overall, it's a film I could watch several times without getting bored. The dialogue is sparse in places, but cutting and intelligent as well, which makes for some great moments.</div><br /><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYFRSf6rhDVD0YVjda2qGSI4LA_bUUbtn0K7s-lYTwkp5Trt5LWiaNXg1mF2N0Qm6p9eZogZ4vwoR_QJ5GSbYV_uF3iNDPbJlZa-yJw4Ips_E9dtOEVAF8Sjlt7ahdOMJSKJuXvsoOIDA/s200/HardDaysNight.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357708724961638114" /></div><br /><div>Rating: <b>Buy it</b></div><br /><div class="review-section">Mrs Worm's Opinion</div><div><i>"They're not very good actors"</i> <span style="font-size:x-small;">(she's not wrong)</span></div><br /></span>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-12272233469567555192009-07-10T17:11:00.000-07:002009-07-27T10:21:46.688-07:00Ikiru (1952)<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTVFUyty4c6uOZ0-llyBxDHKhyphenhyphenRXar5L0WdSJEFutFi6m73EVWTHxaq4MqPjU8PRIWpvCg1cn7vaZ3C_WZGpkV6zJSxfI1QBfDmtTk28Wiaz5p7363UGHxvGKSrUIoM2ii1fvhOR0PZfv/s200/Ikiru_poster.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356976340839735858" /><div class="review-section">Preamble</div><div>I watched this slightly out of order becuase my first copy was a bit dodgy.</div><br /><div class="review-section">What I already knew</div><div>Absolutely nothing. I hasn't even heard of this film until I saw it on the list - although I had heard of the director - <b>Akira Kurosawa</b>, if for no other reason than he is mentioned in a Barenaked Ladies song. I had also heard of the lead actor - <b>Takashi Shimura</b>, although I'm not really sure where from.</div><br /><span class="fullpost"><div class="review-section">Review</div><div>First of all, in case you hadn't realised, this is a Japanese film and I was therefore watching it with subtitles. This necessarily takes away some of the impact of the film, because not only do you not pick up on many of the nuances in a language that you don't understand, but you are concentrating on two different things at the same time, the words and the pictures. This is one of the reason that I find foreign films to be intimidating.</div><br /><div>The other reason is that there are often cultural differences that you simply don't understand or even notice if you are not familiar with the culture. I am certain that there are aspects of <i>Ikiru</i> that went completely over my head because I know little of Japanese culture, which is entirely to my detriment.</div><br /><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7xB_AfqvCibWS4KuOTxUuVyEici00M8yOaP51c90AjfccQjtcj1hgJSGTGfiXhI8rjTSXIP6i7K6PZgucRmXImycrnmLwzOtOZTr1llGf_yvSdTUYhh5scWAdhinKmURxB0KQBeRBLtQ/s200/Ikiru-shimura.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 155px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356980417354555138" />I don't want to make these reviews simply a plot summary as that's the whole point of watching the film really :) But in brief, a bureaucrat called <b>Watanabe</b> has worked for 30 years in the same department, but has become something of an automaton. He finds out that he has stomach cancer, which causes him to re-evaluate his life. The drudgery of his life is emphasied by the dour and opressing style of the film, at least in the early stages, which almost seems to bear down on <b>Watanabe</b> as he goes about his days.</div><br /><div>In general, the visual of this film is simple, but there are some stunning moments - at the construction site, at the sunset, and on the swings in the park. The fact that there are so few perhaps makes them stand out more. In fact, visually this film felt a lot older than it was. I don't know if that was deliberate or if the technology in Japan was slightly lacking at the time. But when you compare the look of this film to Casablanca (made 10 years earlier) it seems like it should be the other way round.</div><br /><div>The wild night out with the writer has some lovely moments in it, even then simple act of buying a new hat seems to change him significantly. The second adventure(s) with the girl from his office are perhaps less stirring; not helped by the enthusiasm, energy and childishness of the girl, although that is perhaps the point - to make a contrast and to rejuvenate him. Indeed, he says as much on their last night out, that he wants to live one day like she does. This scene is really the breakthrough, and it's simple but stirring, with <b>Watanabe</b> rushing out to the strains of 'Happy Birthday' from a party across the landing, the song almost seeming to be sung at him, announcing his new-found joy in life. Indeed the music is echoed through the next scene in his office.</div><br /><div>The final section is both a retrospective of <b>Watanabe</b>'s final project and the real message of the film. It takes place at his funeral. The message (as I understand it) is both simple and complex. In fact, different characters take different things away at the conclusion, and the same is probably true of the audience. As a civil servant, I can apprectiate many of the straightforward messages about government and bureaucracy, but I can also appreciate the human messages, none more so than the fact that we can all make a difference - something I feel very deeply myself.</div><br /><div>There is much to admire in this film. Although I found the dialogue (or lack of it) frustrating at times, I think this helped to show Watanabe's struggle with himself - he couldn't articulate his feelings because he didn't truly understand them.</div><br /><div>Would I watch it again? I'm not really sure. I think I would, if only to try and concentrate more on the action on screen that the words - and in places the other way round, but I'm not sure it would bear regular repeat viewings. Overall, it was less disconnected from mainstream cinema than I thought it would be, and while it is long (over 2 hours) and has a slow middle section, it is well worth the effort.</div><br /><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wwd-HNLPTd-_w8yiYon3WC-ZBxKtf8wXo8cL2dBeK4FPVOyS0J4hBSzI9RyZF4ElB1kFDLYoZdPOa4PM6dyyYVb-52rK6rHOqZ7IF3y39fRcE8uhTQ7jLbsa5CC5h_GQ9xq3BwCFMdUb/s200/ikiru-swing.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 162px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356986829683337426" /></div><br /><div>Rating: <b>Rent it</b></div><br /><div class="review-section">Mrs Worm's opinion</div><div>She didn't watch it.</div><br /><div class="review-section">Useful links</div><div><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044741/">IMDB</a> | <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960929/REVIEWS08/401010329/1023">Roger Ebert</a> | <a href="http://www.mrqe.com/movies/m100012621">MRQE</a></div><br /><br /></span>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-48755576802155588102009-07-08T16:00:00.000-07:002009-07-27T14:24:02.200-07:00Vertigo (1958)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIUpn9IzTCBFWqJshazMrHHOMC6YcmaqAn20ek-DEESDqF7v7UkVecBy0Ag7Y8qLT3TJlu5lJ5Yhp7fBDLxI1WuMBmeCBOnDEl6POvHDJiqWc5W-GU7Vhgs2eRAfRfVIZfX2IOl-oBMv5/s1600-h/vertigo+poster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIUpn9IzTCBFWqJshazMrHHOMC6YcmaqAn20ek-DEESDqF7v7UkVecBy0Ag7Y8qLT3TJlu5lJ5Yhp7fBDLxI1WuMBmeCBOnDEl6POvHDJiqWc5W-GU7Vhgs2eRAfRfVIZfX2IOl-oBMv5/s200/vertigo+poster.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356229373695772754" /></a><div class="review-section">Preamble</div><div>I am watching this out of order becuase something went screwy with my copy of Ikiru, but I thought I better use the time. Be warned, in what follows there are likely to be <b>SPOILERS</b> - so if you haven't yet seen the film, you might not want to read the review.</div><br /><div class="review-section">What I Already Knew</div><div>It's a Hitchcock film, and has someting to do with a bloke who suffers from vertigo - that's pretty much it. A lot of people rave about it, but I have managed to avoid picking up any of the detail somehow.</div><br /><span class="fullpost"><div class="review-section">Review</div><div>In what appears to be an emerging theme, something stood out from the credits. This was the fact that Mrs Worm shouted out 'Barbara Bel Geddes!' from the background - who it turns out played Miss Ellie in Dallas - you live and learn.</div><br /><div>I have to say that the opening to this film left me cold. The credits struck me as a cut-price James Bond sequence, and the initial chase across the rooftop scene, seemed staged. Of course it was staged - it's a film - but it shoudn't feel like it.</div><br /><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamhDvnII8EoVV0z4L084nUV2GDx5dHqas4QpTCMAFYLJXud6uBOUHtmY6I6hN2ESrV9tfFT4WATwc35IuEWmvSKHh0WjBYZRTuKkMPWYee1oHQyl8i4na1vSQ1Lmn7TSy7k0rKj0IbZxe/s200/vertigo-stewart.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 161px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356233586115660578" />James Stewart then starts working his magic, and he does a very good job. He is affable, funny, caustic where required, and likeable. He appears to live in a brown suit and hat - but you can't really hold that against him. As the film progresses, Stewart's character of <b>Scottie </b>becomes increasingly obsessive and wild-eyed - but I'm not sure that it really comes across in Stewart's portrayal, execpt in brief flashes.</div><br /><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi739w8logiLw7U1FivGevLhKEsGtcXIpbUM3SMg43zjvQR3cB92xTD18tumVFF4PtkaQnnfwAjRe0WjF6n_nqV8SXFjc_MCZ6CdExYU2S8aLIPRQ_s6J9TX1z7oH8h8wp3uAF6tsOedGf4/s200/vertigo-novak.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 135px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356235664527201714" />Far more convincing characterisation comes from Kim Novak as <b>Madeleine</b>, who is stark and astere, but beguiling and vulnerable when the plot moves along. I didn't warm to her at first, but in the latter stages of the film, when she had more to do, I could see the strength of her performance.</div><br /><div>Unfortunately, a good performance from Novak is not enough to carry what follows, which is - frankly - a pretty plodding development of a plot. There are too many questions to answer, and too many moments that stand out for me. There is a naivity in some of the plot development that I find hard to square with a 'great' film. I don't want to get into the business of listing faults - but I noted at least half a dozen. As I have stated before, I'm not a massive film buff, so if things stand out to me, they are generally pretty blatent. In fact, for a long time, the only dramatic and suspenseful part of the film is the music, which is beautifully arranged, but seems somewhat at odds with what is actually happening on screen. What is happening looks stunning, with some great sets and scenes, let down by dodgy rear-projection car scences, but that was pretty much state of the art at the time, so I'll live with it.</div><br /><div>The real failing for me comes when <b>Scottie</b> and <b>Madeleine</b> fall madly in love. For apparently no reason. Even bearing in mind the back story which emerges later, I'm just not convinced. It seems to come out of nowhere, stemming purely from the fact that she is clearly a very attractive woman. Scotty knows that she's married (although it never appears to be mentioned apart from once) and doens't seem concerned about the underlying reasons for her 'problem' so much as giving her a good snog every now and then. It really stood out as a jarring development for me.</div><br /><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0iRRp0bhufnfprnmHEDhFgAKxX6610fcGJPL8VlsOOslNPJuf-H81BAEBXUbsex5ntdh4L91prOOGd0DiDeIgtoKacCpMWjmYelBflIasSnOS5pBiSU5wdcxs7sW2bECw-3iS4frREDyT/s200/vertigo-midge.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 108px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356245065496035010" />As with Casablanca, a 'supporting' role stands out, and I think I should note a solid performance by the aforementioned Barbara Bel Geddes as <b>Midge</b>. Although she's done up to look like a slightly more glamorous version of Velma from Scooby Doo, she creates as much as a character as she can with what screen time she has, and I'm not sure why <b>Scottie</b> isn't content with <b>Midge</b>?</div><br /><div>In the latter part of the film, of course, everything changes and you realise what happened. It's a good plot twist - though hardly original. From this moment, the film actually comes alive. The characters start to develop and interact. Stewart plays <b>Scottie</b> well - he may be haunted, damaged and slightly creepy, but at least he's well portrayed, and Novak comes into her own - playing both sides of a trapped but infatuated woman with real skill.</div><br /><div>The payoff is a bleak and nervy ending - quite a change for standard Hollywood fodder, but by reputation I think it is what you would expect from Hitchcock. It's not entirely convincing, but it works well in comparison with the rest of the film.</div><br /><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLn_aEykTXmjVPfUrI4ObJuYGsn0zKntxcJht8VaSF5AsNoA0FBpvjDajf5DTUM6uWZu0-rtzFAMAj2wrgfLFu_pT-kTDVv2XRPq9yGMx7uEiDOwDNKo4JxAS8Wv7yKdv9_BEB1Yuj6ZaF/s200/vertigo-final.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356241856311388434" /></div><div>In summary, I felt like I got a 90-minute episode of Columbo, followed by 30 minutes of good film-making. Is this a 'great' film? I can't see it myself. Oh I'm sure lots of people will claim I just don't 'get it', and I can see a lot of the value in the underlying themes of obsession and control, but it didn't grab me until the last 30 minutes, which is a bit long to wait. Sorry.</div><br /><div>Rating : <b>Rent it</b></div><br /><div class="review-section">Mrs Worm's Opinion</div><div><i>"I'm going to bed"</i><span style="font-size:x-small;">(and she did...)</span></div><br /><div class="review-section">Useful links</div><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052357/">IMDB</a> | <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19961013/REVIEWS08/401010371/1023">Roger Ebert</a> | <a href="http://www.mrqe.com/movies/m100037504">MRQE</a><br /></span>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-23401190920181457842009-07-06T15:02:00.000-07:002009-07-27T10:01:15.812-07:00Casablanca (1942)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzgdUpI9yTuH_dq4ptJ8W_SVA8gOMSf9yRHtnQo46kd0tgP6mrxrtB7gRoRYEXhvYo6TOU12xLnXWbsFgy9Ap6cSoeAsLMRF8fGxmzLL0BB1D8jmo5DXOpvXKVyFJrXVargwW5y8ku7eQ/s1600-h/Casablanca+poster.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355702211638682450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: left" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzgdUpI9yTuH_dq4ptJ8W_SVA8gOMSf9yRHtnQo46kd0tgP6mrxrtB7gRoRYEXhvYo6TOU12xLnXWbsFgy9Ap6cSoeAsLMRF8fGxmzLL0BB1D8jmo5DXOpvXKVyFJrXVargwW5y8ku7eQ/s200/Casablanca+poster.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Film 1 - I'm so excited :)</div><br /><div class="review-section">Preamble</div><div>I have to admit that I was slightly nervous about watching this. I have never seen <i>Casablanca</i> before, but I know that it has a reputation of being one of the greatest films ever. Given my contrary nature, that is pretty much a set-up for big disappointment. In case I haven't done so already, I should make it clear that I have deliberately avoided doing research on the films I am watching. I don't want to know too much about them (because I think it would spoil it), so what I know in advance is purely what I happen to have picked up as part of life's rich tapestry. </div><br /><div class="review-section">What I Already Knew</div><div>Humphrey Bogart is in it, there's a piano player called Sam who plays 'As Time Goes By', there are some Nazis and there are some big classic lines. I actually knew very little of the plot detail, mainly because most commentary about Casablanca assumes that you already know it. Oh, and nobody says 'Play it again Sam'</div><br /><span class="fullpost"><div class="review-section">Review</div><div>Like a true geek, I was taking note of even the opening credits. One of the first things that I noticed was that <b>Sydney Greenstreet</b> is in it. I know virtually nothing of Mr Greenstreet, other than the fact that for one reason or another he is the answer to quite a few questions in <i>Trivial Pursuit</i> - or at least I have been told that this is the case. This is an amazingly pointless fact, but I thought I should mention it. The second thing that I noticed is that <i>Casablanca</i> is based on a play! I had no idea that this was the case, but having seen the film, it makes a lot of sense.</div><br /><div>The opening scenes were something of a disappointment to be honest. The instruction <i>"Round up all suspicious characters" </i>seems to amount to hassling everybody in the market wearing a suit and hat. If <b>I</b> notice it, it has to be pretty bad film making. After this, however, things improve dramatically. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ysHluKEKnRmotElB-F4NnyLzEELivOC6aVFsmsrRerVocaAEcHSJQfHp6o7gg3Vr2h3z_rs5XCHQpzyWs5_ncKliY3bzO8DNN0hnhfV5g174qEpxUmspMJamSc4dkcYWGmCgIkqhQl9e/s1600-h/Bogart.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355703627887538002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ysHluKEKnRmotElB-F4NnyLzEELivOC6aVFsmsrRerVocaAEcHSJQfHp6o7gg3Vr2h3z_rs5XCHQpzyWs5_ncKliY3bzO8DNN0hnhfV5g174qEpxUmspMJamSc4dkcYWGmCgIkqhQl9e/s200/Bogart.jpg" border="0" /></a>I was pre-disposed to not like Humphrey Bogart. Despite never actually having seen one of his films (that I remember) I have heard so many great things about him and seen short clips and lots of photos, which all combined to give me a bad impression. I thought he was over-hyped and not that good looking, so I couldn't really see what all the fuss was about. In the course of watching <i>Casablanca</i>, I am happy to say that my prejudice was proved entirely wrong. Bogey showed real talent. His delivery was solid and measured, but with a real edge to it. Perhaps it's just my sense of humour, but some of the lines really worked for me - <i>"I don't mind a parasite. I object to a cut-rate one."</i>. The only thing that put me off slightly was how much Bogey reminded me of Richard Nixon. :) Of course, much of this is down to the script, but I really wasn't expecting Bogart to be funny. He really is. The delivery is dry, quite understated in places and almost deadpan - but it works.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOTTX2BMoRCL2YKB40WqHfgcaIBT-3a__pj7-mspN-VP6x1pbKwoj7sRxos45uZoKutCSBdFvVgRxvMl7mnqRRykgD9hC9Mc1Q_2EHR9DQ-s6mf6z55pnSgnTY5nPs1wxjf0PR2binklw/s1600-h/Ingrid_Bergman_in_Casablanca_trailer.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355704050121084898" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOTTX2BMoRCL2YKB40WqHfgcaIBT-3a__pj7-mspN-VP6x1pbKwoj7sRxos45uZoKutCSBdFvVgRxvMl7mnqRRykgD9hC9Mc1Q_2EHR9DQ-s6mf6z55pnSgnTY5nPs1wxjf0PR2binklw/s200/Ingrid_Bergman_in_Casablanca_trailer.jpg" border="0" /></a>As for Ingrid Bergman - I don't know what to say really. The first thing that struck me was that she was almost always shown in soft focus, which became quite annoying. Again, if I notice it, it must be quite obvious. She was clearly a very attractive woman, but I'm not sure that she added a while lot in terms of acting - perhaps I need to watch it again to fully appreciate her contribution.</div><br /><div>The first 30 minutes of the film are basically one extended scene set in Rick's Cafe (which makes sense on the basis of it being based on a play which was set entirely in the cafe) and whereas in many cases this would be a dragging, plodding opening, in this case it works well, setting up the rest of the film in good style without being too heavy-handed about it.</div><br /><div>When it comes to the flashback scenes, I don't buy it entirely. By this point, I've already come to like and appreciate the world-weary and cynical Rick, so I don't entirely buy the love-happy and carefree version. The contrast makes the current Rick more solid perhaps, but it seems too distinct a difference to me. In addition, Bogart appears to have aged since Paris, whereas Bergman hasn't aged at all (I can only assume that this was deliberate, and because she didn't want to reduce her appeal).</div><br /><div>Apart from a couple of exceptions, there isn't a whole lot of action - nothing <i>physically</i> dramatic happens. This formed the basis of most of the discussion that I had with Mrs Worm. Films these days (in general) don't really work like this. Modern films are broadly about what <span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline">happens</span> rather than what is <span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline">said</span>. Casablanca is an example of a different school of film-making (possibly because it's based on a play) which holds that it is the dialogue that is central. I can't help but think that this is a big plus point.</div><br /><div>Perhaps because of the era that the film was made, there are certain things that remain implied rather than explicitly stated (such as the 'deal' between <b>Renault</b> and <b>Annina Brandel</b> (the Bulgarian girl), and there is also a general assumption that the situation with Germany, France and the general political situation in the Second World War is understood by the audience - this is probably the only thing that really dates the film. We now have whole generations (and I include myself in this) that really don't understand what <i>war</i> is like, and I don't think that we necessarily pick up on a lot of the implied social consciousness that is implicit in films like <i>Casablanca</i>.</div><br /><div>There are some very confusing plot moments in the course of the film, moments that stand out for me that is. For example, why does <b>Ugarte</b> give the transit papers to Rick? It seems forced to me. And when <b>Laszlo</b> leaves the hotel for the meeting of the Underground, he doesn't seem to make any effort to conceal his departure (this is perhaps deliberate?).</div><br /><div>That said, there are also some very stirring moments. The sentimental part of me really liked the scene in the bar where Laszlo orchestrates the singing of '<i>La Marseillaise</i>', as well as the final scene in the airport. The latter can be explained by the fact that I know it's an iconic scene, but I have no prior knowledge of the singing scene at all.</div><br /><div>The music is used to good effect, perhaps more obtrusively than is the current vogue, but never in an overbearing way. It binds everything together without doing so in an obvious way (in my opinion)</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7adH5n6T6Fc38ZBgMBn6mlvh9I_AkDw34eSq9t7Q6x6UXeIGEwMdELhaT_VdrWUzee0CAx6JZNN7vpRoorQEYb26f7EsxghdSTY_chSbbY2j9cfH0AISlILQF3VsjigaTyqxE5ozwwO35/s1600-h/Renault.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355705759322782914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 151px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7adH5n6T6Fc38ZBgMBn6mlvh9I_AkDw34eSq9t7Q6x6UXeIGEwMdELhaT_VdrWUzee0CAx6JZNN7vpRoorQEYb26f7EsxghdSTY_chSbbY2j9cfH0AISlILQF3VsjigaTyqxE5ozwwO35/s200/Renault.jpg" border="0" /></a>Mention must be made of Claude Rains as <b>Captain Louis Renault</b>. I previously only knew of Rains because he is mentioned in the <i>Rocky Horror Picture Show</i>, but I came to really like his portrayal of Renault, who is a great foil for Rick.</div><br /><div>Overall, while I thoroughly enjoyed <i>Casablanca</i> - I wasn't exactly blown away. Consequently, I'm not entirely sure why Casablanca is rated so highly. It is certainly a very good film, and Bogart steals the show entirely. I will definitely watch this again, if only to try and understand why everyone loves it so much. And so that I can see Bogart do his thing again - he is very cool.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355718854992157122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 154px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbZOexPf-y5FMYM0Dd_8JUsDnmrMToDswrbzTK6G9y7El4wKt-eEsSd_XK-cKYpaL4YLreds1GI1l-w-5Qniy64qIHeVe_Np6N5j3aMaL0n5pJqdQZZlGh9X4ROgFO8w9wLxIJZDz7ccm/s200/end.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Rating : <b>Buy it</b></div><br /><div class="review-section">Mrs Worm's Opinion</div><div><i>"I'm not impressed" <span style="font-size:x-small;">(she's a tough audience)</span></i></div><br /><div class="review-section">Useful links</div><div><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/">IMDB</a> | <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960915/REVIEWS08/401010308/1023">Roger Ebert</a> | <a href="http://www.mrqe.com/movies/m100000001">MRQE</a><br /></div><br /></span>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-26757924111297491722009-07-03T01:58:00.000-07:002009-07-07T14:41:46.026-07:00Disclaimer and musingsI thought I should note down a few things before I start this, and outline roughly what I expect to see, and write.<br /><br /><ol><li>I am not a film geek. Therefore I may well misuse terms and miss some obvious things that real film afficianados would pick up on. I always get a bit lost when people start talking about how great the cinematography was, or how well a film was edited. That's not to say that I don't notice these things per-se, but I don't think about them in those terms.</li><li>I intend to outline what I know about a film before I watch and review it. This is not in order to gain affection through pity or my ignorance or anything, I just saw <a href="http://josh-afi-list.blogspot.com/">someone else</a> do it on their review site and thought it was a good idea - for my purposes more than anything.</li><li>I wasn't going to award stars or anything, but some discussion with mates made me change my mind. I don't think that anyone really cares what my opinion is in terms of 'scores' - not even me. This is also down to the fact that these are all supposed to be 'great' films - a league table made up entirely of '4 stars' is a bit pointless. However, people do seem to like some sort of 'ratings' - so I will rate the films - details below.</li><li>That said, I don't expect to agree that they are all 'great' films. It's such a subjective thing, and I'm sure that Roger Ebert's tastes are somewhat more refined than mine. However, hopefully my tastes may change as I go through the process - it will be interesting to see.</li></ol><br />The ratings system I have decided to use is very simple - what would I recommend for the average film viewer:<br /><ul><li>Skip it - not really worth the effort</li><li>Rent it - worth a watch</li><li>Buy it - you'll want to watch it again</li></ul><br /><div>In more general news, I expect 'Casablanca' to be waiting for me when I get home tonight, so I should kick off the watching this weekend - depending on how long the tennis is on for :)</div>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-48861349592114964172009-06-30T16:38:00.000-07:002009-07-13T00:48:53.084-07:00AdditionsFilms that have already been suggested as extras:<br /><div><ol><li>Leon</li><li>Dr. Zhivago</li><li>Judgement at Nuremburg</li></ol></div>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-21822484979597707822009-06-28T16:22:00.000-07:002010-01-18T15:56:56.711-08:00Main List<div>This is where I intend to keep track of the films as I watch them.</div><br /><div>Each title will be a link to the post I make about the film after I watch it. I hope to watch them in order, but that may not always be possible I guess. There is also a lingk to Roger Ebert's review of each film. I may slip in the odd film that is not on Ebert's list - or at least not in the top 100, manily based on recommendations from other people that I think are worth including.</div><br /><div>To be clear - I will watch all the films afresh, regardless of whether I have already seen them or not.</div><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><table class="filmlist"><tbody><tr><th>ID</th><th>Title</th><th>Year</th><th>Rating</th><th>Ebert</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/casablanca-1942.html">Casablanca </a></td><td>1942</td><td>Buy</td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960915/REVIEWS08/401010308/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/ikiru-1952.html">Ikiru </a></td><td>1952</td><td>Rent</td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960929/REVIEWS08/401010329/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/vertigo-1958.html">Vertigo</a> </td><td>1958</td><td>Rent</td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19961013/REVIEWS08/401010371/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/hard-days-night-1964.html">A Hard Day's Night </a></td><td>1964</td><td>Buy</td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19961027/REVIEWS08/401010326/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/les-vancances-de-monsieur-hulot-mr.html">Mr. Hulot's Holiday </a></td><td>1953</td><td>Rent</td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19961110/REVIEWS08/401010328/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/night-of-hunter-1955.html">The Night of the Hunter </a></td><td>1955</td><td>Buy</td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19961124/REVIEWS08/401010344/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/third-man-1949.html">The Third Man </a></td><td>1949</td><td>Buy</td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19961208/REVIEWS08/401010366/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/wizard-of-oz-1939.html">The Wizard of Oz </a></td><td>1939</td><td>Buy</td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19961222/REVIEWS08/401010348/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>La Dolce Vita </td><td>1960</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970105/REVIEWS08/401010336/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>L'Avventura </td><td>1960</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970119/REVIEWS08/401010338/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>The Passion of Joan of Arc </td><td>1928</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970216/REVIEWS08/401010350/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>The Godfather </td><td>1972</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970316/REVIEWS08/401010321/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2010/01/2001-space-odyssey-1968.html">2001: A Space Odyssey </a></td><td>1968</td><td>Rent</td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970327/REVIEWS08/401010362/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Floating Weeds </td><td>1959</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970330/REVIEWS08/401010319/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Walkabout </td><td>1971</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970413/REVIEWS08/401010372/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Ali: Fear Eats the Soul </td><td>1974</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970427/REVIEWS08/401010301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>The Exterminating Angel </td><td>1962</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970511/REVIEWS08/401010318/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>Being There </td><td>1979</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970525/REVIEWS08/401010303/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>The General </td><td>1927</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970531/REVIEWS08/401010365/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>Le Samourai </td><td>1967</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970608/REVIEWS08/401010337/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>The Big Sleep </td><td>1946</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970622/REVIEWS08/401010360/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>Pickpocket </td><td>1959</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970706/REVIEWS08/401010351/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>Body Heat </td><td>1981</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970720/REVIEWS08/401010305/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>M </td><td>1931</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970803/REVIEWS08/401010339/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>Notorious </td><td>1946</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970817/REVIEWS08/40802008/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial </td><td>1982</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970914/REVIEWS08/401010316/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>27</td><td>Nosferatu </td><td>1922</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970928/REVIEWS08/401010345/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>28</td><td>The Sweet Smell of Success </td><td>1957</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971021/REVIEWS08/401010361/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>29</td><td>My Darling Clementine </td><td>1946</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971026/REVIEWS08/401010309/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>Gates of Heaven </td><td>1978</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971109/REVIEWS08/401010320/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>31</td><td>The Lady Eve </td><td>1941</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971123/REVIEWS08/401010317/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>32</td><td>Days of Heaven </td><td>1978</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971207/REVIEWS08/401010327/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>33</td><td>City Lights </td><td>1931</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971221/REVIEWS08/401010310/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>34</td><td>Day for Night </td><td>1973</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971226/REVIEWS08/401010311/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>35</td><td>A Woman Under the Influence </td><td>1974</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980114/REVIEWS08/401010375/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>36</td><td>Written on the Wind </td><td>1956</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980118/REVIEWS08/401010373/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>37</td><td>Woman in the Dunes </td><td>1964</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980201/REVIEWS08/401010314/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>38</td><td>Swing Time </td><td>1936</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980215/REVIEWS08/401010363/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>39</td><td>Red River </td><td>1948</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980301/REVIEWS08/401010355/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>40</td><td>Metropolis </td><td>1926</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980328/REVIEWS08/401010341/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>41</td><td>Wings of Desire </td><td>1988</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980412/REVIEWS08/401010374/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>42</td><td>Pandora's Box </td><td>1928</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980426/REVIEWS08/401010349/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>43</td><td>Raging Bull </td><td>1980</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980510/REVIEWS08/401010354/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>44</td><td>Citizen Kane </td><td>1941</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980524/REVIEWS08/401010334/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>45</td><td>Detour </td><td>1945</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980607/REVIEWS08/401010312/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>46</td><td>Gone With the Wind </td><td>1939</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980621/REVIEWS08/401010323/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>47</td><td>Yankee Doodle Dandy </td><td>1942</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980705/REVIEWS08/401010377/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>48</td><td>The Battleship Potemkin </td><td>1925</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980719/REVIEWS08/401010302/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>49</td><td>Picnic at Hanging Rock </td><td>1975</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980802/REVIEWS08/401010325/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>50</td><td>Bonnie and Clyde </td><td>1967</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980803/REVIEWS08/401010306/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>51</td><td>Nights of Cabiria </td><td>1957</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980816/REVIEWS08/401010343/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>52</td><td>Touch of Evil </td><td>1958</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980913/REVIEWS08/401010367/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>53</td><td>Trouble in Paradise </td><td>1932</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19981011/REVIEWS08/401010368/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>54</td><td>The Up Documentaries </td><td>1985</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19981025/REVIEWS08/401010370/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>55</td><td>Blow-Up </td><td>1966</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19981108/REVIEWS08/401010304/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>56</td><td>Pinocchio </td><td>1940</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19981122/REVIEWS08/401010352/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>57</td><td>Psycho </td><td>1960</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19981206/REVIEWS08/401010353/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>58</td><td>Double Indemnity </td><td>1944</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19981220/REVIEWS08/401010313/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>59</td><td>It's a Wonderful Life </td><td>1946</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990101/REVIEWS08/401010376/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>60</td><td>Bride of Frankenstein </td><td>1935</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990103/REVIEWS08/401010307/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>61</td><td>The Music Room </td><td>1958</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990117/REVIEWS08/401010342/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>62</td><td>Goldfinger </td><td>1964</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990131/REVIEWS08/401010322/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>63</td><td>Singin' in the Rain </td><td>1952</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990214/REVIEWS08/401010359/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>64</td><td>Saturday Night Fever </td><td>1977</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990307/REVIEWS08/401010357/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>65</td><td>The Bicycle Thief / Bicycle Thieves </td><td>1949</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990319/REVIEWS08/903190306/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>66</td><td>On the Waterfront </td><td>1954</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990321/REVIEWS08/903210301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>67</td><td>Aguirre, the Wrath of God </td><td>1972</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990404/REVIEWS08/904040301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>68</td><td>The Bridge on the River Kwai </td><td>1957</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990418/REVIEWS08/904180301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>69</td><td>Peeping Tom </td><td>1960</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990502/REVIEWS08/905020301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>70</td><td>Last Year at Marienbad </td><td>1961</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990530/REVIEWS08/905300301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>71</td><td>My Dinner With Andre </td><td>1981</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990613/REVIEWS08/906130301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>72</td><td>Sunset Boulevard </td><td>1950</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990627/REVIEWS08/906270301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>73</td><td>Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope) </td><td>1977</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990628/REVIEWS08/906280301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>74</td><td>Dr. Strangelove </td><td>1964</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990711/REVIEWS08/907110301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>75</td><td>Belle de Jour </td><td>1967</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990725/REVIEWS08/907250301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>76</td><td>The 400 Blows </td><td>1959</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990808/REVIEWS08/908080301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>77</td><td>Great Expectations </td><td>1946</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990822/REVIEWS08/908220301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>78</td><td>Yellow Submarine </td><td>1968</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990905/REVIEWS08/909050301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>79</td><td>Dracula </td><td>1931</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990919/REVIEWS08/909190301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>80</td><td>Grand Illusion </td><td>1937</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19991003/REVIEWS08/910030301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>81</td><td>The Shawshank Redemption </td><td>1994</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19991017/REVIEWS08/910170301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>82</td><td>House of Games </td><td>1987</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19991031/REVIEWS08/910310301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>83</td><td>McCabe & Mrs. Miller </td><td>1971</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19991114/REVIEWS08/911140301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>84</td><td>Apocalypse Now </td><td>1979</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19991128/REVIEWS08/911280301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>85</td><td>Greed </td><td>1925</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19991212/REVIEWS08/912120301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>86</td><td>Beauty and the Beast </td><td>1946</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19991226/REVIEWS08/912260301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>87</td><td>Some Like It Hot </td><td>1959</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000109/REVIEWS08/1090301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>88</td><td>Broken Blossoms </td><td>1919</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000123/REVIEWS08/1230301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>89</td><td>Chinatown </td><td>1974</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000206/REVIEWS08/2060301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>90</td><td>Rear Window </td><td>1954</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000220/REVIEWS08/2200301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>91</td><td>The Last Laugh </td><td>1924</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000305/REVIEWS08/3050301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>92</td><td>Grave of the Fireflies </td><td>1988</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000319/REVIEWS08/3190301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>93</td><td>The Decalogue </td><td>1988</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000402/REVIEWS08/4020301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>94</td><td>The Seventh Seal </td><td>1957</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000416/REVIEWS08/401010358/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>95</td><td>Un Chien Andalou </td><td>1928</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000416/REVIEWS08/401010369/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>96</td><td>Raiders of the Lost Ark </td><td>1981</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000430/REVIEWS08/4300301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>97</td><td>Orpheus </td><td>1949</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000514/REVIEWS08/5140301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>98</td><td>8.5</td><td>1963</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000528/REVIEWS08/5280301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>99</td><td>All About Eve </td><td>1950</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000611/REVIEWS08/6110301/1023">Click</a></td></tr><tr><td>100</td><td>The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie</td><td>1972</td><td></td><td><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000625/REVIEWS08/6250301/1023">Click</a></td></tr></tbody></table></span>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-76470925336355757692009-06-28T02:13:00.000-07:002010-01-18T15:57:40.322-08:00Alphabetical list<span class="fullpost"><br /><table class="filmlist"><tbody> <tr><th>ID</th><th>Title</th><th>Year</th></tr> <tr><td>98</td><td>8.5</td><td>1963</td></tr> <tr><td>13</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2010/01/2001-space-odyssey-1968.html">2001: A Space Odyssey </a></td><td>1968</td></tr> <tr><td>76</td><td>The 400 Blows </td><td>1959</td></tr> <tr><td>67</td><td>Aguirre, the Wrath of God </td><td>1972</td></tr> <tr><td>16</td><td>Ali: Fear Eats the Soul </td><td>1974</td></tr> <tr><td>99</td><td>All About Eve </td><td>1950</td></tr> <tr><td>84</td><td>Apocalypse Now </td><td>1979</td></tr> <tr><td>48</td><td>The Battleship Potemkin </td><td>1925</td></tr> <tr><td>86</td><td>Beauty and the Beast </td><td>1946</td></tr> <tr><td>18</td><td>Being There </td><td>1979</td></tr> <tr><td>75</td><td>Belle de Jour </td><td>1967</td></tr> <tr><td>65</td><td>The Bicycle Thief / Bicycle Thieves </td><td>1949</td></tr> <tr><td>21</td><td>The Big Sleep </td><td>1946</td></tr> <tr><td>55</td><td>Blow-Up </td><td>1966</td></tr> <tr><td>23</td><td>Body Heat </td><td>1981</td></tr> <tr><td>50</td><td>Bonnie and Clyde </td><td>1967</td></tr> <tr><td>60</td><td>Bride of Frankenstein </td><td>1935</td></tr> <tr><td>68</td><td>The Bridge on the River Kwai </td><td>1957</td></tr> <tr><td>88</td><td>Broken Blossoms </td><td>1919</td></tr> <tr><td>1</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/casablanca-1942.html">Casablanca</a> </td><td>1942</td></tr> <tr><td>89</td><td>Chinatown </td><td>1974</td></tr> <tr><td>44</td><td>Citizen Kane </td><td>1941</td></tr> <tr><td>33</td><td>City Lights </td><td>1931</td></tr> <tr><td>34</td><td>Day for Night </td><td>1973</td></tr> <tr><td>32</td><td>Days of Heaven </td><td>1978</td></tr> <tr><td>93</td><td>The Decalogue </td><td>1988</td></tr> <tr><td>45</td><td>Detour </td><td>1945</td></tr> <tr><td>100</td><td>The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie</td><td>1972</td></tr> <tr><td>58</td><td>Double Indemnity </td><td>1944</td></tr> <tr><td>74</td><td>Dr. Strangelove </td><td>1964</td></tr> <tr><td>79</td><td>Dracula </td><td>1931</td></tr> <tr><td>26</td><td>E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial </td><td>1982</td></tr> <tr><td>17</td><td>The Exterminating Angel </td><td>1962</td></tr> <tr><td>14</td><td>Floating Weeds </td><td>1959</td></tr> <tr><td>30</td><td>Gates of Heaven </td><td>1978</td></tr> <tr><td>19</td><td>The General </td><td>1927</td></tr> <tr><td>12</td><td>The Godfather </td><td>1972</td></tr> <tr><td>62</td><td>Goldfinger </td><td>1964</td></tr> <tr><td>46</td><td>Gone With the Wind </td><td>1939</td></tr> <tr><td>80</td><td>Grand Illusion </td><td>1937</td></tr> <tr><td>92</td><td>Grave of the Fireflies </td><td>1988</td></tr> <tr><td>77</td><td>Great Expectations </td><td>1946</td></tr> <tr><td>85</td><td>Greed </td><td>1925</td></tr> <tr><td>4</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/hard-days-night-1964.html">A Hard Day's Night </a></td><td>1964</td></tr> <tr><td>82</td><td>House of Games </td><td>1987</td></tr> <tr><td>2</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/ikiru-1952.html">Ikiru</a> </td><td>1952</td></tr> <tr><td>59</td><td>It's a Wonderful Life </td><td>1946</td></tr> <tr><td>9</td><td>La Dolce Vita </td><td>1960</td></tr> <tr><td>31</td><td>The Lady Eve </td><td>1941</td></tr> <tr><td>91</td><td>The Last Laugh </td><td>1924</td></tr> <tr><td>70</td><td>Last Year at Marienbad </td><td>1961</td></tr> <tr><td>10</td><td>L'Avventura </td><td>1960</td></tr> <tr><td>20</td><td>Le Samourai </td><td>1967</td></tr> <tr><td>24</td><td>M </td><td>1931</td></tr> <tr><td>83</td><td>McCabe & Mrs. Miller </td><td>1971</td></tr> <tr><td>40</td><td>Metropolis </td><td>1926</td></tr> <tr><td>5</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/les-vancances-de-monsieur-hulot-mr.html">Mr. Hulot's Holiday</a> </td><td>1953</td></tr> <tr><td>61</td><td>The Music Room </td><td>1958</td></tr> <tr><td>29</td><td>My Darling Clementine </td><td>1946</td></tr> <tr><td>71</td><td>My Dinner With Andre </td><td>1981</td></tr> <tr><td>6</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/night-of-hunter-1955.html">The Night of the Hunter </a></td><td>1955</td></tr> <tr><td>51</td><td>Nights of Cabiria </td><td>1957</td></tr> <tr><td>27</td><td>Nosferatu </td><td>1922</td></tr> <tr><td>25</td><td>Notorious </td><td>1946</td></tr> <tr><td>66</td><td>On the Waterfront </td><td>1954</td></tr> <tr><td>97</td><td>Orpheus </td><td>1949</td></tr> <tr><td>42</td><td>Pandora's Box </td><td>1928</td></tr> <tr><td>11</td><td>The Passion of Joan of Arc </td><td>1928</td></tr> <tr><td>69</td><td>Peeping Tom </td><td>1960</td></tr> <tr><td>22</td><td>Pickpocket </td><td>1959</td></tr> <tr><td>49</td><td>Picnic at Hanging Rock </td><td>1975</td></tr> <tr><td>56</td><td>Pinocchio </td><td>1940</td></tr> <tr><td>57</td><td>Psycho </td><td>1960</td></tr> <tr><td>43</td><td>Raging Bull </td><td>1980</td></tr> <tr><td>96</td><td>Raiders of the Lost Ark </td><td>1981</td></tr> <tr><td>90</td><td>Rear Window </td><td>1954</td></tr> <tr><td>39</td><td>Red River </td><td>1948</td></tr> <tr><td>64</td><td>Saturday Night Fever </td><td>1977</td></tr> <tr><td>94</td><td>The Seventh Seal </td><td>1957</td></tr> <tr><td>81</td><td>The Shawshank Redemption </td><td>1994</td></tr> <tr><td>63</td><td>Singin' in the Rain </td><td>1952</td></tr> <tr><td>87</td><td>Some Like It Hot </td><td>1959</td></tr> <tr><td>73</td><td>Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope) </td><td>1977</td></tr> <tr><td>72</td><td>Sunset Boulevard </td><td>1950</td></tr> <tr><td>28</td><td>The Sweet Smell of Success </td><td>1957</td></tr> <tr><td>38</td><td>Swing Time </td><td>1936</td></tr> <tr><td>7</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/third-man-1949.html">The Third Man </a></td><td>1949</td></tr> <tr><td>52</td><td>Touch of Evil </td><td>1958</td></tr> <tr><td>53</td><td>Trouble in Paradise </td><td>1932</td></tr> <tr><td>95</td><td>Un Chien Andalou </td><td>1928</td></tr> <tr><td>54</td><td>The Up Documentaries </td><td>1985</td></tr> <tr><td>3</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/vertigo-1958.html">Vertigo</a> </td><td>1958</td></tr> <tr><td>15</td><td>Walkabout </td><td>1971</td></tr> <tr><td>41</td><td>Wings of Desire </td><td>1988</td></tr> <tr><td>8</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/wizard-of-oz-1939.html">The Wizard of Oz </a></td><td>1939</td></tr> <tr><td>37</td><td>Woman in the Dunes </td><td>1964</td></tr> <tr><td>35</td><td>A Woman Under the Influence </td><td>1974</td></tr> <tr><td>36</td><td>Written on the Wind </td><td>1956</td></tr> <tr><td>47</td><td>Yankee Doodle Dandy </td><td>1942</td></tr> <tr><td>78</td><td>Yellow Submarine </td><td>1968</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425162584023545476.post-89593978673810568012009-06-28T01:00:00.000-07:002010-01-18T15:58:01.657-08:00Chronological List<span class="fullpost"><br /><table class="filmlist"><tbody><tr><th>ID</th><th>Title</th><th>Year</th></tr> <tr><td>88</td><td>Broken Blossoms </td><td>1919</td></tr><tr><td>27</td><td>Nosferatu </td><td>1922</td></tr> <tr><td>91</td><td>The Last Laugh </td><td>1924</td></tr> <tr><td>48</td><td>The Battleship Potemkin </td><td>1925</td></tr> <tr><td>85</td><td>Greed </td><td>1925</td></tr> <tr><td>40</td><td>Metropolis </td><td>1926</td></tr> <tr><td>19</td><td>The General </td><td>1927</td></tr> <tr><td>11</td><td>The Passion of Joan of Arc </td><td>1928</td></tr> <tr><td>42</td><td>Pandora's Box </td><td>1928</td></tr> <tr><td>95</td><td>Un Chien Andalou </td><td>1928</td></tr> <tr><td>24</td><td>M </td><td>1931</td></tr> <tr><td>33</td><td>City Lights </td><td>1931</td></tr> <tr><td>79</td><td>Dracula </td><td>1931</td></tr> <tr><td>53</td><td>Trouble in Paradise </td><td>1932</td></tr> <tr><td>60</td><td>Bride of Frankenstein </td><td>1935</td></tr> <tr><td>38</td><td>Swing Time </td><td>1936</td></tr> <tr><td>80</td><td>Grand Illusion </td><td>1937</td></tr> <tr><td>8</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/wizard-of-oz-1939.html">The Wizard of Oz </a></td><td>1939</td></tr> <tr><td>46</td><td>Gone With the Wind </td><td>1939</td></tr> <tr><td>56</td><td>Pinocchio </td><td>1940</td></tr> <tr><td>31</td><td>The Lady Eve </td><td>1941</td></tr> <tr><td>44</td><td>Citizen Kane </td><td>1941</td></tr> <tr><td>1</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/casablanca-1942.html">Casablanca </a></td><td>1942</td></tr> <tr><td>47</td><td>Yankee Doodle Dandy </td><td>1942</td></tr> <tr><td>58</td><td>Double Indemnity </td><td>1944</td></tr> <tr><td>45</td><td>Detour </td><td>1945</td></tr> <tr><td>21</td><td>The Big Sleep </td><td>1946</td></tr> <tr><td>25</td><td>Notorious </td><td>1946</td></tr> <tr><td>29</td><td>My Darling Clementine </td><td>1946</td></tr> <tr><td>59</td><td>It's a Wonderful Life </td><td>1946</td></tr> <tr><td>77</td><td>Great Expectations </td><td>1946</td></tr> <tr><td>86</td><td>Beauty and the Beast </td><td>1946</td></tr> <tr><td>39</td><td>Red River </td><td>1948</td></tr> <tr><td>7</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/third-man-1949.html">The Third Man</a> </td><td>1949</td></tr> <tr><td>65</td><td>The Bicycle Thief / Bicycle Thieves </td><td>1949</td></tr> <tr><td>97</td><td>Orpheus </td><td>1949</td></tr> <tr><td>72</td><td>Sunset Boulevard </td><td>1950</td></tr> <tr><td>99</td><td>All About Eve </td><td>1950</td></tr> <tr><td>2</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/ikiru-1952.html">Ikiru</a> </td><td>1952</td></tr> <tr><td>63</td><td>Singin' in the Rain </td><td>1952</td></tr> <tr><td>5</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/les-vancances-de-monsieur-hulot-mr.html">Mr. Hulot's Holiday </a></td><td>1953</td></tr> <tr><td>66</td><td>On the Waterfront </td><td>1954</td></tr> <tr><td>90</td><td>Rear Window </td><td>1954</td></tr> <tr><td>6</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/night-of-hunter-1955.html">The Night of the Hunte</a>r </td><td>1955</td></tr> <tr><td>36</td><td>Written on the Wind </td><td>1956</td></tr> <tr><td>28</td><td>The Sweet Smell of Success </td><td>1957</td></tr> <tr><td>51</td><td>Nights of Cabiria </td><td>1957</td></tr> <tr><td>68</td><td>The Bridge on the River Kwai </td><td>1957</td></tr> <tr><td>94</td><td>The Seventh Seal </td><td>1957</td></tr> <tr><td>3</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/vertigo-1958.html">Vertigo</a> </td><td>1958</td></tr> <tr><td>52</td><td>Touch of Evil </td><td>1958</td></tr> <tr><td>61</td><td>The Music Room </td><td>1958</td></tr> <tr><td>14</td><td>Floating Weeds </td><td>1959</td></tr> <tr><td>22</td><td>Pickpocket </td><td>1959</td></tr> <tr><td>76</td><td>The 400 Blows </td><td>1959</td></tr> <tr><td>87</td><td>Some Like It Hot </td><td>1959</td></tr> <tr><td>9</td><td>La Dolce Vita </td><td>1960</td></tr> <tr><td>10</td><td>L'Avventura </td><td>1960</td></tr> <tr><td>57</td><td>Psycho </td><td>1960</td></tr> <tr><td>69</td><td>Peeping Tom </td><td>1960</td></tr> <tr><td>70</td><td>Last Year at Marienbad </td><td>1961</td></tr> <tr><td>17</td><td>The Exterminating Angel </td><td>1962</td></tr> <tr><td>98</td><td>8.5</td><td>1963</td></tr> <tr><td>4</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2009/07/hard-days-night-1964.html">A Hard Day's Night</a> </td><td>1964</td></tr> <tr><td>37</td><td>Woman in the Dunes </td><td>1964</td></tr> <tr><td>62</td><td>Goldfinger </td><td>1964</td></tr> <tr><td>74</td><td>Dr. Strangelove </td><td>1964</td></tr> <tr><td>55</td><td>Blow-Up </td><td>1966</td></tr> <tr><td>20</td><td>Le Samourai </td><td>1967</td></tr> <tr><td>50</td><td>Bonnie and Clyde </td><td>1967</td></tr> <tr><td>75</td><td>Belle de Jour </td><td>1967</td></tr> <tr><td>13</td><td><a href="http://wellfilmed.blogspot.com/2010/01/2001-space-odyssey-1968.html">2001: A Space Odyssey </a></td><td>1968</td></tr> <tr><td>78</td><td>Yellow Submarine </td><td>1968</td></tr> <tr><td>15</td><td>Walkabout </td><td>1971</td></tr> <tr><td>83</td><td>McCabe & Mrs. Miller </td><td>1971</td></tr> <tr><td>12</td><td>The Godfather </td><td>1972</td></tr> <tr><td>67</td><td>Aguirre, the Wrath of God </td><td>1972</td></tr> <tr><td>100</td><td>The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie</td><td>1972</td></tr> <tr><td>34</td><td>Day for Night </td><td>1973</td></tr> <tr><td>16</td><td>Ali: Fear Eats the Soul </td><td>1974</td></tr> <tr><td>35</td><td>A Woman Under the Influence </td><td>1974</td></tr> <tr><td>89</td><td>Chinatown </td><td>1974</td></tr> <tr><td>49</td><td>Picnic at Hanging Rock </td><td>1975</td></tr> <tr><td>64</td><td>Saturday Night Fever </td><td>1977</td></tr> <tr><td>73</td><td>Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope) </td><td>1977</td></tr> <tr><td>30</td><td>Gates of Heaven </td><td>1978</td></tr> <tr><td>32</td><td>Days of Heaven </td><td>1978</td></tr> <tr><td>18</td><td>Being There </td><td>1979</td></tr> <tr><td>84</td><td>Apocalypse Now </td><td>1979</td></tr> <tr><td>43</td><td>Raging Bull </td><td>1980</td></tr> <tr><td>23</td><td>Body Heat </td><td>1981</td></tr> <tr><td>71</td><td>My Dinner With Andre </td><td>1981</td></tr> <tr><td>96</td><td>Raiders of the Lost Ark </td><td>1981</td></tr> <tr><td>26</td><td>E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial </td><td>1982</td></tr> <tr><td>54</td><td>The Up Documentaries </td><td>1985</td></tr> <tr><td>82</td><td>House of Games </td><td>1987</td></tr> <tr><td>41</td><td>Wings of Desire </td><td>1988</td></tr> <tr><td>92</td><td>Grave of the Fireflies </td><td>1988</td></tr> <tr><td>93</td><td>The Decalogue </td><td>1988</td></tr> <tr><td>81</td><td>The Shawshank Redemption </td><td>1994</td></tr></tbody></table></span>Wormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718306017057273713noreply@blogger.com0