fantastic film! my Archers rankings change all the time, but I definitely wouldn't start with this one at the very least
― rob, Monday, 9 October 2023 16:56 (eleven months ago) link
Just finished Colonel Blimp, excellent of course but I'll have a sleep on it to think about what I really thought, etc. And then on to the next one.
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 17 October 2023 22:24 (eleven months ago) link
So yes, a very enjoyable watch, not sure what I was expecting, but certainly not something so lush and cinematic. The characters were full of surprises, and all felt very human and also of their time - it's an annoyance to see historical fiction with people acting as they would today, so this isn't the mild praise it may seem.The problem I have is that I've just spent a year immersed in the second world war and have come away from it with a desire to avoid all WWII-related materials for the foreseeable future, especially slightly jingoistic (as much it needed to be!) British WWII takes. The film does take a critical line on British culture, but it obviously was no time to rock the boat, and right now I want to see that boat rocked, and rocked hard. No fault of The Archers, of course, and I'm looking forward to seeing their other films.
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 19 October 2023 10:30 (eleven months ago) link
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Double_Indemnity_%281944_poster%29.jpg
Double Indemnity, Billy Wilder, 1944
Morbsies #107
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 19 October 2023 10:33 (eleven months ago) link
The film does take a critical line on British culture, but it obviously was no time to rock the boat
But it very much did rock the boat! As the Criterion website puts it:
No less than Prime Minister Winston Churchill himself tried to prevent Colonel Blimp from being made; he and his administration objected to what they considered to be slurs on the British military, to the friendship between Candy and the German officer and to the implication in the final scenes that unless the British fought dirty, they would lose the war.
― Ward Fowler, Thursday, 19 October 2023 10:40 (eleven months ago) link
oh I know! it balances things well enough that it was able to be released, even if it was not received well by certain people.But I'm just a bit burnt out on the war.
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 19 October 2023 10:55 (eleven months ago) link
Found Double Indemnity on archive.org
https://archive.org/details/double-indemnity-1944-restored-movie-720p-hd
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 19 October 2023 21:01 (eleven months ago) link
Finished Double Indemnity, really peak film noir for me, not the slightest hint of a sly wink to the camera through the whole film, ironic for a director who would later be best known for comedies. Really very gripping, especially during the murder, and amazing how much they got away with considering the Hays Code was in full effect. Only slight gripe is the ending, which was not nearly as exciting or inventive as the rest of the film.
Anyway, we are quite behind schedule now, will put up the next one shortly!
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 28 October 2023 13:12 (ten months ago) link
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Childrenofparadise.png
Les Enfants du paradis, Marcel Carné, 1945
Morbsies #448
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 28 October 2023 21:37 (ten months ago) link
It's on archive.org here - https://archive.org/details/les-enfants-du-paradis-1945 - but kind of a big file and no subtitles.
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 28 October 2023 21:44 (ten months ago) link
Getting a bit behind on the schedule as it took me a week to watch this, sorry.
I liked it, of course, but some reservations which were once again swept away by a brilliant last 20 minutes. It reminded me of a couple of Zola novels, loved he way it worked in cycles, with the parade at the end mirroring the parade at the start, the playful reflections on how everyone performs the roles of their own lives, it was never dull for a moment. All the same, at nearly 200 minutes long, I do have to wonder whether it couldn't lose an hour or so somewhere.
Also to note - this is the second French film in a row about a group of young men in pursuit of a woman who is clearly in her 40s, was every vieille vague film like this? Fantastic if so.
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Sunday, 5 November 2023 23:26 (ten months ago) link
https://i.imgur.com/0HbszMB.png
A Matter of Life and Death, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1946
Morbsies #716
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Sunday, 5 November 2023 23:30 (ten months ago) link
Whole thing is on YouTube this time.
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Sunday, 5 November 2023 23:33 (ten months ago) link
All of the great P&P movies take wilder swings than you’ve ever seen in a quote-unquote mainstream movie, and this movie probably has the wildest of them all
― Dwigt Rortugal (Eric H.), Monday, 6 November 2023 02:06 (ten months ago) link
Gotta give a shout to Les Enfants — one of my favorite movies, a great 19th-century romp. Like Hugo or Dickens. Just totally delightful, romantic, sad. (And the circumstances of its production are something else.)
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Monday, 6 November 2023 02:24 (ten months ago) link
Never seen it in a theater.
― hat trick of trashiness (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 6 November 2023 02:32 (ten months ago) link
Me either, but I would love to.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Monday, 6 November 2023 03:32 (ten months ago) link
Big P&P retro at the bfi right now, wonder if this one will be playing this week.
― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 6 November 2023 10:46 (ten months ago) link
23rd December at the IMAX apparently
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Monday, 6 November 2023 13:07 (ten months ago) link
> A Matter of Life and Death,
bbc2 Saturday lunchtime
― koogs, Thursday, 9 November 2023 20:34 (ten months ago) link
Just heard about that from this article which I posted earlier on The Archers thread: https://mubi.com/en/notebook/posts/cutting-edge-thelma-schoonmaker-on-powell-and-pressburger-scene-by-scene
― My Prelapsarian Baby (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 9 November 2023 21:18 (ten months ago) link
Finished this yesterday, just some of the greatest cinematography I've ever seen, a bizarre story, but one that worked perfectly, some very memorable performances, some incredible scenes, so not sure why I liked it (a lot) rather than loved it.
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Friday, 10 November 2023 09:03 (ten months ago) link
Also to note - it somewhat blows my mind that June is Zira in Planet of the Apes two decades later.
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Friday, 10 November 2023 09:05 (ten months ago) link
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 28 October 2023 bookmarkflaglink
Cine Lumiere in London usually screens this around Xmas. Maybe I will watch this year
― xyzzzz__, Friday, 10 November 2023 10:19 (ten months ago) link
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Bigsleep2.JPG
The Big Sleep, Howard Hawks, 1946
Morbsies #542Sight & Sound Critics #133
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Friday, 10 November 2023 21:59 (ten months ago) link
The DVD featurette on the differences between the versions is worth watching too.
― formerly abanana (dat), Saturday, 11 November 2023 18:55 (ten months ago) link
As I probably also said about Maltese Falcon (can't remember), I can't be objective about these Bogart movies, my dad showed them to me when I was a kid and it was some real father-son bonding stuff. A third generation was also involved: we saw them dubbed into German on VHS tapes that my grandfather would send to us in Portugal. Grampa was an enthusiastic but none-too-capable techie, so he'd program the VCR for stuff to send to us and inevitably it would show up with the beginning or end cut off - which is to say I was in my early 20's before I saw the ending, and frankly between the jolly spousal abuse musical moment and the ending not being Bogart looking defeatedly into the darkness like a noir should be, I could leave it. The plot doesn't matter to such an extent that the truncated VHS version I knew as a child was a fully satisfying experience anyway.
― Daniel_Rf, Sunday, 12 November 2023 10:25 (ten months ago) link
its the sexiest movie ever made i think
― close encounters of the third knid (darraghmac), Sunday, 12 November 2023 12:11 (ten months ago) link
Dorothy Malone is still my all-time movie crush yeah
― no gap tree for old men (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 12 November 2023 13:11 (ten months ago) link
The plot doesn't matter to such an extent that the truncated VHS version I knew as a child was a fully satisfying experience anyway.
Yeah it's very much a world-building exercise, this alluringly corrupt realm of wealth and seduction and betrayal. It's one of those movies I watch because I like to inhabit it for a little while.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 12 November 2023 14:27 (ten months ago) link
Haven’t rewatched in ages but yeah. Love Daniel’s story. Also, it was a surprise but not really a surprise to learn that Dorothy Malone in real life was kind of a prude, as discussed on a Sirk thread recently.
― Shifty Henry’s Swing Club (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 12 November 2023 15:07 (ten months ago) link
Because it is part of a WRITTEN ON THE WIND add-on currently available on Criterion.
― Shifty Henry’s Swing Club (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 12 November 2023 15:13 (ten months ago) link
General Sternwood: I seem to exist largely on heat, like a newborn spider.
― Shifty Henry’s Swing Club (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 12 November 2023 15:45 (ten months ago) link
Was trying to remember what famous person Martha Vickers was married to and it was Mickey Rooney, d’oh!
― Shifty Henry’s Swing Club (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 12 November 2023 15:46 (ten months ago) link
its the sexiest movie ever made i think― close encounters of the third knid (darraghmac), Sunday, 12 November 2023 12:11 (four days ago) bookmarkflaglink
― close encounters of the third knid (darraghmac), Sunday, 12 November 2023 12:11 (four days ago) bookmarkflaglink
I'm twenty minutes in and every woman in this wants to fuck Bogart, and I think one just did
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 16 November 2023 18:11 (ten months ago) link
Go ahead and scratch.
― stuffing your suit pockets with cold, stale chicken tende (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 16 November 2023 20:18 (ten months ago) link
Yes I do think Bogart movies gave me unrealistic expectations regarding how little initiative I would have to deploy in order to get laid.
― Daniel_Rf, Friday, 17 November 2023 10:08 (ten months ago) link
Tell that to all those lads that bought fedoras
― Tyler Perry's Cystitis (Noodle Vague), Friday, 17 November 2023 10:33 (ten months ago) link
That is slander NV, you know full well none of those lads have ever watched a Bogart film. They may have seen Sin City and played LA Noire.
― Daniel_Rf, Friday, 17 November 2023 10:37 (ten months ago) link
well yeaaaaah but it's kind of Bogart by osmosis
― Tyler Perry's Cystitis (Noodle Vague), Friday, 17 November 2023 10:40 (ten months ago) link
That was a very enjoyable watch, no idea what was going on for the most part.
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 18 November 2023 12:54 (ten months ago) link
famously, neither did the cast and crew
― Daniel_Rf, Saturday, 18 November 2023 13:18 (ten months ago) link
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Notorious_%281946_film_poster%29.jpg
Notorious, Alfred Hitchcock, 1946
Morbsies #52Sight & Sound Critics #133
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 18 November 2023 22:53 (ten months ago) link
never been able to watch it. i think its a very badly directed and acted movie.
i expect this not to be the consensus
― close encounters of the third knid (darraghmac), Saturday, 18 November 2023 23:14 (ten months ago) link
Whole thing is on youtube here
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 18 November 2023 23:16 (ten months ago) link
never been able to watch it. i think its a very badly directed and acted movie
challops of all challops
― stuffing your suit pockets with cold, stale chicken tende (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 18 November 2023 23:19 (ten months ago) link
Probably Hitch's best film, Cary Grant's best "dark" performance, the thing is an expertly wound clock.
That's a silly thing to say, but it is good
― plax (ico), Sunday, 19 November 2023 00:06 (ten months ago) link
Claude Rains is great too!
― Shifty Henry’s Swing Club (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 November 2023 00:19 (ten months ago) link
Louis Calhern okay too but a standard performance. Anyway the whole thing is on the vector that leads through Vertigo to Marnie of the crepey male lead but with 40s glamour to boot.
― Shifty Henry’s Swing Club (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 November 2023 00:22 (ten months ago) link