Movie Recs from a Madman
Summer is here, and I have used some of my time away from lecturing to catch up on movies (all right, I confess, I watch movies in spring, winter, and fall too, just not quite as many). The Madwoman and I hit a spate of good'uns which, never the one to doubt my own taste (Kate Marie and Sadeeq can attest, having been compelled to watch The Man Who Would be King and other choice cinematic tidbits), I recommend to you all with great enthusiasm:Pan's Labyrinth- Madwoman and I liked this so much that we rushed to see Del Toro's earlier Devil's Backbone, to our great satisfaction.
Stranger than Fiction- Postmodernism hasn't been this much fun since 10 Minutes Till Bedtime
Watch On the Rhine- the wooden dialogue and relentless melodrama put Madwoman to sleep (quite literally), but this movie (made in 1943) packed one freaked out plot-turn that blew my hair back. I can't say why I recommend it without giving spoilers, but I'll just note that Paul Lukas beat out Bogey for the Oscar, and as someone who loves Casablanca I have to admit, viewed through the eyes of an audience living through WWII, I can see why.
posted by Madman of Chu | 9:12 PM | Permalink
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5 comments
5 Comments:
Hey Madman,
I've been MIA and just saw your recommendations. They all look good! I've been really wanting to see Pan's Labyrinth, but I'm trying to go into it without getting my expectations up too high.
Watch on the Rhine looks great, too.
Thanks!
P.S. I *liked* The Man Who Would Be King. I just liked The Four Feathers (original version) better -- but that was also one of your recommendations. Besides, I made you and Sadeeq sit through Truly, Madly, Deeply, so we're even.
I dropped my time piece in my watermelon. I had a "Watch On The Rind".
But seriously, I saw most of that film the other night. Interesting as a historical document and a propaganda film, but hard to watch. I never have been a Betty Davis fan, and the acting is a bit stilted.
I love Bette Davis. Actually, she may be my favorite after Barbara Stanwyck.
Dear Kate Marie,
The art of lowering one's expectations is key to finding satisfaction in life. Sorry I stood in your way where Pan's Labyrinth is concerned. Truly, Madly, Deeply was the second greatest cinematic experience of my life, only surpassed by one night that combined the magical ingredients of Sadeeq, Melanie Griffith, a bunch of chasidim, a bottle of Ernest and Julio Gallo's finest aftershave/wine, and a box of Junior Mints.
SD, if you don't watch to the very end of the Rhine you won't see the freaked out plot twist, it's in the last reel (ain't they always).
I did watch until the bitter end and saw what must have been a shocking plot twist for the time. On FMC they discussed that they showed the censors one ending and then never put it in. The code at the time required that someone committing murder must face the consequences for it.
And I can't stand Bettie Davis, KM. Overacting to a fault. I'll take Hepburn, and Stanwick is ok. But spare me the histrionics of a marginally attractive woman.
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