Classic cinema - thoughts and questions

[Shadow]

Do I understand that you mean that if you have seen an older film recently, this topic can't be used? Why would that be less rigid?

General discussion about older films: do you mean, we could talk about old actors and stuff? For the rest I guess most discussions spring from having seen a film recently.

Without distinghing the periods it's hard to estimate this topic on its value I'm afraid, or at least it will be forgotten soon again.

You misunderstand me. If you want to post about an older film you've seen, you can do it in either thread as far as I'm concerned - but I'm not going to move posts back and forth between the two.

Creating a specific division like the one you suggested means you end up with two threads with exactly the same purpose (reviewing films), separated only by time period. If that's the case, I don't see why you need two different threads in the first place. As such, I don't think anything has to be done about the current situation. People can post about anything related to cinema in now watching, and those with a special interest in classic stuff can discuss that here.

 

[Forostar]

I am kinda looking forward to the new Lucasfilm picture, Red Tails, about the 99th Pursuit Squadron, USAAF, and their legendary Tuskegee Airmen pilots.

Speaking of Lucas, I thought you and others who like(d) his Star Wars achievements, may find this article on the website of the LA Times an interesting one.

Did 'Star Wars' become a toy story? Producer Gary Kurtz looks back

This Kurtz guy seems to be the key figure of the success of the classic Star Wars. Quite a difference with the newer films.

 

[char_da_harlot]

I love this thread "classic cinema" It's one of my favorites!  I like the fact that it's not with the "now watching" thread. It just makes sense to me.  I use it for reference.  Really......I do.

 

[____no5]

Same here. One of my very favorites. In fact this thread inspired my to start Rock Stories.
I like the effort that Forostar puts in some of his treads, and this must be his best one as he seems to know in depth his subject
and puts a lot of 'heart' in there as well.
Plus with the arrival of mozzle, we'll have another one specialist, while there is always Shadow with his good taste and nice remarks.

 

[Dead Boss]

My favourite movies would be something like this:

I really like Clint Eastwood movies like Mystic River, Dirty Harry and A Perfect World. Also Roberto Benigni's Life Is Beautiful. Some Pulp Fiction, maybe, and of course Riders Of The Lost Ark.

 

[Forostar]

Cheers guys, good to know you're still lurking!

@Charlotte, have you seen Dead Ringer with Bette Davis? Pretty exciting thiller from 1964. I don't want to say too much about it yet, I don't want to spoil anything now.

At the moment I'm busy with Faust, Murnau's last German movie, from 1926. I guess most of you are familiar with the Faust story, but the way it's portrayed is really stunning.

@Dead Boss: I also like Eastwood but still have to see many, e.g. A Perfect World.

 

[char_da_harlot]

I think I have seen dead ringer when I was 6 but I am not sure?  I need to buy that movie to see if indeed it is the one I rememeber?  That happened with the movie Psycho (seen it when I was 6 but could not fully understand it except it really scared the hell out of me!)  It was not until years later, 1983, that I put the puzzle together.  Hope I can get it (dead ringer) on Amazon?

I am not familliar with Faust.....except that I just IMDB to see what your talking about.  Seems very interersting and sinister.  A new subject for me to venture into! 

@Deadboss, A Perfect World was a great film by Eastwood.  I was impressed.  I seen Clint years ago (I think 1996) at the Mirage In Las Vegas.  He was walking past our dinner table and we were all like OMG thats Clint Eastwood!  He was with his wife Maria and she was Pregnant.  I have seen a lot of movie stars in my time but he was the biggest one I've ever seen!

 

[national acrobat]

Time Traveller in Charlie Chaplin film.

A bit of a long-winded video, but quite odd and interesting and seems to have sparked a lot of discussion, including this possible explanation.

 

[Forostar]

Nush, I'll check that soon (little Adrian is sleeping closeby ). Sounds interesting!

Another list:

BFI Most Wanted
The hunt for Britain's missing films

No. 1: The Mountain Eagle, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, 1926
Hitchcock's second film and the only one of his 57 films as director to be lost: a Kentucky-set mountain melodrama of lust, injustice and social stigma.

Hitchcock (pointing) directing The Mountain Eagle, with Alma Reville at his left shoulder.

"BFI Most Wanted is the kind of initiative that every country should undertake. It is vitally important work that needs to be done." - Martin Scorsese

I like Scorcese's comment on this task: America should do this as well (maybe they do?). There are quite some interesting old films (e.g. horrors from the silent era) which I'd like to be found.

 

[Forostar]

Time Traveller in Charlie Chaplin film.

A bit of a long-winded video, but quite odd and interesting and seems to have sparked a lot of discussion, including this possible explanation.

I checked it, and I guess that explanation ought to be correct, or else this person (who looks like a man in woman's clothes!) is just nutty, talking in himself.

What did you think?

 

[____no5]

Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

[...]
My wife guesses "Young Frankenstein"? We haven't seen that film, but she heard about that title. BTW, cool smiley, the one with the pipe.

[...]
@ _no5: There are only 2 Frankenstein movies that come to mind.  Translyvania 3000 and Young Frankenstein?  Both are very funny and both have dwarf's.  Let us know if you ever do find the one your taking about.
[...]

nope and nope 

yesterday I goodled the phrase "who's this dwarf" with no results
but, yes, as soon as I find out I'll post in this very thread 

Did you try "Revenge of Frankenstein" or "Dr Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks"?  Both contain a dwarf, but I don't know if they have the line that you are referencing.

Fucking hell I found it! 
It's Frankenstein General Hospital, and the quote was 'Who is that tiny man'. That's why Google didn't work.
More than 10 years of quest. I need a Guinness; another meaningless obsession came to an end. 

 

[national acrobat]

I checked it, and I guess that explanation ought to be correct, or else this person (who looks like a man in woman's clothes!) is just nutty, talking in himself.

What did you think?

Yeah, that seems a good and reasonable explanation - but it does look remarkably like someone on a mobile phone - and as you say it could just be a nutter. The time-traveller explanation is (obviously) ridiculously far-fetched (I think the video was for publicity as much as anything else) but it did have me staring closely at the piece of footage several times.

 

[Forostar]

Same here. The behaviour of the person really pointed at a phone conversation.

 

[Forostar]

Last week I have seen Taste of Fear (also known as Scream of Fear in USA).

This 1961 horror is easily the most exciting British horror film I have seen in years, or even the most exciting British horror I have ever seen. Not that I've seen that many, but I wonder if any other film from this island can beat this.

The problem is, I can't exactly explain why it is so good because then I'd give away too much, but seriously, if you ever come across it, check it out, if you can. Christopher Lee is also in it. Back then, he was one of the biggest stars at Hammer, but here he played a supporting role, and -not unimportant- he called it the best Hammer film he ever played in.

This is not a typical old school Gothic kind of Hammer film (with dracula/monsters and such). You can better compare this with Psycho where you follow someone trying to find out something.

Another British 1960 horror film I saw one week earlier, also with Christopher Lee, has even more parallels with Psycho, when you look at the structure of the story. The cool thing is, that it was released earlier than this Hitchcock classic. This one is called City of the Dead (in the US released under the ridiculous title Horror Hotel). Not as suspenseful and startling as Taste of Fear but surely worth watching. On the recommendation of her professor (Christopher Lee), a young female student travels to the fictional Massachusetts town of Whitewood to do some research into witchcraft.

Major Iron Maiden trivia:
Our beloved band used scenes from this film in the video clip for "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter".

 

[SixesAlltheway]

I'm a fan of old movies and classic cinema for sure. I like the old film noirs, but I've not really dabbled in the more obscure titles. My favourite is Sunset Boulevard. I love the character development and portrayal here, and the overall acting of course. Not to mention the atmosphere is great, it sets a really eerie, almost horror-ish atmosphere. Even if it just a study/criticism on silent movie era decadence.

I'm also a big fan of horror movies, not so much the brain splattering gore ones, but more pshycological horror movies. Roman Polanski movies in particular.

That "Taste of Fear" looks really good. I haven't seen many of the Hammer horros, though I really should. I suppose you have seen "The Innocents"? Its a British horror movie from the same year as "Taste of Fear" 1961, really really good 

 

[Forostar]

Hey Sixes, welcome in this topic! Read back through this topic and you might find some recommendations, fitting to your taste.

I'm also a big fan of horror movies, not so much the brain splattering gore ones, but more pshycological horror movies. Roman Polanski movies in particular.

Same here. Our own imagination does the job.

I suppose you have seen "The Innocents"? Its a British horror movie from the same year as "Taste of Fear" 1961, really really good  

I have! Very good indeed. Like in Taste of Fear the camerawork, particularly the distances between camera and objects, the sudden changes of shots, zooms etc, contribute in a major way. The early sixties was a good time for British horror and thriller movies. I still have to see Children of the Damned, said to be not as good as its predecessor Village of the Damned, but I am curious to find out more about 'Arry's inspiration.

Do you know The Haunting? Not a British horror movie but this film is very scary, because you don't know many things, and the atmosphere created by certain

Spoiler

sounds

is surely effective.

 

[SixesAlltheway]

Thank you!

Same here. Our own imagination does the job

Yeah thats exactly it, when we're allowed to ponder it and then it slowly creeps up on you..Thats the best scares 

I've not seen Children of The Damned yet either, I've passed it up many times. The movie poster always looked real creepy to me, but the clips from the trailer didn't do so much. But of course I will have to see it soon, it is pretty easy to get a hold of.

Do you know The Haunting?

Yes I do, it is one of the films I have in my DVD collection. Classic haunted house. The intro of the Haunting, with the narration over the images, might be the spookiest intro yet of that time in horror movies. And it is very reminiscent of The Innocents too in a way.

Do you know Les Diaboliques? Its a french black and white movie from 1955. it has, well probably the most creepy and horryfing scene I've ever seen in a movie from that time...Involves a bathtub 

 

[Forostar]

Do you know Les Diaboliques? Its a french black and white movie from 1955. it has, well probably the most creepy and horryfing scene I've ever seen in a movie from that time...Involves a bathtub 

Yes!

Probably my favourite European film.

Fantastic plot development. Keeps tricking your mind.

Do you know The Wages of Fear (Le Salaire de la peur, an exciting film (in colour) from the same director, Henri-George Clouzot? Tense in a different way, more an adventure.

I could also recommend some films by Melville, another French director who made some really nice crime thrillers.
I think I mentioned some earlier on in this topic.

 

[national acrobat]

Do you know The Wages of Fear (Le Salaire de la peur, an exciting film (in colour) from the same director, Henri-George Clouzot? Tense in a different way, more an adventure.

That's a fantastic film, the second half is real edge-of-the-seat stuff. I saw it in black and white though; maybe there's a remastered edition?

 

[Forostar]

Looks like I own the colourized version on DVD. I wasn't aware that the original was in in B&W, but now that I think better, it might have looked colourized indeed.

Anyway, the colour version is sure "edge of your seat-stuff" as well.