Razzberry

I have a few things to say about these age gaps but don't want to derail, so will make a new thread. There's so much to talk about! ;)

The Grifters, 1990. Directed by Stephen Frears, Produced by Martin Scorsese. Starring John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, Annette Bening. Nominated for 4 Oscars Synopsis: A small-time conman has torn loyalties between his estranged mother and new girlfriend, both of whom are high-stakes grifters with their own angles to play. There's no one to root for here, but I'd say some are "less bad" than others. They're all mesmerizing as they make their living ripping people off, and the last 15 minutes is so shocking and disgusting I had to watch it again right away. Needless to say it's not a happy ending, but the film is one of the most well crafted and acted I've seen in the genre. Anjelica Huston is especially magnetic - whenever she's onscreen you simply can't take your eyes off her. 9.5/10 **************************************************************************************************** On the road again thrillers for tomorrow on TCM Wed. May 19 Pacific times 5:15 am Hell Drivers, 1957 7:15 am Jeopardy, 1953 8:45 am The Hitch-Hiker, 1953 10:15am Tomorrow is Another Day, 1951 12:00pm Detour, 1945 1:15 pm Gun Crazy, 1950 3:00 pm They Live By Night, 1948 ****************************************************************************************************

Kill Your Darlings, 2006. Starring Alexander Skarsgard, Fares Fares, Lolita Davidovitch, Julie Benz This movie is so obscure I couldn't find a clip on You Tube, but from what I remember it features Skarsgard as a 6'3" transvestite on a roadtrip to Las Vegas. You can't make this stuff up. Kill Your Darlings, 2013 looks totally different

The Woman In The Window, 1944 Fritz Lang (Full movie)

Motherless Brooklyn, 2019 Directed, Written, and Produced by Edward Norton. Starring Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Willem Dafoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw. I liked Ed Norton, but his reliance on tics and mental disorders in a shameless drive for Oscar glory needs to stop. It feels like cheap exploitation and detracts from the story, such as it is. He's supposed to be afflicted with Tourette's syndrome and it comes off gimmicky, like some Rainman in Chinatown wannabe. I understand he adapted the screenplay from a book, but there's hundreds with a better detective story. There's a few good shadow shots, lots of vintage cars and sets, but the muddled plot and overly long length at 2.5 hours left me disappointed, annoyed, and all-too aware that it was, after all, just Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin and Ed Norton dressed up in Fedoras and trench coats. No, because no one cares at this point! I felt bad for his co-stars who did what they could with the material.

From just the title I thought this was a remake of Fritz Lang's thriller "Woman In The Window" from 1944, but it sounds like he only took the title. Isn't there some law about two films with same name? Gets confusing. The rest seems like a pastiche of other works. From the article: Mallory has said that his second novel will be set in San Francisco. It will have the flavor of an Agatha Christie story, and will be partly set in a Victorian mansion. It’s a story of revenge, he has said, involving a female thriller writer and an interviewer who learns of a dark past. He hopes to turn it into a television series. Except for the location it's already been done as "Another Man's Poison" with Bette Davis. This guy might just be a good con artist.

I'm not excited.

I see Gena Rowlands is in that too. Thanks, meep.meep, it's going on my watch-list.

Ace in the Hole, 1951. Directed by Billy Wilder. Stars Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling. Oscar nom for Best Writing. Synopsis: A frustrated former big-city journalist now stuck working for an Albuquerque newspaper exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to rekindle his career, but the situation quickly escalates into an out-of-control circus. Overshadowed by Wilder's other films like Sunset Blvd. Lost Weekend and Double Indemnity, Ace in the Hole is an underappreciated masterpiece of cynicism. The razor-sharp writing and gripping story is such that it wasn't until Douglas was slapping around the victim's wife, punching out the sheriff, and basically running the rescue operation that I thought "Wait, this guy's a reporter and cave-in disasters aren't his field of expertise. How did he manage it?" He does it by sheer force, and doesn't seem to have a single redeeming quality - not that I'm complaining. 9/10 They're supposed to be covering a rattlesnake hunt but find out there's been an accident in the Indian cliff dwellings. Douglas spins it into a human interest story. More and more people start arriving. "S & M Amusement" had me rolling. Ouch! ************************************************************************************************* Sat. May 15 Pacific time Break out the booze and hot coffee for this dynamite triple feature coming up on TCM. 5:00pm The Big Heat, 1953 Gloria Grahame, Glenn Ford, Jocelyn Brando 6:45pm Gilda, 1946 Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford 9:00pm Touch of Evil, 1958 Orson Welles, Janet Leigh, Charlton Heston ************************************************************************************************

The Lost Weekend, 1945. Directed by Billy Wilder. Starring Ray Milland, Jane Wyman. Swept the Oscars and many other awards. Ray Milland was outstanding as an alcoholic writer on a binge that apparently lasted off-and-on for years. Enabled by his well-meaning brother and girlfriend Jane Wyman, who wears a leopard coat throughout the film. I almost hate to say it, but Nicholas Cage was more convincing and entertaining as a drunk in Leaving Las Vegas, and they didn't wimp out on the ending. Some classify it a film-noir, but there's no crime involved. It's grim, but the hopeful ending felt tacked on and unearned. I was surprised anyone would have an issue because it certainly didn't glamorize drinking - at times it felt like a very well done PSA about the evils of alcohol. Nevertheless, it's a classic and well worth a watch. 7.5/10 It opens with a not-too-convincing pan of New York City and zooms in on Milland's apartment. From the booze hanging out, we (and the neighbors, presumably) know at once there's an issue with the tenant. He's been trying to write a book for years and hasn't gotten past the first page. His brother is finally fed up, but not his saintly girlfriend.

Appreciate it, guys. Here's a couple of good ones about the perils of picking up hitchhikers, male or female! The Hitch-Hiker, 1953 Directed by Ida Lupino. Starring Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy. 1 hr. 10 min. Two fishermen pick up a psychotic escaped convict who tells them that he intends to murder them when the ride is over. Full movie. Detour, 1945 Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer Stars Tom Neal, Ann Savage 1 hr 07 min. Chance events trap hitchhiking nightclub pianist Al Roberts in a tightening net of death, deception and blackmail. Of the two, this is my favorite. Full movie: Btw, I discovered that most of these films are legit in the public domain for various reasons, usually because no one renewed the copyright or there was a problem with the original paperwork.

The Asphalt Jungle, 1950. Directed by John Huston. Starring Sterling Hayden, Sam Jaffe, James Whitmore, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen as "Doll" and Marilyn Monroe as Louis Cahern's granddaughter-age mistress. The women are little more than decorations with little screen-time, despite later efforts to capitalize on Monroe's success and add her to the artwork. This is really all about the guys and their crime caper. Sam Jaffe as the aging mild mannered crook was almost endearing, and Louis Calhern as the lecherous lawyer living beyond his means was excellent. My personal issue was with Sterling Hayden in a key role. I've always found him unremarkable to annoying as an actor. Tolerable in a supporting role, but certainly not one I care about seeing in a lead, so because of this I cared little about the dramatic ending. Other than that it's a wonderful cast and well done jewel-heist movie, but for me somewhat less than the groundbreaker I expected from the hype.

Garbo. Why is she such a legend? To find out I watched a few of her movies. Yes, she's pretty and a good actress, but so were many women. A few things annoyed me, such as always thrusting neck back and staring off into the distance - perhaps the result of being paired with so many old geezers. Garbo in Mysterious Lady Garbo in Ninotchka In Queen Christina In Wild Orchids Yeck! No wonder she vanted to be alone.

Panic in the Streets, 1950 Directed by Elia Kazan. Starring Jack Palance, Richard Widmark, Barbara Bel Geddes, Zero Mostel. Oscar winner for Best Writing. This sounded great, and particularly relevant today. Not only is there a killer on the loose, but he's also carrying a deadly virus, and they've only got 48 hours before it starts to spread. Widmark explains to a skeptical police commissioner that 'pneumonic plague' is the pulmonary version of bubonic plague. Instead of being spread by rats, it spreads like wildfire by touch, coughing, and sneezing. In 1950 people probably found the idea implausible, but I totally bought it. It's very good, but I think my expectation of excitement was too high. Perhaps Kazan should've called it 'Plague On The Waterfront' and cast Brando. 7/10

God only knows how Not Wanted, 1949, got past the censures. It's a bit rougher than Outrage but was the first movie from Lupino's production company The Filmakers. It provided the template for most of their movies, which were anything but feel-good date-night flicks. Instead they featured realistic, relatable people who suffer some traumatic event, but they always made money.

Vertigo is often cited as one of the best movies ever, but I beg to differ. Noteworthy for being the only movie where Jimmy Stewart annoys and creeps me out, yes, but I didn't care for the convoluted plot or the characters.

Just to see Rod Steiger dancing is enough of a draw for me to rent Oklahoma! Please tell me that wasn't cut. lol He always scares me a little, irrationally, like he's going to reach through the screen and start screaming at me.

I've been reading about Ida Lupino and how for years she was the only female director in Hollywood. She also wrote and acted. When television became popular she was directing gritty episodes of The Untouchables, The Fugitive, Have Gun Will Travel, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, etc. Very well respected. I found one of early films on YouTube called Outrage, about a girl who was raped by a stranger on her way home from work. Lupino wasn't allowed to use the term 'rape' and it's never even called a sexual attack in the film. She had to use terms like "criminal attack", though it's clear to the audience it was more than that. Very good film and way ahead of its time. Full movie (if short at 1 hr. 15 min.)

Brando is a perfect example of how ruinous excessive adulation can be, especially when experienced at a young age. After On The Waterfront his boorish behavior became his worst enemy.

The Big Knife, 1955 Directed by Robert Aldrich (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?). All star cast with Jack Palance, Ida Lupino, Rod Steiger, Shelley Winters, Jean Hagen, Wendell Corey. Based on the play by Clifford Odets. Loved it. 9/10 Palance plays a successful Hollywood actor named Charles Castle who wants to quit the business, but big studio boss (Steiger) won't hear of it. A secret from Castle's past threatens his career. B-list actress Dixie (Shelley Winters) knows about it and is becoming a loose cannon who "needs to be dealt with". Powerful performances, shocking ending, and a suspenseful tight story about the seedy underbelly of Hollywood. So much so that most of the big studios wouldn't touch it. Full movie.

Just a reminder that the polarizing Ms. Grahame can be seen in her Oscar nominated role in Crossfire tonight, followed by the masterpiece The Night of The Hunter.

Out of the Past, 1947 Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming Very popular movie, but not one of my favorites. Even the hunky, disinterested, sleepy-eyed presence of Mitchum couldn't save the overly complicated plot or explain some of their actions. Spoilers ahead. Mitchum is Jeff Bailey, a man with a somewhat shady past who now owns a small gas station somewhere in Northern California. The mileage on this sign seems a little off to me, but that's irrelevant. One day an old partner in crime appears needing Jeff's help to find a dame (Greer) who absconded with 40k of his dough. Smart? He's the Einstein of investigators! From her friend he learns only the weight of her suitcase, and determines she must be in Acapulco, Mexico. His superhero instincts are correct. He really DOES care, of course, because they're a perfect match. Back in San Francisco there's another complication with a woman named 'Meta' (Fleming), but don't ask me what. Greer goes back to Kirk but can't get over Jeff.. Yeah, he probably should have, and avoided that Bonny & Clyde ending.

1940-1958 is considered noir's heyday. There has to be a crime, usually a murder, and often a feeling of dread and distrust. Just realized that I already violated the "no happy ending" with The Night of The Hunter, so possibly that would be considered neo-noir. More current neo-noir films that I love would be Chinatown, Blood Simple, and A Simple Plan, to name a few.

"The person who steals the show is Gloria Grahame as Laurey's pal Ado Annie, the gal who can't say no; she has a subtle, playful gift for minxy comedy which absolutely upstages those big male lummoxes playing opposite her." https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/aug/25/musical Had no idea Rod Steiger was in this too. The quirky casting is making more sense - now I actually want to see it.

Some people claim that a color film can't be noir, but I don't agree. It's just that most of them were made pre-color. A happy ending pretty much disqualifies it though. lol