Watched last night

[Rob Compton]

(DB7 @ Mar 28 2006, 10:09 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Been in Hollywood mood recently and watched V for Vendetta, Mystic River, The Garden State and War of the Worlds. A mixed bag of the good, bad and missed opportunity. [/b]

Do you mean the recent War of the Worlds, DB7, and what did you think? CGI overload or majestic/powerful etc?

rgds
Rob

[penfold]

(theuofc @ Mar 27 2006, 10:14 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Thanks for that extra, Julian. I'll watch it again tonight to see Heneker. I have a sudden image of you strolling into the posh Embassy Club. What was it like? As you say, the DVD is well worth it. It has a very good essay on the film by Wheeler Winston Dixon and the fun of seeing Joseph Losey's directorial debut way back in 1939 in a film short for the New York World's Fair called "Pete Roleum and His Cousins." A silly film short promoting oil companies, but Losey more than made up for it later. I say way back in 1939, because his famous work with Dirk Bogarde was in the late 50s and throughout the 60s with "The Servant," etc. Losey had a long career including directing some operas later. Eat your heart out, Joe McCarthy. Best, Barbara [/b]

Charley Bowers!!!! Pete Roleum etc was the last dying swansong of the inimitable Charley Bowers; yes, Losey directed, but the animation...CB started as a newspaper cartoonist, then worked on the early animation series Mutt and Jeff (1910's??) before going into stop-motion animation....then he decides that he can be a live-action comedian, invents this persona somewhere between Keaton and Harry Langdon, and makes this unbelievable series of comedy shorts, featuring himself alongside stop-motion work...and a cartoony sensibility.... Peter Lord, no less, is now a fan (he introduced a Bowers short, 'There It Is' at Slapstick this year - the audience hadn't seen anything like it !!) and he compares Bowers' films to Spike Milligan's in their surreality...only thirty years earlier. Bowers was in total oblivion (and long dead) when some of his films were found in France...it took many years to identify Bowers as the perpetrator!! There is a DVD collection available from Lobster, including Pete Roleum and There it is...

[DB7]

(Rob Compton @ Mar 28 2006, 01:51 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Do you mean the recent War of the Worlds, DB7, and what did you think? CGI overload or majestic/powerful etc? rgds Rob [/b]

I expected the CGI to be special but I thought the acting was poor (I struggle to take Cruise seriously now) and the story lacked tension. It was more like a series of big set scenes (the opener, the ferry, the hillside) rather than a seamless storyline; and the ending was just typical schmaltz.



Nice little nod to the original with the curving fence on the hillside.



Sad that Spielberg is now making Jurassic and Indy sequels - maybe the golden touch has deserted him.

[theuofc]

(penfold @ Mar 28 2006, 08:55 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Charley Bowers!!!! Pete Roleum etc was the last dying swansong of the inimitable Charley Bowers; yes, Losey directed, but the animation...CB started as a newspaper cartoonist, then worked on the early animation series Mutt and Jeff (1910's??) before going into stop-motion animation....then he decides that he can be a live-action comedian, invents this persona somewhere between Keaton and Harry Langdon, and makes this unbelievable series of comedy shorts, featuring himself alongside stop-motion work...and a cartoony sensibility.... Peter Lord, no less, is now a fan (he introduced a Bowers short, 'There It Is' at Slapstick this year - the audience hadn't seen anything like it !!) and he compares Bowers' films to Spike Milligan's in their surreality...only thirty years earlier. Bowers was in total oblivion (and long dead) when some of his films were found in France...it took many years to identify Bowers as the perpetrator!! There is a DVD collection available from Lobster, including Pete Roleum and There it is... [/b]

Hello, M,

Well this is an amazing coincidence. Refer to one bit as "a silly film short" [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] and up pops a wonderful chapter in film history. Charley Bowers's work does indeed sound excellent. But, cross my heart, I had to force myself to sit through all of "Pete Roleum." I'm not a big fan of animation, I admit. Maybe it was also the necessary advertising propaganda of kissing the toes of the petroleum industry that put me off, but hey, that was the aim. Or maybe oil drops in technicolor colors dancing out the good deeds of petroleum. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

But, you're pretty convincing, M. In fairness, I really ought to look at the work itself and not be distracted by the message. I'll have another look at the dvd since I'm checking on David Heneker anyhow. Revised report coming, Sir [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif[/img]

Best,

Barbara

[Steve Crook]

(DB7 @ Mar 28 2006, 10:49 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> I expected the CGI to be special but I thought the acting was poor (I struggle to take Cruise seriously now) and the story lacked tension. It was more like a series of big set scenes (the opener, the ferry, the hillside) rather than a seamless storyline; and the ending was just typical schmaltz. [/b]

With Hollywood blockbusters like that you aren't supposed to notice the two dimensional (if that) characterisations, the lack of a good script or the bad acting. You're supposed just to sit back and be wowed by the special effects.

Or that's the only conclusion I can draw from most of them having such a poor script, bad acting and little or no characterisation. They assume that we'll just be so impressed by the CGI that we won't notice anything else. Well I notice!

Steve

[DB7]

(Steve Crook @ Mar 29 2006, 03:01 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Or that's the only conclusion I can draw from most of them having such a poor script, bad acting and little or no characterisation.[/b]

The characterisation fell apart in the opening scene; Cruise is a divorced crane-driver that lives in a dingy flat, so they have him drive a gleaming concourse Ford Mustang!

[penfold]

(theuofc @ Mar 28 2006, 11:36 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Hello, M, Well this is an amazing coincidence. Refer to one bit as "a silly film short" [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] and up pops a wonderful chapter in film history. Charley Bowers's work does indeed sound excellent. But, cross my heart, I had to force myself to sit through all of "Pete Roleum." I'm not a big fan of animation, I admit. Maybe it was also the necessary advertising propaganda of kissing the toes of the petroleum industry that put me off, but hey, that was the aim. Or maybe oil drops in technicolor colors dancing out the good deeds of petroleum. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] But, you're pretty convincing, M. In fairness, I really ought to look at the work itself and not be distracted by the message. I'll have another look at the dvd since I'm checking on David Heneker anyhow. Revised report coming, Sir [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif[/img] Best, Barbara [/b]

Oh, I wouldn't make any claims for Pete Roleum...but his 1920's/30's work - what survives of it - is wonderful by and large. Which also included a stop-motion attempt at a Tom-and-Jerry style series...

[smudge]

Just watched Monday night's remake of A For Andromeda.

Not at all bad ; Kelly Reilly as Andromeda was very good. At first we were worried that it might turn out like that AWFUL live remake of QUATERMASS, but the Andromeda character was quite engaging.

SMUDGE

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/vampire.gif[/img]

[Harbottle]

Been in an old telly frame of mind recently, most notably "Enemy At The Door" starring Sir Alfred Burke and "Who Pays The Ferryman" starring Jack "Stoneface" Hedley [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clapping.gif[/img] Plus I just got my hands on the "Hill Street Blues" series one set, maybe I should not mention that here though [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

[theuofc]

(Harbottle @ Mar 29 2006, 09:00 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Been in an old telly frame of mind recently, ...I just got my hands on the "Hill Street Blues" series one set, maybe I should not mention that here though [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] [/b]

Hi, Harbottle,

"Hill Street Blues," especially that first year or two, is on my list of favorite US tv police dramas, along with the early seasons of NYPD. If memory serves me, they were both written or produced by Steven B.

Best,

Barbara

[theuofc]

(penfold @ Mar 29 2006, 07:54 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Oh, I wouldn't make any claims for Pete Roleum...but his 1920's/30's work - what survives of it - is wonderful by and large. Which also included a stop-motion attempt at a Tom-and-Jerry style series... [/b]

Hello, M,

Speaking of stop-motion and fantasy filmmaking giants, Ray Harryhausen, now a young 85, will give an illustrated talk about his fantasy creature designs and screen a restored print of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) plus my hero Craig Barron, glass matte/special effects genius, taking part in the platform discussion, at the Rafael Film Center on 8 April. If anyone wants more info, let me know, and I'll post a notice on the main board.

Best,

Barbara

[DB7]

The Long Day's Dying



Peter Collinson's minimalist anti-war drama charts a day in the life of 3 Para's caught behind enemy lines with a German pow. Each soldier brings a different character to proceedings; David Hemmings the pacifist, Tom Bell the easy-going professional soldier and Tom Beckley the cold-blooded squaddie on the look out for military souvenirs. The documentary feel maybe owes something to Peter Watkins and the combat scenes are interestingly carried out with narration to convey the soldiers thoughts. Engrossing but perhaps heavy handed in the delivery of its message.

[theuofc]

(DB7 @ Mar 30 2006, 06:14 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> The Long Day's Dying Peter Collinson's minimalist anti-war drama charts a day in the life of 3 Para's caught behind enemy lines with a German pow. Each soldier brings a different character to proceedings; David Hemmings the pacifist, Tom Bell the easy-going professional soldier and Tom Beckley the cold-blooded squaddie on the look out for military souvenirs. The documentary feel maybe owes something to Peter Watkins and the combat scenes are interestingly carried out with narration to convey the soldiers thoughts. Engrossing but perhaps heavy handed in the delivery of its message. [/b]

This sounds good, so based on your comments, I'll find it. Who played the German pow? If it's a role with any depth, I can envision Anton Walbrook playing it quite effectively especially if it calls for restrained angst mixed with rage. What do you think?

Barbara

[Steve Crook]

(theuofc @ Mar 31 2006, 12:42 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> This sounds good, so based on your comments, I'll find it. Who played the German pow? If it's a role with any depth, I can envision Anton Walbrook playing it quite effectively especially if it calls for restrained angst mixed with rage. What do you think? Barbara [/b]

The German, Helmut, was played by Alan Dobie

Steve

[theuofc]

(Steve Crook @ Mar 31 2006, 07:13 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> The German, Helmut, was played by Alan Dobie Steve [/b]

I liked Dobie in the BBC "War and Peace" series.

Barbara