And Then There Were None (1945) 8.5/10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v9rQ7uJTSg
I resaw The Edge of the World (1937). It's quite a good film made notable as being the first film directed by Michael Powell where he was given the scope to make something he wanted rather than just being a routine director. It's a drama set in the Scottish Shetlands and it must have been close to Powell as 40 years later he returned to make Return to the Edge of the World.
As a point of trivia, the Englishman who visits the island in the prologue to the film is played by Michael Powell. The woman with him is played by Frankie Reidy. She was Powell's girlfriend and later married him. You won't find any mention of that on IMDB but it is in Powell's brilliant autobiography.
Many years later they played the parts of the father and mother to the psychopathic murderer in Powell's Peeping Tom. These were in the flashback scenes to the murderer's childhood and one of their sons Columba played the young boy.
Originally Posted by jackassfan:
Possibly the best of any of the films made from Agatha Christie's books. Of course the title is the modern title as with the book as the original title is now unacceptably racist.
I saw a double bill of Henry Fonda films. The first was Advise & Consent (1962), a political drama surrounding the Senate hearings interviewing a proposed Secretary of State. A good serious film with a fine group of actors besides Fonda, Walter Pidgeon, Franchot Tone, Lew Ayres and Charles Laughton in his last role. Also Peter Lawford, Burgess Meredith and Gene Tierney.
This was followed by The Cheyenne Social Club (1970) which also starred James Stewart and it was directed by Gene Kelly. Possibly watching this after Advise & Consent was a mistake but I got nothing out of this film.
Gene Kelly was an odd choice for what was supposedly a comedy western. I would have thought that Burt Kennedy would have been more appropriate.
Originally Posted by jackassfan:
Torn Curtain (1966) 5/10
That and Hitchcock's next Topaz are two disappointing films from him. His last two Frenzy and Family Plot are considered better, Family Plot being one of his more light hearted films. I remember reading somewhere, possibly in Truffaut's book on him, that in the latter part of his career he had considered making a film which was so extreme in nature that it would get banned almost everywhere - of course it never got made.
Originally Posted by El Loro:
Originally Posted by jackassfan:
Torn Curtain (1966) 5/10
That and Hitchcock's next Topaz are two disappointing films from him. His last two Frenzy and Family Plot are considered better, Family Plot being one of his more light hearted films. I remember reading somewhere, possibly in Truffaut's book on him, that in the latter part of his career he had considered making a film which was so extreme in nature that it would get banned almost everywhere - of course it never got made.
I have seen Frenzy and thought it was a very good film, have yet to see Topaz and Family Plot
Originally Posted by jackassfan:
I have seen Frenzy and thought it was a very good film, have yet to see Topaz and Family Plot
I've seen both Topaz and Family Plot. I didn't think Topaz was worth watching. Family Plot is a PG rated black comedy which, although not one of Hitchcock's better films is still worth watching.
I saw The Magnificent Seven (1960) which was one of most popular westerns ever made with one of the best known main music themes in films. I assume that this is the first well known film to be a remake of a Japanese film though don't hold me to that. Having seen The Seven Samurai as well, the original is the better film.
I saw Detective Story (1951), a fine film directed by William Wyler and starring Kirk Douglas. An ensemble piece set virtually entirely in a police station, and almost real time. Set the standard for many American police television series in later years such as Hill Street Blues.
Virtually the film debut of Joseph Wiseman (Dr No) as a psychotic thief and Lee Grant as a shoplifter. For many years after Detective Story Lee Grant was blacklisted and didn't to return to films for a long time. Her main suceess was in Shampoo (1975) when she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She also directed many television films and documentaries and has been recognised for her work against domestic violence.
Originally Posted by jackassfan:
Abbas Kiarostami, the writer and director of the above, also wrote The White Balloon (1995) which was directed by Jafar Panahi who is still in prison in Iran. AK has spoken out against this. His last film was made in France and has been making a film in Japan. Needless to say his films are banned in Iran.
I saw The Conqueror (1956). Not a great film but not as dreadful as the IMDB rating of 3.1 suggests. Of course John Wayne as Genghis Khan was a strange choice, and not this isn't the type of film one associates with Dick Powell who directed it. The story is simplistic, the dialogue isn't great, but it wasn't boring and I've certainly seen films which are a lot poorer. The film is also notorious for having been filmed in part of Utah which had previously been used for A bomb testing and that in years to follow many of those involved died from cancer.
Highlights(?) of the film including a dance by a woman from Samarkand.