Leonardo DiCaprio.. Sometimes never disappoints in movies
Last movie you saw?
- Thread starter BlueStuff
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Leonardo DiCaprio.. Sometimes never disappoints in movies
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, an ill-fated attempt at a Night of the Comet-inspired horror comedy film that underwent severe executive meddling leading to a flawed, though still enjoyable, final flick. The creator/writer was so let down by it that he held onto the concept and turned it into a TV show set after his intended screenplay, and it wound up becoming a ratings smash and is very much a strong improvement on the film it retconned.
I've even made a thread detailing my thoughts (https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/so-i-watched-the-original-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-movie.320543/)
I've even made a thread detailing my thoughts (https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/so-i-watched-the-original-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-movie.320543/)
rewatched eagle eye
I love the original Buffy movie. There is only one and her name is Kristy Swanson
Fantastic Four
I genuinely think that between Swanson and Gellar, Buffy as a character had no bad actresses and all great portrayals.
The Flash movie, eh did not like
5/10
5/10
His Glorious Night (1929): the poster-child (supposedly) to prove that silent film actors couldn't make the transition to talking films, as lampooned (and accepted as fact, alas) in Singin' in the Rain.
In this instance, the myth/"narrative" was that John Gilbert, Valentino's heir as The Great Lover, had a high-pitched voice and his persona didn't translate to talkies. This is the "I love you I love you I love you" film. It has been "locked" away for decades due to its reputation, and rights issues, and was shown on Turner Classis Movies just last week. It's the first time since 1929 that any number of people beyond what can fit in a theatre have seen it.
The above doesn't take into account Gilbert being at odds with MGM executive Louis B. Mayer, and that the roles he received even in the later silent era (after about 1926) were not as prestigious as, let's say The Big Parade (1925), probably his best known film. Gilbert was no doubt difficult and drank to excess at times ( as many did). Thus, studio politics were against him, and he was his own enemy; even when this was lensed during the summer of 1929.
The film itself: better than I expected. Gilbert is his silent-film persona, and the romantic dialogue is indeed florid. Oddly enough, our good friend, the rejected Richard Dix, in his second talkie The Wheel of Life (1929) released two months before the one I'm writing about, had also spouted some consecutive I Love You's, but he wasn't known as The Great Lover, so that was apparently no career-breaker. Gilbert's performance and voice are fine (light baritone): he looks great in a uniform, too. He is a bit too crisp as to dialogue delivery, but I've heard worse in 1929 films. His leading lady, Catherine Dale Owen, should play a block of ice, or a refrigerator. She is supposed to be aloof, but took it too much to heart, and looks as though she's in a different film. Some scenes have too much talk, as was unfortunately common at that time. It's a light comedy, but there's something missing. Perhaps a different director than Lionel Barrymore (Mr. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life) could have brought some life into it. Source material was a Molnar play; thus, a filmed play with perhaps a bit too many silent-film type dialogue. The type that;s better read than heard.
Ohh, and the film made a profit, and a number of reviews were positive, or made note of Gilbert's performance as not being the problem. Sadly, poor film assignments by MGM in many (but not all) his remaining contract films from 1930-33, along with increasing alcoholism, and the public moving away from silent film actors as their favorites led to the end of his career in 1934. It was not his voice. A comeback was in the works in 1935-36, but he passed away from a heart attack in January 1936.
Gilbert still has plenty of fans in the classic film community, and the opportunity to finally judge for oneself as to the merits and demerits of the film instead of being told "ohh, his voice was squeaky," "it was a flop," etc etc. So much for "the narrative." I hope the day will come when, for whatever small number of people have interest in films of that era, that tripe about his voice will not be the first thing that's read.
In this instance, the myth/"narrative" was that John Gilbert, Valentino's heir as The Great Lover, had a high-pitched voice and his persona didn't translate to talkies. This is the "I love you I love you I love you" film. It has been "locked" away for decades due to its reputation, and rights issues, and was shown on Turner Classis Movies just last week. It's the first time since 1929 that any number of people beyond what can fit in a theatre have seen it.
The above doesn't take into account Gilbert being at odds with MGM executive Louis B. Mayer, and that the roles he received even in the later silent era (after about 1926) were not as prestigious as, let's say The Big Parade (1925), probably his best known film. Gilbert was no doubt difficult and drank to excess at times ( as many did). Thus, studio politics were against him, and he was his own enemy; even when this was lensed during the summer of 1929.
The film itself: better than I expected. Gilbert is his silent-film persona, and the romantic dialogue is indeed florid. Oddly enough, our good friend, the rejected Richard Dix, in his second talkie The Wheel of Life (1929) released two months before the one I'm writing about, had also spouted some consecutive I Love You's, but he wasn't known as The Great Lover, so that was apparently no career-breaker. Gilbert's performance and voice are fine (light baritone): he looks great in a uniform, too. He is a bit too crisp as to dialogue delivery, but I've heard worse in 1929 films. His leading lady, Catherine Dale Owen, should play a block of ice, or a refrigerator. She is supposed to be aloof, but took it too much to heart, and looks as though she's in a different film. Some scenes have too much talk, as was unfortunately common at that time. It's a light comedy, but there's something missing. Perhaps a different director than Lionel Barrymore (Mr. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life) could have brought some life into it. Source material was a Molnar play; thus, a filmed play with perhaps a bit too many silent-film type dialogue. The type that;s better read than heard.
Ohh, and the film made a profit, and a number of reviews were positive, or made note of Gilbert's performance as not being the problem. Sadly, poor film assignments by MGM in many (but not all) his remaining contract films from 1930-33, along with increasing alcoholism, and the public moving away from silent film actors as their favorites led to the end of his career in 1934. It was not his voice. A comeback was in the works in 1935-36, but he passed away from a heart attack in January 1936.
Gilbert still has plenty of fans in the classic film community, and the opportunity to finally judge for oneself as to the merits and demerits of the film instead of being told "ohh, his voice was squeaky," "it was a flop," etc etc. So much for "the narrative." I hope the day will come when, for whatever small number of people have interest in films of that era, that tripe about his voice will not be the first thing that's read.
Well thanks to you guys I'm fishing my copy of Network out tonight to watch....
rewatched into the storm
Just watched the new Running Man. I really liked it!
What differences are there to the original movie that came out?
The new movie is a whole lot closer to the book than the old movie. The same general idea is still there for both but the old one is pretty far off from the book whereas this new one is decently close to it except for the ending. The hunters in the new movie also don't have gimmicks and all that stuff like in the old one, they're largely all just generic 'hunters' except for the main one.
OK closer to the book sounds good.. I love the first one but yeah it's full of gimmicks
rewatched scouts the guide to the zombie apocalypse
Del Toro Frankenstein. Worthy effort. Brought in text and ideas from The Book, but not slavishly imitative. Nice nods to the Universal, Hammer and other adaptations.
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