I actually thought I might save this for the end of the month as a transition into November which is I’ve planned as my foreign film month (this theme thing might be getting out of control). But, as I told John after I saw this last night, I’m glad I did not go another day without seeing this new Swedish masterpiece.
Continue reading ‘johnlink ranks LATDEN RATTE KOMMA IN (LET THE RIGHT ONE IN; 2008)’
My classics month proved fruitful, yielding several movies I’d always wanted to get to. Now, being October, I figured it was time for some horror flicks. It seemed fitting to watch a classic horror as September became October. So, I popped in the old Hammer film THE MUMMY. Not a particular fan of old cheesy horror, my expectations were really low going in.
I figure this counts as a classic not only because it is considered one of the great comedies of all time, but also because it was made before I was born. And anything pre-John should be old enough to be classic. Right?
Continue reading ‘johnlink ranks MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN (1979)’
Classics month rolls along with THE CINCINNATI KID. I can knock another of the list of movies I’ve been intending to get to. I knew this was another Steve McQueen film, but didn’t realize how solid the supporting cast was. Was very happy to have finally seen this.
Interrupting my classics month for something a little more modern. I was ranking some stuff on IMDB and noticed that I gave a score of ‘9’ to ABANDON. I was sure this was due to my infatuation with Katie Holmes when I ranked it (back in ’02), so I decided to rewatch it in an effort to fix said ranking. SPOILERS BELOW
Feeling good about these classics I’m getting around to. Interesting note… watched the Marx Brothers NIGHT AT THE OPERA which had an actor named Sig Ruman as the ‘villain’. Watched STALAG 17 tonight, and there was Ruman again, 18 years after OPERA, playing a comedic Nazi Sgt.
I’ve heard, on multiple occasions, that the movie that inspired the PG-13 rating is GREMLINS. It was deemed too hard for PG, but clearly not worthy of an R. How it took that long after THE GETAWAY, I’m not sure. This is a movie that certainly should have carried an R rating when it was released in ’72, and how it did not make the MPAA stop and consider their system makes me scratch my head.
I have a horrendous confession to make. I have a degree in film studies, and have never (until tonight) seen a Marx Brothers film from beginning to end. I’ve seen segments, to be sure, but had never watched a full one through. Seeing as September is my ‘classics month’ this year, I figured I should remedy that situation.
Continue reading ‘johnlink ranks A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935)’
Thanks to TWILIGHT and TRUE BLOOD, we are on a vampire cycle in media right now. But just a few short years ago, we had a re-introduction of zombie (and zombie-like) films. 28 DAYS LATER, the DAWN OF THE DEAD remake, another couple Romero films. There, to skewer them all, was the little British film SHAUN OF THE DEAD.
This is one I’ve been meaning to get to for a long time. I have a lot of respect for Orson Welles, and what he did for film. TOUCH OF EVIL is one of his landmarks, and I am glad to have finally caught up to it. I should note that I watched the 1998 re-issue, the one which was re-edited to Welles specifications. Though he is said to have not entirely disliked the studio cut which was released in ’58, he had always felt that it was not as it should be. I write the following ranking having no idea what was in the ’58 version and what was not. But knowing that it was good enough, at the time, to be a major influence on multiple directors.
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