Ian Alexander MartinI was previously unaware of the systemic cluster-fuck that existed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regarding drug testing lab techs, the AG’s office, and non-disclosure of exculpatory evidence to defendants. Wow!
★★★★☆
A mayoral race in Wisconsin becomes a battleground for the two US political parties’ dominance. But don’t worry; it’s all for a good cause! Someone’s… we’re not sure whose…
All entirely legally permissible.
Alas.
★★★★☆
An incredibly well-made noire from a story by Hemingway. There are some incredible character actors in this, all doing phenomenal work. Do not walk, run to see this.
Highly recommended.
★★★★★
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An interesting interpretation of the previous version which adapted a short story for its first scene. Great performances, but FAR TOO BRIGHTLY LIT THROUGHOUT, owing to it being intended for television.
★★★☆☆
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Despite the problematic nature of the lead actor, this film is an incredible tapestry of an experience. It’s a picture one comes away from asking ‘what just happened?’ and feeling elated.
★★★★★
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Like “The Killers,” this stars Lancaster and is directed by Siodmak. Possibly the original ‘armoured truck heist’ picture. Includes butler to The Bat Man, as well as funicular railway. Lacks Los Angeles with ‘hard g.’
★★★★☆
Two incredible performances are more than worth the price of admission. Why Hitchcock got all the grief he did for making ‘terrifying pictures,’ when •this• got nothing but raves, I’ll never know.
Very highly recommended.
★★★★★
An entirely acceptable spy thriller with Finland as a stepping-off point. Oddly, it’s mostly in English! Marketing, I suppose.
BONUS: being introduced to to the shoe company two weeks ago, I knew what ‘karhu’ meant!
★★★☆☆
While I would have preferred just a •little• more ending, or perhaps more twists to the plot, but these are inconsequential matters.
Highly recommended, this sets the stage for many films to come. Incredible!
★★★★★
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I understand why Howard Hughes watched this so frequently: everything is in the right place and supports everything else. As an engineer, he would appreciate that. It’s not exciting, but it’s very well crafted.
Not ‘must see,’ but worth the time.
Solid ★★★☆☆
Damn, is this ever satisfying! I wish I knew how, but this hangs together better than “Noir,” by @TheAuthorGuy which I loved very much and is in the same world. Perhaps it’s easier due to a more linear narrative and less of a necessity of world-building, owing to it being the 2nd. Who knows? Who cares?
Very highly recommended.
★★★★★
“Glitch,” or “Geullichi,” or “글리치” (whatever you want to refer to it as) is bananas! Wonderfully, charmingly, unpredictably, uniquely, bananas! Some of the elements are familiar, but nowhere near all of them, and the manner in which they’re employed is so inventive, so whimsical, so fresh, that you have no idea what’s coming next. I’ve seen three episodes, and they’re only just finishing the set-up.
Must see TV.
THIS is the sort of programming that Netflix should be doing more and more of: whimsical, silly, but thought provoking stuff that ‘normal’ outlets don’t produce. It’s weird, it’s confusing occasionally, it’s really well produced and acted, and the writing always clears things up in the end. This is really good stuff. You need to see it. Stop reading and watch all 10 episodes.
★★★★★
Having only finished watching the first two episodes of #Kleo I cannot really review this, but if the other six episodes are anything close to this, it’s the best thing I’ve seen since… well, since #Glitch I suppose.
This is funny, thrilling, and full of surprises. Also, there’s great brutalist architecture and frequently unfortunate wallpaper from the 1970s and ’80s (there were drugs around, so…)
An excellent series blending dark humour, action, suspense, and some incredibly affecting drama. Wonderful art direction, writing, cinematography, direction, editing, acting, wardrobe and fight choreography.
Very highly recommended.
★★★★★
Damned good fun to be had here, mostly at the expense of the US Forces stationed in a village in Norfolk. Michael Caine owns the film (hardly a surprise), despite attempts by Donald Sutherland, Robert Duvall, & Donald Pleasance.
The DVD supplied by #VPL provided a less-than full screen image, the transfer was made from a dodgy print, & used a less than ideal lens (so people were a bit thinner than normal), but this was still great!
★★★★☆
Twisty story that all comes together in the end.
A solid example of a #noir picture featuring an actual happy ending. Oh sure, some people get killed and others go to jail, but that’s a regular day in a man’s life, isn’t it? Well, sure it is, pally; at least it is if your name is Philip Marlow, that’s for sure.
Highly recommended.
★★★★☆
This arrived in the post today. Also arriving today was word that #PotUS 45, ████ is running for 2024’s election. Thus, this evening’s fare is the Robert Altman / Garry Trudeau collaboration about US Presidential politics in the immediate post-Reagan era. So far, I have seen three episodes. Goodness, what a simpler time it was then. And yet, how so very much things have not changed one jot. People are still as stupid as they were.
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This show paved the way for “The West Wing,” “Irresistible,” “Wag the Dog,” and “Bob Roberts.” The blurring of a line between satire and reality has always been fuzzy at times but here it’s really tough to distinguish.
The acting in this is really good, as well as the editing. Owing to using early ENG equipment, the image is less than stellar, but HBO is to be commended for funding the thing in the first place.
Worthwhile.
★★★★☆
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I’m not sure what triggered this being requested from the Library, but I’m glad to have seen it! It’s funny, thrilling, saucy, and ultimately uplifting. There are too many homophobic jokes (ie: >zero), but it is from 2005, so…
For a story clearly inspired by noir / thriller / detective / tough-guy films, it hits all the right notes and plays a few modern variations in the process.
Well worth your time, especially for a fun Friday evening.
★★★★☆
I’ve seen this multiple times, but DAMN is this ever a great picture! Tonight was the first time I’ve seen the British adaptation (discovered in the BFI’s voluminous collection) and it’s surprisingly faithful, despite lacking the original’s haunting final line.
No matter which, you should see this incredible film.
Mandatory viewing.
★★★★★
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The American Police Procedural — “Dragnet,” “NYPD Blue,” “Law & Order [insert variant here],” so on — all owe this single film for their foundation. Some aspects are dated (non-consensual gathering of hair sample, admiration of woman’s legs, etc), but the structure is sound and the story is full of surprises.
While some of the acting is wooden, the writing and action more than make up for it.
Very highly recommended!
★★★★★
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Contrary to expectations, this isn’t a picture about a dozen guys in a bar fight! In fact, there aren’t even that many people who are upset at any given moment.
Except Juror №3. He’s mad enough for everyone in that jury and a few others down the hall as well! Wow is •he• angry!
Jury drama which educates about ‘reasonable doubt’ as well as — like “M” does — examining the justice of Capitol Punishment.
Mandatory viewing.
★★★★★
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This motion picture is full of wonderful characters, action, and plot twists.
Without a doubt, one of most satisfying endings in cinematic history, too.
I’m not sure how Mrs Stroud stays with her husband, as he clearly hasn’t much of a home life. Somehow she continues to stand by him. Lord only knows why.
If you haven’t seen this — or haven’t seen it in awhile — I highly recommend doing so.
★★★★★
I’ve read the novel which was adapted for this film and found it far more rewarding than the picture. There are more twists and surprises to be had there.
Still, there’s little wrong here. Fritz Lang employs his usual long takes involving silences to great success, making the suspense build quite handily. I wish the climax involved more chase and/or answers than we get here.
Recommended.
★★★★☆
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For my tastes, this has just one too many twists which do not have sufficient explanatory narrative. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good twisty plot, it just needs to have supporting reasons. One suspects that the script was run through an early Cuisinart to get the full run of the novel’s high points.
Great acting, great dialogue, excellent cinematography, please fire the focus puller.
Despite all that, still highly recommended.
★★★★☆
🚨WARNING🚨
Tomorrow evening’s viewing will be this film *again* but it will be the 1945 ‘Pre-Release Edit,’ which was discovered in the UCLA Film and Television Archives sometime in the mid-’90s. It purports to be a pre-release version that was director Howard Hawks’ original cut, so perhaps that will make more sense of the over-complicated story. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this film at least three times, and the story still leaves me confused at the end as to why much of what happens happened.
So… the biggest differences here are the insertion of the scene in the 2nd image instead of a brief one where Marlow drops off Carmen at the door with the Butler. Then the replacement of the brief scene in the 3rd image with the lengthy, iconic one in the 4th image. There’s also a lengthy scene gone involving Marlow explaining things to the police which explains a few things to us.
I wish there was a blending of both.
…/more
★★★★☆
I like the police scene, as it reinforces the motivation of the antagonists, as well as making plain Marlow’s assessment of the case’s reality. Then again, I very much like the change to a longer scene involving getting the younger sister home after the murder •and• the new scene where she tries to seduce Marlow. The restaurant scene isn’t subtle enough for my taste in wit, but it’s a vast improvement over the coldness of the original one in Marlow’s office.
@sheribiesen’s right: ‘46 is better.
Mostly a manner to tell the US people who the Germans under NAZI control are, it still has all sorts of Fritz Lang touches: a man struggles to hide from others bent on meting out justice, an underground setting, and a love which is unrequited.
Still, it’s pretty jingoistic at times, and much eye rolling will be induced by today’s viewer. Also, this picture has what have to be the worst accents ever.
Recommended overall, however.
★★★☆☆
Apparently I’m on a Fritz Lang binge. Tomorrow’s film will be one of his as well!
Despite this being filled with lots of tough guys with gravelly voices, this isn’t Micky Spillane or Dashiell Hammett! I get a bit of Columbo foreshadowing, though.
Revenge thrillers don’t get much better than this, although I wish it moved along a bit quicker or had more plot twists. Still, very highly recommended, as it bridges both ’40s & ’60s noir.
★★★★☆
Almost a sequel to “M” (Detective Lohman reappears), this picture is testament to the genius of Lang’s ability to weave together thrillers, fantasy, and #noir idioms in a cohesive whole.
The narrative is non-linear (all of Act I consists of jumping back and forth in time), but one is never confused about things. The camera effects are top-notch, especially for the time. Lang continues using the stretches of silence and under-cranking the camera which he frequently employed in silent films .
…/
There are references to Übermensch who are misunderstood geniuses, their plans will cause anarchy among the people and create a new society to be run by and for the superior survivors. The fact that both the ‘genius’ and his defender are insane, and those who question the plans’ details are killed, never mind that people are only told their specific part of the plan… well…
Lang left Germany shortly after.
[:: ahem ::]
★★★★★
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Probably the most intellectually stimulating 2½ hours I have ever experienced. The notion of psychological influences upon storytelling is hardly new, even when applied to cinema. But here we have a new series of dots being connected, with questions posed which are more sharp, more probing, & more illuminating.
I’ll have to watch this again, as it presents so many ideas.
Right after I rewatch the films in it.
Required viewing.
★★★★★
For a further incentive, read this, which seems to be Slavoj Žižek’s thesis statement, despite this being the final statement of the picture.
“In order to understand today's world, we need cinema, literally. It's only in cinema that we get that crucial dimension which we are not ready to confront in our reality. If you are looking for what is in reality more real that reality itself, look into the cinematic fiction.”
I’ve always found the #Fletch books really ripe fodder for films, and yet only one was made before this. That one made Fletch glib and one-noted. “Son of Fletch” reveals his to be a complicated and thoughtful guy; think Jim Rockford with more bravado.
THIS is a decent adaptation of the character, and I hope we see more of them! Jon Hamm is perfect, as are all of the actors! Roy Wood, Jr is especially delightful as the Inspector.
★★★★☆
An incredibly entertaining 1½ hours! This truly is a motion picture that oughtn’t to have ever got made, as the combination of actors and creative personnel seems impossible! But — oh! my! — I’m so glad it exists!
Thanks to #Kanopy and the #VPL, I can say this this is very much worth your while! Head to your library and learn how to access it, or head to https://www.openculture.com/2014/02/beat-the-devil.html and watch it for free there!
Highly recommended!
★★★★☆
MORE FRITZ LANG!!
If you ever wondered where the stereotype of the spy as well-positioned, tux-wearing playboy came from, it’s at least partly because of this film. More than likely the ur-Spy Thriller, this is a wonderful 2½ hours of fun.
Yes, there’s a fair bit of over-the-top gurning, but that’s to be expected. Overlook that — plus some awful anti-Japanese racism — and you’ll see some incredible performances in a solid story.
Great!
★★★★☆
ANOTHER FRITZ LANG PICTURE! This was the first one he did in Hollywood.
Another film involving the themes of Justice, the Law, and Capitol Punishment. The bulk of the film is taken up by a court case — in the ironically named Capitol City — which will decide if 22 persons will be found guilty of murder as a result of a lynching. At this time, hanging was the punishment in most US jurisdictions.
Thankfully, mob rule has •never• reigned in the USA!
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Much of the trial sets out some awful statistics of lynching in the USA — an average of one every three days at the time of the film — and the woeful number of only 10% which go to trial. This is, obviously, only those which were reported.
A worthwhile film, which I highly recommend the watching of, despite some occasional wooden acting from the officials & lawyers.
★★★★☆