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The BellGab Classic Movie Playhouse

Started by GravitySucks, June 11, 2016, 05:28:45 PM

albrecht

Quote from: ItsOver on September 23, 2016, 08:51:44 AM
21st, since we're in the All Hallow's Eve season, any recommendations for "Nosferatu?"  CD versions, comments, etc?  I can't believe I've never watched it.
Look around in your local paper or internet. Here sometimes the university shows a copy of Nosferatu with a music score played on the big organ. So like a silent film experience, there also was some more modern group who did similar with more like a soundtrack from a Dario Argegnto giallo/horror. So search around if you live in a university or "arty" or "musical" area.

   I just watched Robert Flaherty's silent documentary, Nanook of the North (1922).  It is basically a documentary about the daily grind of a typical Eskimo family or as we call them today, Inuits.  The thing is it really isn't a documentary at all.  It's what we would call a reality film if it was made today.  In other words, it is very fake and staged for the most part.  Brilliant filmmaking but basically all a lie.
   Let's start off with Nanook and his family.  Nanook was not really Nanook but an Inuit who went by the name Allakariallak.  He also didn't really use sled dogs to get around.  He had a snowmobile. He also didn't use harpoons in real life to kill walruses.  He used a rifle.  He also was very familiar with phonographs as he was always in town at the trading post listening to the devices.   I understand why Flaherty decided to present Nanook as a man out of time not used to modern conveniences as it makes for great drama but that aspect of the film was all a lie.


    Then there is Nyla-the smiling one.  She is supposed to be one of Nanook's wives but such was not the case.  She was playing a role and let me tell you why she was always smiling.  Nyla and Flaherty were getting it on even though Flaherty was already married and from what I've read Flaherty's wife was living with him up in the great white North.  Well it appears that Nyla and Flaherty had enough of a relationship to produce a son named Joseph.  There is now a clan of Flaherty Inuits living up there now.  It has also been alleged that Nanook's other wife in the film, Cunayou, was also Flaherty's lover.  So yes, they had a lot to smile about. As for Nanooks kids in the film, they were not really his kids.
      There were other staged events in the film, the killing of the seal being most prominent.  It made for a nice comedic moment in the film but when Nanook is struggling with the line to pull the seal out from under the ice, there are in fact other people pulling on the other end of the line.  It is not the seal at all.  As a matter of fact, when they do cut the seal into the scene, it had already been killed offscreen and tied to the line.
       With all that being said, Nanook of the North is a wonderful film and quite expertly directed by Flaherty.  The scene where the whole family comes out of Nanook's kayak is simply hilarious and a nice touch.  The construction of the igloo in the film was also quite informative.  There is enough drama and comedy to keep the viewer rivited and you don't miss the absence of sound.  It was interesting finding out that the Eskimos at this early point in the 20th century were already for the most part westernized.  Allakariallak himself would die within 2 years in 1924 of starvation while he was out hunting game.
        For this work alone, Flaherty does deserve to be remembered as the father of the documentary and the grandfather of reality tv.  4.5 stars out of 5.
         I would not recommend this film to vegans as there is much flesh eating in the film.  The Inuits for the most part eat their food raw.  Flicker Alley has a wonderful blu-ray of this film and I recommend it highly.


Nanook


Nyla and child


Nanook with Harpoon


Robert Flaherty

GravitySucks

Thanks 21CM. I am intrigued now to see what a 1922 snowmobile looked like.

Quote from: GravitySucks on September 26, 2016, 03:53:02 PM
Thanks 21CM. I am intrigued now to see what a 1922 snowmobile looked like.

No snowmobile is seen.  Sled dogs are used in the film.  I was also a bit startled to find out that they had snowmobiles back then but I've read several articles about the film and they apparently did.  I'll try to find an example.


Early snowmobiles







Or you could convert a car.


TigerLily

Quote from: 21st Century Man on September 26, 2016, 03:43:05 PM
   I just watched Robert Flaherty's silent documentary, Nanook of the North (1922)...




I saw this one too.  Pretty amazing for 1922. I guess most of it was staged but entertaining and informative even if more a docudrama than documentary

TigerLily

This is great...

http://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/gallery/the-best-black-and-white-films-of-all-time/ss-BBwvYBK?li=BBnb2gh&srcref=rss

100 best black and white films with a still from each one and the scores from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. No spoilers of which one was Number 1 but this was their headline shot

I watched the Frankenstein films again last night for the zillionth time on TCM.  I never get tired of them. Karloff brings such humanity to his performance as the Monster.  For what it is worth,  I give Frankenstein 4.75 stars,  Bride of Frankenstein 5 stars and Son of Frankenstein 4 stars.  Bride has a little something extra that the first film did not have thus the higher rating.  Karloff's characterization in Son lacks the depth of the the other 2 films.  This was not Karloff's fault as he didn't get the lion's share of attention in the film.  He had fewer closeups.  Son is still a great film due to Rathbone, Atwill and especially Lugosi as Ygor.  It could have used that Whale touch though.

TigerLily

Quote from: 21st Century Man on October 03, 2016, 02:05:33 PM
I watched the Frankenstein films again last night for the zillionth time on TCM.  I never get tired of them. Karloff brings such humanity to his performance as the Monster.  For what it is worth,  I give Frankenstein 4.75 stars,  Bride of Frankenstein 5 stars and Son of Frankenstein 4 stars.  Bride has a little something extra that the first film did not have thus the higher rating.

I agree with your ratings. They are all good but "Bride" is the best

Came across this today.   Never heard of this film though George Bancroft was a top star in the silent era.






I'm sure it is a far cry from the DiCrapio film though.  No sniffing coke off of a set of breasts.  lol

whoozit

I'm looking forward to my yearly viewing of "Curse of the Demon" as it is known here. 

Dr. MD MD

Quote from: 21st Century Man on October 03, 2016, 02:29:39 PM
Came across this today.   Never heard of this film though George Bancroft was a top star in the silent era.






I'm sure it is a far cry from the DiCrapio film though.  No sniffing coke off of a set of breasts.  lol

Wow! I didn't know it was a remake. It would be interesting to see...and a talkie too!  :D

The thing about the Scorsese movie that got me wasn't the coke (because I've witnessed that before) but the quaaludes because this was something I would sometimes hear about from older people but was illegal and totally stripped from the market by the time I was of age. Probably smart. The scene where they show him driving his car home and going to bed only to be woken up the next day by police officers recounting his path of destruction to him, which he slowly starts remembering. Funny, a lot of the stories I used to hear about this drug involved automobile accidents where the only thing damaged was property or the car. The people somehow always walked away fine. Crazy!  :D

ItsOver

Quote from: 21st Century Man on October 03, 2016, 02:05:33 PM
I watched the Frankenstein films again last night for the zillionth time on TCM.  I never get tired of them. Karloff brings such humanity to his performance as the Monster.  For what it is worth,  I give Frankenstein 4.75 stars,  Bride of Frankenstein 5 stars and Son of Frankenstein 4 stars.  Bride has a little something extra that the first film did not have thus the higher rating.  Karloff's characterization in Son lacks the depth of the the other 2 films.  This was not Karloff's fault as he didn't get the lion's share of attention in the film.  He had fewer closeups.  Son is still a great film due to Rathbone, Atwill and especially Lugosi as Ygor.  It could have used that Whale touch though.
Same here.  "Son of Frankenstein" was a nice warm-up for this week's Fathom Events "Young Frankenstein."


zeebo

Quote from: 21st Century Man on October 03, 2016, 02:29:39 PM
...I'm sure it is a far cry from the DiCrapio film though.  No sniffing coke off of a set of breasts.  lol

... or driving a Lamborghini on quaaludes.  ;)

ItsOver

Quote from: ItsOver on October 03, 2016, 06:36:24 PM
Same here.  "Son of Frankenstein" was a nice warm-up for this week's Fathom Events "Young Frankenstein."

Just a reminder for tonight's big screen showing of "Young Frankenstein."

http://fathomevents.com/event/young-frankenstein




ItsOver

Quote from: ItsOver on October 05, 2016, 07:36:10 AM
Just a reminder for tonight's big screen showing of "Young Frankenstein."

http://fathomevents.com/event/young-frankenstein


It was great seeing this classic on the big screen this week.  One of those movies that never gets old, one laugh after another.  It was worth the price of admission to listen to Mel Brooks talk as he toured the lot where the movie was shot.  He appeared to ad lib most of it, in pure Mel Brooks-style, and talked for at least 20 minutes.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2016/10/06/mel-brooks-gets-emotional-talking-gene-wilder-young-frankenstein/91642786/

I was surprised.  The theater was packed.  Fathom is doing an encore presentation on the 18th.  I may catch it again, if I can.

http://www.fathomevents.com/event/young-frankenstein


ItsOver

Quote from: 21st Century Man on October 03, 2016, 02:29:39 PM

...I'm sure it is a far cry from the DiCrapio film though.  No sniffing coke off of a set of breasts.  lol
Speaking of DiCrapio, I watched the not-quite-a-classic "The Quick and The Dead" last night.  I've seen it many times before and it's just one of those "guilty pleasures" for me.  At least it has Gene Hackman and Russell Crowe.  The great thing is getting to watch DiCrapio's character being gunned-down by Hackman.  His sniveling, whimpering last breaths seem to be in character.  Thank you, Gene.

Zetaspeak

I caught that showing of Son of Frankenstein as well on TCM as well. It always brings a smile on my face when I am lucky enough to catch it close to the beginning.

the_Stranger

Quote from: 21st Century Man on October 03, 2016, 02:05:33 PM
I watched the Frankenstein films again last night for the zillionth time on TCM.  I never get tired of them. Karloff brings such humanity to his performance as the Monster.  For what it is worth,  I give Frankenstein 4.75 stars,  Bride of Frankenstein 5 stars and Son of Frankenstein 4 stars.  Bride has a little something extra that the first film did not have thus the higher rating.  Karloff's characterization in Son lacks the depth of the the other 2 films.  This was not Karloff's fault as he didn't get the lion's share of attention in the film.  He had fewer closeups.  Son is still a great film due to Rathbone, Atwill and especially Lugosi as Ygor.  It could have used that Whale touch though.

Last month the Frankenstein Legacy Collection was released on Blu-Ray, it contains all the appearances of Frankenstein's monster in one set.
I haven't watched any of the Universal classics in over a decade, so I'm looking forward to getting this set.
House of Frankenstein has always been a favorite of mine.

Quote from: the_Stranger on October 08, 2016, 10:00:03 PM
Last month the Frankenstein Legacy Collection was released on Blu-Ray, it contains all the appearances of Frankenstein's monster in one set.
I haven't watched any of the Universal classics in over a decade, so I'm looking forward to getting this set.
House of Frankenstein has always been a favorite of mine.

Yeah, I got it too along with the Wolfman collection.  Both sets have overlapping films but they are reasonably priced so no big deal.  Hopefully this will be the last time that I have to shell out for these films. I bought the videotapes back in the day, then some of the individual movies on dvd.  Next, I bought the Legacy editions that came out when Van Helsing was released.  Then I shelled out again with the beautiful special edition dvd's that came out some years ago for Frankenstein, The Wolfman, The Mummy, and Dracula.  Then I bought the first blu ray release of the Universal Monster films.  Now this.

I just watched Fritz Lang's first masterpiece, Destiny, from 1921.  I absolutely loved it.  I wish Lang had been able to make more diverse films after he came over to the US in the 1930's.  It seems he was relegated to film noirs and the occasional western after he came to Hollywood.  Prior to this, he explored many genres and produced some truly great films.  Destiny is one of those films.

Destiny involves a young couple's struggle against Death personified by Bernhard Goetzke.  I believe this is the first time that Death was personified by a human in a film.  Ingmar Bergman would resuscitate the character in his magnificent Seventh Seal and Hollywood played with the idea too in such films as Death Takes A Holiday and  On Borrowed Time.  Death would also show up on the Twilight Zone personified by a young Robert Redford and Brad Pitt would take a stab at the role in the film, Meet Joe Black.


Destiny is also an anthology horror film in the manner of later horror films such as Tales From The Crypt and Dr.Terror's House of Horrors.  Unlike the latter films, Destiny's framing story is the dominant tale and not just a plot device to tell other stories.

The main story involves a young couple on their honeymoon.  An imposing stranger boards their carriage and the carriage stops for the night at a Bavarian inn.  They proceed to dine and the young woman gets distracted by the felines in the inn and goes over to plays with them for a bit.  When she gets back to the table, she finds her husband and the stranger gone.  Frantic, she searches all over town and is unable to find them.  She fears the worst and becomes distraught.  Ultimately, she becomes suicidal and decides to mix a poison potion to kill herself with.  Just as she starts to drink it, she is transported to Death's lair and is given 3 opportunities to save her beloved.  She is cast into 3 separate roles in different locations and times and given the opportunity to save her beloved.  If she succeeds to save her beloved in one of those stories, then she will have saved him in reality.


The first sub-story takes place in the Middle East where she is thrust into the role of a Caliph's sister who has fallen in love with an infidel Frenchman.  The second takes place in Renaissance Italy where she plays a lovelorn woman on the verge of marriage to a person she despises.  She falls in love with a stranger and her fiancee finds out and is determined to get rid of his competitor.  The third takes place in the Orient where our heroine plays a disciple of a famous magician who suddenly becomes the target of lust from an obese Khan.  This last tale is very imaginative and utilizes a lot of trick photography that no doubt influenced such movies as the Fairbanks version of The Thief of Baghdad.  Fairbanks actually bought the US rights to Destiny in the states so he could analyze the tricks and improve on them.



I won't give away the outcome of those tales nor will I delve into the framing story any further.  I urge all film lovers to see this film.  It was newly restored this year by the Murnau foundation and looks amazing for a 95 year old film.  If you like this film,  you might want to also check out another great silent that plays with the concept of Death.  The Phantom Carriage by Victor Sjostrom from the same year is a marvelous picture that I heartily recommend.



The only fault I find with Destiny is the casting of the lead female, LIl Dagover.  She seems a bit old and frumpy to be playing a young woman of 20.  Theda Bara was the reigning sex symbol at the time and Lil very much possesses many of the same traits as Bara.  I guess they found that sexy back then.  Tastes change.  4.5 out of 5 stars.

the_Stranger

Quote from: 21st Century Man on October 11, 2016, 02:22:43 PM
I just watched Fritz Lang's first masterpiece, Destiny, from 1921.  I absolutely loved it.  I wish Lang had been able to make more diverse films after he came over to the US in the 1930's.  It seems he was relegated to film noirs and the occasional western after he came to Hollywood.  Prior to this, he explored many genres and produced some truly great films.  Destiny is one of those films.

Destiny involves a young couple's struggle against Death personified by Bernhard Goetzke.  I believe this is the first time that Death was personified by a human in a film.  Ingmar Bergman would resuscitate the character in his magnificent Seventh Seal and Hollywood played with the idea too in such films as Death Takes A Holiday and  On Borrowed Time.  Death would also show up on the Twilight Zone personified by a young Robert Redford and Brad Pitt would take a stab at the role in the film, Meet Joe Black.


Destiny is also an anthology horror film in the manner of later horror films such as Tales From The Crypt and Dr.Terror's House of Horrors.  Unlike the latter films, Destiny's framing story is the dominant tale and not just a plot device to tell other stories.

The main story involves a young couple on their honeymoon.  An imposing stranger boards their carriage and the carriage stops for the night at a Bavarian inn.  They proceed to dine and the young woman gets distracted by the felines in the inn and goes over to plays with them for a bit.  When she gets back to the table, she finds her husband and the stranger gone.  Frantic, she searches all over town and is unable to find them.  She fears the worst and becomes distraught.  Ultimately, she becomes suicidal and decides to mix a poison potion to kill herself with.  Just as she starts to drink it, she is transported to Death's lair and is given 3 opportunities to save her beloved.  She is cast into 3 separate roles in different locations and times and given the opportunity to save her beloved.  If she succeeds to save her beloved in one of those stories, then she will have saved him in reality.


The first sub-story takes place in the Middle East where she is thrust into the role of a Caliph's sister who has fallen in love with an infidel Frenchman.  The second takes place in Renaissance Italy where she plays a lovelorn woman on the verge of marriage to a person she despises.  She falls in love with a stranger and her fiancee finds out and is determined to get rid of his competitor.  The third takes place in the Orient where our heroine plays a disciple of a famous magician who suddenly becomes the target of lust from an obese Khan.  This last tale is very imaginative and utilizes a lot of trick photography that no doubt influenced such movies as the Fairbanks version of The Thief of Baghdad.  Fairbanks actually bought the US rights to Destiny in the states so he could analyze the tricks and improve on them.



I won't give away the outcome of those tales nor will I delve into the framing story any further.  I urge all film lovers to see this film.  It was newly restored this year by the Murnau foundation and looks amazing for a 95 year old film.  If you like this film,  you might want to also check out another great silent that plays with the concept of Death.  The Phantom Carriage by Victor Sjostrom from the same year is a marvelous picture that I heartily recommend.



The only fault I find with Destiny is the casting of the lead female, LIl Dagover.  She seems a bit old and frumpy to be playing a young woman of 20.  Theda Bara was the reigning sex symbol at the time and Lil very much possesses many of the same traits as Bara.  I guess they found that sexy back then.  Tastes change.  4.5 out of 5 stars.

This is a Lang film I have never seen, but I need to change that as your review makes it sound interesting.
I stopped collecting films some years ago as I had not gotten all of my favorites on DVD and then Blu-Ray became the standard.
Lately my film watching has been introducing my wife to classic 70s and 80s horror.

Quote from: TigerLily on October 03, 2016, 02:01:56 PM
This is great...

http://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/gallery/the-best-black-and-white-films-of-all-time/ss-BBwvYBK?li=BBnb2gh&srcref=rss

100 best black and white films with a still from each one and the scores from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. No spoilers of which one was Number 1 but this was their headline shot

Awesome! I love black & white films. I can`t even picture The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (OMG Gene Tierney) being in color.

Javier has to train up some more squirrels.

Oh, Tigs, your other link there didn`t work. I imagine you probably overloaded the network down there in Guyana.

TigerLily

Quote from: FightTheFuture on October 12, 2016, 10:30:52 AM
Awesome! I love black & white films. I can`t even picture The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (OMG Gene Tierney) being in color.

Javier has to train up some more squirrels.

Oh, Tigs, your other link there didn`t work. I imagine you probably overloaded the network down there in Guyana.

I often run into technical problems as my internet cable is also my clothesline


Quote from: TigerLily on October 03, 2016, 02:01:56 PM
This is great...

http://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/gallery/the-best-black-and-white-films-of-all-time/ss-BBwvYBK?li=BBnb2gh&srcref=rss

100 best black and white films with a still from each one and the scores from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. No spoilers of which one was Number 1 but this was their headline shot

Major missing film on this list is Citizen Kane.  I'm sure I could think of others.  I have a bit of a problem with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari being placed higher than the Frankenstein films.  Sure it is influential but also rather tedious.

Check that.  I missed it.  It's at #39.  Far too low on the list.

TigerLily

Quote from: 21st Century Man on October 13, 2016, 03:34:13 PM
Major missing film on this list is Citizen Kane.  I'm sure I could think of others.  I have a bit of a problem with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari being placed higher than the Frankenstein films.  Sure it is influential but also rather tedious.

That is bizarre no Citizen Kane.  I can understand the placement of Caligari because it is the iconic representation of German Expressionism. And a helluva movie with the nightmarish sets and Conrad Veidt. But personally, the Frankenstein movies are also great art and more fun

Edit: And yes, once I watched it at faster speed. But only once. Clips right along then

TigerLily

Quote from: 21st Century Man on October 13, 2016, 03:34:13 PM
Major missing film on this list is Citizen Kane.  I'm sure I could think of others.  I have a bit of a problem with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari being placed higher than the Frankenstein films.  Sure it is influential but also rather tedious.

Check that.  I missed it.  It's at #39.  Far too low on the list.

I haven't looked at the list since I posted it. Yes. On so many lists it's in top 5 if not number 1

Quote from: TigerLily on October 13, 2016, 03:47:17 PM
That is bizarre no Citizen Kane.  I can understand the placement of Caligari because it is the iconic representation of German Expressionism. And a helluva movie with the nightmarish sets and Conrad Veidt. But personally, the Frankenstein movies are also great art and more fun

I made a mistake. Citizen Kane is on the list at # 39. It should be higher.  I corrected my post to reflect that.  I love Caligari for the German Expressionist sets but I found the movie itself a bit slow.  Frankly I was surprised by the Marx Brothers films that were on the list.  I think Duck Soup is their best film and it is not on the list.  I prefer the Zeppo Paramount films over the later MGM films.

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