Tcm

[Johann]

VIVA LAS VEGAS (1964)


Probably the most dynamic of all the Elvis Presley pictures, with the thinnest of plots.
The King plays "Lucky Jackson", a race car enthusiast who goes to Vegas for a race with a car with no engine.
He earns money waiting tables to buy an engine.
Enter Ann-Margret, sex kitten. She matches Elvis in sex appeal and it was cool to see them together.
They sing, dance, water-ski, fly a helicopter and have a wild romance. (In real-life too!)
Ultimately Lucky gets his number 7 sweet race car into the race, and Wins all, including the girl.
George Sidney directs.
Somewhat cheesy and cornball, overall this flick is highly entertaining. The songs are catchy, the film is light and fun.

[Johann]

CAT PEOPLE (1942)



REVELATIONS 13:2

The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear, and a mouth like that of a lion.



The biblical quote above is referenced in this movie, used to describe an "evil" creature: the black panther.
This is a unique, intriguing and great film, one I'd never seen before.
Simone Simon plays Irina, a woman vexed by her personal demons and "cats".
She's married, but her husband isn't so sure about love. His co-worker in chartography loves him, and wants him to leave Irina for her.
There are caged panthers and leopards in the Central Park zoo, nearby their home, and Irina goes there often.
She's haunted by cats and cat imagery/howls, and she eventually has to see a psychiatrist for it.
She's deemed close to insane, and strange stuff happens in her wake- a creepy scene in a swimming pool is one.
By the end I wasn't truly sure she was dead- the way they treated her was not unlike the persecution of King Kong!
Wild movie by Jacques Tourneur.

[Johann]

HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962)



Filmed in Cinerama in 5 segments by three directors, this is a pretty good movie.
While not in the top eschelon of westerns, there's enough here to love if you love the genre.
Henry Hathaway directs the first part, John Ford directs the second, and George Marshall directs the third.
Many stars were offered roles in it, and these accepted: Karl Malden, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Lee J. Cobb,
Carrol Baker, Debbie Reynolds, Eli Wallach, George Peppard, Walter Brennan and Harry Morgan.

The film takes us on an old west history lesson, of which I have no frame of reference to validate.
All I know from this film is settlers battled Indians, buffalo, wild white rapids, the civil war,
"likker" merchants, train robbers and Desperadoes...
The cinematography is spectacular, capturing nature in all it's glory.
This was a 3-camera panorama film, and it screams to be seen on the big screen.
I really enjoyed this movie, corny songs and all.
162 minutes with overture, intermission and exit music and narrated by Spencer Tracy.
Recommended.

[Chris Knipp]

Does this mean you are not generally a "Western" person?
I'm not, for sure. One of the popular genres I never took to, including musicals.

[Johann]

No, I'm not really a western fan.
There were 4 John Ford (lesser) westerns on TCM yesterday, and I couldn't summon the strength to see them.
I watched Cheyenne Autumn, and while it looked good I was very bored.

[Chris Knipp]

John Ford of course is one we "should" revere and know. (I don't.) I sympathize. How about Clint's classic Western stuff? I'm weak in that area too, though I've seen all his recent films, some at the NYFF screenings.

[Johann]

How about Clint's classic Western stuff?

The Good, The Bad & the Ugly is probably the best western of all-time.
Clint's westerns are probably the set bar. (Next to John Ford)

[Chris Knipp]

What about Clint's right-wing politics in his Westerns? Does the sprit of Dirty Harry invade them too?

Apparently Spaghetti Westerns, as this article "Spaghetti Westerns and Politics" shows, are highly political in references to the De Gaspari government pushing out the left, about capitalists exploiting the poor, and about Italy's sense of humiliation after the end of WWII, and in the Spaghetti Westerns the Civil War stands in for WWII. There is more on this "Spaghetti Western Data Base" about politics in Sergio Leone's, in which Clint played key roles, but I can't find anything about the politics in Clint's own Westerns.

At least Clint has withdrawn support from Trump.

[Johann]

Has he withdrawn support?

I wasn't aware of a political subtext in Leone, but it doesn't surprise me.
Clint's "hard-right" politics are disappointing.
It taints his movie work, which is quite outstanding.

[Chris Knipp]

Clint distanced himself from Trump. Said 'Just get Mike Bloomberg in there." That didn't happen, of course.

Can you give me some specific instances where Eastwood's politics have tainted his later work?

[Johann]

Only one: the entire film of American Sniper.
Chris Kyle's story was a fraud, and Clint maintained it-even omitted Bush's ordering him to shoot looters after Hurricane Katrina.

[Chris Knipp]

I thought of American Sniper too.
Richard Jewell is a story designed to say you can't trust the FBI or the press, a libertarian view. But it is an interesting movie. Unexpected trajectory, great actor.

[Johann]

FURY (1936)



Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film.
Spencer Tracy is Joseph "Joe" Wilson, a man in love with Katherine Grant (Sylvia Sidney).
They don't have enough money to get married, so they work apart from each other in different cities to build their capital.
Joe has the misfortune of being picked up on suspicion of a kidnapping & murder rap.
Gossip of his guilt hits town, and he's burned alive in the jail by the lynch-minded townsfolk.
But he escaped at the last minute, and the "fury" is now all his...

You feel the injustice here, feel for Joe, and his dead dog Rainbow.
Joe plots revenge, and he's bitter.
His whole good life was knocked off track, by a murderous lynch mob.
Joe monitors his murder trial by radio, which has State exhibit "A" being a newsreel film that identifies perps.
Joe to Katherine: "I'm hangin' 22 rats for what they DID do!! They'll see what it's like being lynched!!"
Did he lose his morality for seeking revenge?

Excellent first American film from Fritz Lang.

[Johann]

YOU AND ME (1938)

This was a first time ever screening for TCM, and myself as well.


Fritz Lang directs this "Christmas noir"- a story of how crime doesn't pay.
Sylvia Sidney is Helen, a parolee working at Morris department store as a clerk. There she meets another ex-con clerk Joe (George Raft), whom she marries.
The owner of the store makes a practice out of hiring ex-cons, and they are not to date each other or marry.
Helen kept the truth about her past from Joe, and when he finds out, he becomes disillusioned.
He's so disillusioned he plots to rob the store.
Great little "morality" movie that I'd never seen before.
The ending has a double surprise twist. (Triple if you include the "Hour for Ecstasy"...)

[Johann]

The Rounders (1914)



Primitive Charlie Chaplin film co-starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle.
A "Keystone" silent running only 10 minutes, it has what you'd expect from Chaplin:
pratfalls, pranks and a running gag of him & Fatty "rounding" corners to avoid their wives and others.
Ends with the two of them in a sinking rowboat, "Asleep in the Deep".



The Knock-Out (1914)


Another Keystone silent film directed by & starring Arbuckle as "Pug", it's more sight gags and pratfalls.
The theme this time is "knockout"- rocks to the head and a boxing contest, in which a young guy boxes Fatty
to impress his girlfriend. Chaplin "referees" the bout, which is a farce. Fatty loses it in the ring, pulling a gun and firing.
Enter the keystone cops and the chase is on! Mayhem ensues.
Interesting early silent.