What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Fading Fast]

They Live By Night from 1948 with Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell

Before director Nicholas Ray made the classic Rebel Without a Cause, you can see him playing with some of the same themes from that movie - teenage defiance, societal hypocrisy, institutionalized injustice and young love - in his directorial debut effort, the B-movie noir, They Live By Night.

A young man, Farley Granger, in prison since he was sixteen, breaks out in his early twenties. After getting injured during a subsequent bank robbery he and his partners pull, they hide out in "the mountains" where he meets a poor, cute, seemingly modestly abused (hard to tell) young girl, Cathy O'Donnell. As she nurses him back to health, they fall in love.

Trying to escape everything - their pasts, his record, the police, the adults in their lives, their unhappiness - they take his share of the money from the bank heist and run away. From here, the movie is one of two young adults, with insuperable pasts, trying to make a normal life for themselves. After a sad justice-of-the-peace marriage, they hold up for a time in a one-room cabin where, attempting to create something of a home, they decorate it and try to live like regular people.

But it's not to be as he's a fugitive, so his past - old partners in crime, the police and people looking to turn him in (he's modestly infamous in the papers) - comes calling in one way or another. Hence, his life, and hers by proxy, is one of always being "on the run," never really comfortable in public or, even, private as every knock on the door has a baleful overtone. Since it's a noir in '48, you can all but guess the outcome, but this is a journey movie anyway - a journey to escape a bleak past and present.

And that bleakness implies that neither of these two had a chance in life as he was put into an adult prison at only sixteen and she seems trapped in poverty with no one really caring or looking out for her. Their escape road trip is all but destined to fail, but these two needed some joy, love and hope in their life no matter how fleeting. And as in Rebel Without a Cause, the morality is grey and unsatisfying: are all the adults bad, no, but many are; are the kids always right, no, but you understand their anger; is their love doomed, sure, but you know they have to go for it anyway; is society unjust, yes, but anarchy is not the answer.

Director Ray will revisit these themes, as noted, in Rebel Without a Cause, but you can see him wrestling with them early in this solid, if sometimes plodding, B-noir.

If you do see it, a few other neat things to look out for are one, proof, once again, that there is no honor amongst thieves, two, Ian Wolfe's wonderfully smarmy performance as a huckster justice of the peace and, three, some incredible time-travel shots - cars, clothes, architecture and motor lodges - of 1948 America.

 

[AmateisGal]

Enola Holmes on Netflix.

A charming, witty and fun story about the young sister of Sherlock and Mycroft's younger sister starring the brilliant Millie Bobbie Brown (of Stranger Things fame).

I watched it with my daughter, and it was wonderfully entertaining. My mood was quite dismal that day, and this film cheered me right up!

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

We watched Enola Holmes as well and found it well done fun.
Monday night it was Larceny, Inc., aka A Night Before Christmas (1942) with Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, Jack Carson, and many more. Robinson parodies his gangster image for laughs. There's a crime (well, sort of) involving a bank, a luggage store, a citizens' group, and Anthony Quinn as one really scary hard-boiled con on the lam. .
Keep the subtitles on to catch the mile a minute zingers.

 

[Worf]

Enola Holmes on Netflix.

A charming, witty and fun story about the young sister of Sherlock and Mycroft's younger sister starring the brilliant Millie Bobbie Brown (of Stranger Things fame).

I watched it with my daughter, and it was wonderfully entertaining. My mood was quite dismal that day, and this film cheered me right up!

Wow... show's how two people can see the same film and come away with two polar opposite takes. I found this film to have all the wit and substance of an "After School Special". I couldn't stand the titular heroines constant breaking of the 4th wall. It's plodding, preachy and clearly designed for pre-teen girls. I guess I was expecting something along the lines of a female Downeyesqe Holmes. Someone who can think, fight and deduce brilliantly. I was longing for a "fully formed" female protagonist who could turn all the Victorian conventions on their respective ears. Guess I didn't get it. I figured out who the baddies were and why they were doing what they were doing... way too early. I was coming here to warn everyone to STAY AWAY from this drivel. Shows what I know

Does for Sherlock Holmes what "Twilight" did to vampires... ye Gads!


Worf

 

[AmateisGal]

Wow... show's how two people can see the same film and come away with two polar opposite takes. I found this film to have all the wit and substance of an "After School Special". I couldn't stand the titular heroines constant breaking of the 4th wall. It's plodding, preachy and clearly designed for pre-teen girls. I guess I was expecting something along the lines of a female Downeyesqe Holmes. Someone who can think, fight and deduce brilliantly. I was longing for a "fully formed" female protagonist who could turn all the Victorian conventions on their respective ears. Guess I didn't get it. I figured out who the baddies were and why they were doing what they were doing... way too early. I was coming here to warn everyone to STAY AWAY from this drivel. Shows what I know

Does for Sherlock Holmes what "Twilight" did to vampires... ye Gads!


Worf

Well, to be fair, the movie is based on the book series for young adults called The Enola Holmes Mysteries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Enola_Holmes_Mysteries

 

[AmateisGal]

We watched Enola Holmes as well and found it well done fun.
Monday night it was Larceny, Inc., aka A Night Before Christmas (1942) with Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, Jack Carson, and many more. Robinson parodies his gangster image for laughs. There's a crime (well, sort of) involving a bank, a luggage store, a citizens' group, and Anthony Quinn as one really scary hard-boiled con on the lam. .
Keep the subtitles on to catch the mile a minute zingers.

Larceny, Inc. is great fun! Really like that movie.

 

[1967Cougar390]

I watched Bringing Up Baby yesterday. It’s a delightful romantic comedy from 1938 staring two silver screen icons, Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.

This 1938 classic is fast paced with plenty of laugh out loud moments. The chemistry between Hepburn and Grant is wonderful and entertaining, and these two Hollywood icons really make this classic worth seeing.

David (Cary Grant) is a paleontologist trying to make a good impression on society matron Mrs. Random (May Robson), in order to receive a donation of one million dollars for his museum. The day before his wedding, David meets Mrs. Random's niece, Susan (Katharine Hepburn), a beautiful adventuress who immediately falls for David. After their chance meeting, chaos, adventures, and funny misfortunes await the duo including a stolen car, a missing dinosaur bone, jail coupled with a pet leopard rounds out the mix.

I find this movie charming and delightful. I highly recommend it.

Steven

 

[belfastboy]

Watched the original "That Hamilton Woman" w/ Vivian Leigh and Sir Laurence. I enjoyed and thought the movie and the performance has stood up will to time. I haven't seen many Olivier movies and I never realized how good looking he was in his younger days. AND Ms Leigh has to be one of the most stunning beauties ever to grace a screen. Very dif movie from the more modern version with Jackson and Finch....not sure which one I prefer.

 

[MisterCairo]

Cairo family's Hallowe'en Cavalcade of Horror continues with last night's Betelgeuse. He's the ghost with the most you know!

 

[Fading Fast]

Watched the original "That Hamilton Woman" w/ Vivian Leigh and Sir Laurence. I enjoyed and thought the movie and the performance has stood up will to time. I haven't seen many Olivier movies and I never realized how good looking he was in his younger days. AND Ms Leigh has to be one of the most stunning beauties ever to grace a screen. Very dif movie from the more modern version with Jackson and Finch....not sure which one I prefer.

I saw it too long ago to remember anything other than that I liked it. But you've now motivated me to watch it again next time it's on. And, yes, Leigh is ridiculously beautiful.

One of my favorite movies of hers is "Waterloo Bridge." (comments here, second movie down #26524).

 

[Fading Fast]

The Senator was Indiscreet from 1947 with William Powell, Peter Lind Hayes, Ray Collins and Ella Raines

• William Powell plays a stupid but affably stubborn Senator who all but blackmails his own party into supporting his nomination for President owing to his diary which he implies has dirt on the party

• The diary then gets stolen and a Keystone Cops type search for it takes place involving Powell's press secretary, a newspaper reporter, the party heads, a few other almost random characters and Powell himself

• That's pretty much the movie which is supposed to be a witty commentary on politics and Washington, but other than getting in a few good lines, never rises to the challenge it sets for itself

• There's also some offensive-to-today's-standards stereotyping of Indians and an odd character - a hotel busboy who is clearly and openly a Russian spy, but that thread is never followed

• The one gem in the movie is Ella Raines as the newspaper reporter who is smart, funny and about the only character who gets the joke, which is that everyone else in the movie is an idiot. I've never understood why this talented and beautiful actress didn't have a better career

• I wanted to like this one, but found it only okay in spots and boring and silly overall

• There is a fun closing, surprise cameo, if you stick around for it

N.B. Ms. Raines should have had a bigger career as she had all the talent and looks necessary to be a star.

 

[AmateisGal]

Watched the original "That Hamilton Woman" w/ Vivian Leigh and Sir Laurence. I enjoyed and thought the movie and the performance has stood up will to time. I haven't seen many Olivier movies and I never realized how good looking he was in his younger days. AND Ms Leigh has to be one of the most stunning beauties ever to grace a screen. Very dif movie from the more modern version with Jackson and Finch....not sure which one I prefer.

I LOVE That Hamilton Woman. One of the first classic movies I ever saw. Olivier in The Divorce of Lady X with Merle Oberon is also incredibly handsome, as well! And Vivien Leigh...oh my. Simply gorgeous.

 

[AmateisGal]

Hocus Pocus! 'Tis the spooky season, after all!

 

[Bushman]

Currently binging the Halloween movies. On No. 6 right now. The Halloween 4-6 timeline is my favorite. The movies just were never the same without Donald Pleasance.

 

[Fading Fast]

Watched the original "That Hamilton Woman" w/ Vivian Leigh and Sir Laurence. I enjoyed and thought the movie and the performance has stood up will to time. I haven't seen many Olivier movies and I never realized how good looking he was in his younger days. AND Ms Leigh has to be one of the most stunning beauties ever to grace a screen. Very dif movie from the more modern version with Jackson and Finch....not sure which one I prefer.

I LOVE That Hamilton Woman. One of the first classic movies I ever saw. Olivier in The Divorce of Lady X with Merle Oberon is also incredibly handsome, as well! And Vivien Leigh...oh my. Simply gorgeous.

If you guys are Olivier fans, I can't emphasize enough how good "The Entertainer" is (comments here #27315). I was blown away by the movie and his performance as an older, failing music-hall performer (think Vaudeville in the UK). Along with Joan Plowright as his daughter, the acting is insanely good and the story is powerful - sad but moving. I love "Rebecca," and other OL films, but this might just be my favorite.

 

[belfastboy]

If you guys are Olivier fans, I can't emphasize enough how good "The Entertainer" is (comments here #27315). I was blown away by the movie and his performance as an older, failing music-hall performer (think Vaudeville in the UK). Along with Joan Plowright as his daughter, the acting is insanely good and the story is powerful - sad but moving. I love "Rebecca," and other OL films, but this might just be my favorite.

Yes, I watched it a few weeks ago. I love Brit movies, black and white from that era. This one is a great one.

 

[Fading Fast]

Yes, I watched it a few weeks ago. I love Brit movies, black and white from that era. This one is a great one.

Can't believe I forgot (my apologies), but you jarred my memory and I remember now that we talked about it when you saw it. So glad you enjoyed it.

 

[MisterCairo]

Hocus Pocus! 'Tis the spooky season, after all!

“They call me master!”

“I want my book. Je cherche mon livre...”

 

[Bushman]

Currently finishing up the classic Vincent Price horror, "The House on Haunted Hill." A bit slow to start, and these thrills are nothing like the chills of today, but there's something to be said for a good old fashioned haunted house movie.

Up next: Bela Lugosi's Dracula!

 

[MisterCairo]

With most of the family (youngest had a friend over so they cocooned themselves away) Dark Shadows, Tim Burton's take on the TV show. We really love it, our eldest's first viewing, and she is a huge TB fan.

ON MY OWN THE Rob Zombie bizzarro gore fest that is House of 1000 Corpses. There are no words, but I am a fan...