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Hamara Forums _ Games N' Puzzles _ Hollywood Movies Antakshari
Posted by: Dimple Jul 3 2007, 12:13 PM
PRETTY WOMAN
NEXT: "N"
Posted by: mujahid Jul 9 2007, 08:28 PM
NOTTING HILL - Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts
>>>L
Posted by: Dimple Jul 16 2007, 10:25 AM
LION KING
Posted by: simplefable Sep 5 2007, 10:11 PM
GONE WITH THE WIND
Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh ( 1939 )
Posted by: Dimple Sep 12 2007, 04:59 PM
DANCE WITH ME
Posted by: simplefable Sep 12 2007, 07:18 PM
EULOGY (2004 )
Posted by: Dimple Sep 28 2007, 10:41 AM
You've Got Mail
Posted by: hildebrand Apr 5 2009, 01:38 AM
Lady in the Water
Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 5 2009, 04:48 AM
Red River (1948)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040724/
Posted by: hildebrand Apr 5 2009, 07:08 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rear_Window
One of my most favourite Hitchcock movies with lovely suspense. The acting by James Stewart, Grace Kelly and other actors was excellent.
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Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 6 2009, 03:37 PM
White Men Can't Jump (1992)
Posted by: HumTum Apr 6 2009, 03:57 PM
Pearl Harbor
Posted by: hildebrand Apr 9 2009, 12:28 AM
Rope
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Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 10 2009, 08:12 AM
Eleni (1985) - a true story based on journalist Nicholas Gage's autobiography. One of the most heart-breaking tales ever told.
p.s. Hildebrand, I have almost all of Hitchcock's films (just a handful of silents and last few films missing coz they don't interest me). Rope was an experiment (10 minute long takes) and not very well received. Another film from his peak period that flopped was Under Capricorn.
Posted by: hildebrand Apr 10 2009, 07:12 PM
Indiana Jones and The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
P.S. Faraaj, I also love his movies though don't have as many as you. We share lots of interests. If and when we meet we have lots to copy from each other!
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Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 12 2009, 10:53 AM
Arre yahan Hitchcock fan club hai? I am joining in 
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
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Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 12 2009, 04:49 PM
Arre yahan Hitchcock fan club hai? I am joining in
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Madhavi
Its not Hitch specific - the rule is your title has to start with the last letter of the previous title. So, your title had to start with L. But now I'll reply to your title which ends with T:
Touch of Evil (1958) - directed by Orson Welles, this film-noir is famous for its opening shot, which many film critics argue is the single-greatest film shot commited to celluloid. I would have to agree. It is brilliant on many levels and has to be seen to be believed...
Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 12 2009, 07:04 PM
Missed the second part of the name... sorry. And ofc this is not Hitch specific... catch him making Indiana Jones... 
Orson Welles is one of my favorites too, have written a couple of reviews of his films here :
http://www.hamaraforums.com/index.php?showtopic=40396&st=15 (posts 22 and 23)
Would love to hear your comments on some of your favorite films.
(The) Lady from Shanghai (1947) Disregard the (The) 
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Posted by: hildebrand Apr 12 2009, 11:05 PM
I, Robot
Agree with Madhavi about discussing movies. I think there's a thread for that as well. Will contribute when a bit free.
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Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 13 2009, 03:25 AM
To Be or Not to Be (1942) by the great Ernst Lubitsch.
HB, will be waiting..
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Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 13 2009, 04:34 AM
http://www.hamaraforums.com/index.php?showtopic=40396&st=15 (posts 22 and 23)
Would love to hear your comments on some of your favorite films.
(The) Lady from Shanghai (1947) Disregard the (The)
Have browsed through the movies thread - didn't know it existed....some comments:
Western - you must see the original 3:10 to Yuma with Glenn Ford, also check out the James Stewart-Anthony Mann series of westerns, also 2-3 Budd Boetticher-Randolph Scott films. Speaking of Ford-Wayne, have you since The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Really very intelligent. Clint Eastwood made two brilliant westerns -- The Beguiled and Unforgiven. Unforgiven won a heap of oscars but The Beguiled was ignored because of the controversial and disturbing themes.
Noir - My favourite genre.....have seen (and have) all the films mentioned on the page + some really rare ones not available on DVD - all pristine prints in *.avi form. Been collecting for years. Also like neo-noir....have several books on noir and its evolution is really quite fascinating....you should see some of the silent german expressionist films like Cabinet Der Doctor Caligari, Metropolis, M etc. to begin appreciating the subleties of noir....also see a French film called Les Enfants Du Paradis (1946) - the greatest french film which had poetic realism (female fatale, doomed lover etc.) which really influenced noir....Les Enfants has playing in some theater or other in Paris since the day it was released!!!
My vote history is here:
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=17290428
My comment/musings history (just a few reviews over a brief period) is here:
http://www.imdb.com/user/ur8282981/comments
Need to find time to write more reviews...
Lady from Shanghai - that was the one with the famous mirrors scene.....the studio destroyed the film by jettisoning many of Welles' brilliant ideas....
Kind Regards
Faraaj
Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 13 2009, 05:50 AM
Faraaj,
Just checked those links. Some quick comments, will comment at length later after I get back in front of my pc and after I manage to read some of your reviews.
1215 movies rated... 
:thud:
17 pages of reviews... :double thud:
Read your review of Pickpocket. Watch Balthazar and Mouchette. Not cold. Do you have any Bresson in your collection?
Noir: Have seen Cabinet, Metropolis, M. Have not seen Le Enfants du Paradis. Will now.
Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 13 2009, 08:20 AM
Read some of your reviews. Found some very insightful, and will check out some movies that I have not seen among them.
You liked Punch-Drunk Love! Dunno why nobody gave it much bhaav.
Not gaga over Shanghai? I am even ready to like Welles' Irish accent!
No Truffaut?
Tim Burton?
More later
Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 13 2009, 09:08 AM
I had seen PTA's three earlier films - Magnolia, Boogie Nights and Sydney and thought he was ok. Punch-Drunk really made me sit up and take notice. I really think of the current crop of directors, he has the greatest chance of coming up with the next great classic - Dr Zhivago, Vertigo, Apocalypse Now standard. There is something classical about his camerawork, loving, long takes, with the camera constantly moving that is missing in the current crop, but was very much present in a Welles or Hitchcock. Another talent is Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election).
In my opinion, Truffaut and Godard are like Tarantino. They've paid homage to other movies all their lives instead of going out and doing their own thing. That's probably why Tarantino admires them so much. They're all the greatest movie buffs and have produced some films of interest, but nothing original.
I highly recommend Les Enfants - possibly the greatest film ever made.....its also good to read lots of reviews on it. They'll give you a historic perspective and make the viewing that much deeper....my reviews are really jottings or notes for my reference with an emphasis on observations not made by other reviewers...speaking of greatest film, have you seen Dersu Uzala?
Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 13 2009, 11:54 PM
In my opinion, Truffaut and Godard are like Tarantino. They've paid homage to other movies all their lives instead of going out and doing their own thing. That's probably why Tarantino admires them so much. They're all the greatest movie buffs and have produced some films of interest, but nothing original.
My comments in the Hollywood section.
I have not seen Dersu Uzala, it is in the long list of movies I need to watch.
Have seen Liberty Val, and liked it very much. Have seen a couple of Mann/Jimmy S movies. Did not think much about them. Liked The Man who shot LV.
Posted by: hildebrand Apr 14 2009, 01:04 AM
nice discussion by the two of you. Coming back to the antakshari.
Erin Brokovich
liked it for the strength of the character and appreciate it more for knowing its about a real person.
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Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 14 2009, 03:57 PM
He Walked by Night (1948)
Brilliant poverty-row noir that was virtually a police procedural. Not a trace of melodrama. It inspired the landmark TV series Dragnet. Virtually all crime investigations today can trace their inspiration back to He Walked by Night.
Posted by: hildebrand Apr 14 2009, 05:50 PM
The Man Who Knew Too much
Loved the story, script, acting and the lovely Doris Day song Que Sera Sera. I in general like Stewart's acting a lot.
I'm talking about the 1956 movie of course which was a remake of hitchcock's 1934 movie of the same name.
See its review on wikipedia.
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Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 15 2009, 05:36 PM
Good film HB. The only film Hitch remade. He was criticised at the time but felt very strongly that the original lacked something. I think he was right. Stewart-Day as a folksy, friendly American couple were great. By the way, the remake was 22 years later so this would be a 1956 release.
After Ingrid Bergman and then Grace Kelly as his icy blondes, Hitch was left without a muse and cast several actresses in a sucession of films - Day, Eva Marie Saint, Janet Leigh and Kim Novak before settling on Tippi Hedren (for whom he developed an unhealthy obsession).
He met Doris Day at a party and she told him how much she admired and he responded by suggesting they work together. Obviously she was ecstatic when an actual offer came. She was good at portraying virginal characters. Groucho Marx famously said about Hollywood "I've been here so long, I can remember Doris Day before she was a virgin"...
His Girl Friday (1940)
Superb screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks and starring the unflappable Cary Grant and Rosalind Russel (first choice Ginger Rogers foolishly refused the role). This film has been made and re-made several times and is based on the hit Broadway play The Front Page. If I recall correctly, there was also an indian version. Howard Hawks increased the speed of the reel and thats why the dialogue comes out bullet-fast and it really works....
Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 19 2009, 10:29 AM
Yankee Doodle Dandy 1942
Cagney was known for his "gangster" image, he did a volte face here with Yankee Doodle Dandy and danced his way with aplomb to an Oscar.
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Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 19 2009, 04:06 PM
Yankee Doodle Dandy 1942
Cagney was known for his "gangster" image, he did a volte face here with Yankee Doodle Dandy and danced his way with aplomb to an Oscar.
Great film Madhavi!
Cagney always identified himself as a musical star but Warners typecast him after the success of the gangster film Public Enemy (1931). He got to break out in this role and yes, he danced his way with aplomb! This is a biopic of George M. Cohan, a legendary performer and the only person whose statue is displayed on Broadway in New York. Cohan saw Yankee Doodle Dandy while he was literally on his deathbed - it was screened privately for him a few weeks before he died.
I'm uploading two of Cohan's biggest hits from the 1910s (songs which are quite rare now). I quite like them. Both songs are mp3/128 kbps....
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Yojimbo (1961)
Yojimbo, based on noir writer Dashiel Hammett's Red Harvest is a magnificently entertaining film. Toshiro Mifune stars as the nobody who calls himself Sanjuro (thirty but closer to forty). He enters a town destroyed by warring factions and plays a double-game to pit one faction against the other thus destroying the criminal element.
Yojimbo (aka The Bodyguard) is one of the coolest and most stylish films ever made. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Kurosawa's favorite actor, as the scruffy looking Samurai, Yojimbo has all of Kurosawa's qualities and none of the flaws. The music score is an essential element of the plot and strikingly good, but admittedly bettered by the Ennio Morricone version in the Spaghetti Western remake Fistful of Dollars. The visuals are great, from the samurai swordplay, to the desolate streets, the town crier announcing its 3 a.m. to the brutal torture scene.
One of the unique things about Yojimbo is the central character. He is an anti-hero. We see him initially as a killer and a man greedy for money. But then, he saves a family by re-uniting mother and child and giving them all the money he was advanced. Mifune has never been cooler than in this film and Eastwood could only aspire to equal such a performance.
Of the two remakes, I liked Fistful of Dollars for starting the Spaghetti Western genre, although Yojimbo is a far more superior and stylish film. The gangster version, Last Man Standing, was not very good and Bruce Willis made for a poor substitute to Yojimbo.
Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 19 2009, 11:53 PM
Wonderful movie, the Kurosawa/Mifune combo at their best! Thanks Faraaj for the interesting and informative write-up and the songs.
Oliver! 1968
The cover says it all (Disregard those highbrows who look down on the Oscars )
Have not seen it yet...but one of Carol Reed's films, The Third Man is amongst my favorite films.
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Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 20 2009, 03:55 PM
Oliver! 1968
Have not seen it yet...but one of Carol Reed's films, The Third Man is amongst my favorite films.
Madhavi
If you liked The Third Man for the superb photography and atmosphere, you have to see Oliver! Its the best Dickens adaptation (yes, it beats David Lean!), the recreation of 19th century London is amazing. No amount of CGI can match that. And the choreography on two of the lovely songs - Consider Yourself and Who Will Buy is among the best in any film english or indian.....
Raging Bull (1980)
A biopic, this is one of the most "mentally" violent films ever made - the central character of Jake LaMotta is truly repulsive and has been called a "cockroach". DeNiro played LaMotta with passion and won a well-deserved Oscar. For the role, he actually trained to be a boxer, entered into and won two boxing matches. He also gained (and later lost) 60 pounds for the role eating huge amounts of pasta for four months straight. That's dedication. The grainy black & white photography is superb and all the blood you see is actually Hershey's chocolate. Scorcese being passed over for even a nomination was a great injustice which led to the famous quip that "Raging Bull was the first film to direct itself"....
Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 22 2009, 11:34 AM
Oliver! 1968
Have not seen it yet...but one of Carol Reed's films, The Third Man is amongst my favorite films.
Madhavi
If you liked The Third Man for the superb photography and atmosphere, you have to see Oliver! Its the best Dickens adaptation (yes, it beats David Lean!), the recreation of 19th century London is amazing. No amount of CGI can match that. And the choreography on two of the lovely songs - Consider Yourself and Who Will Buy is among the best in any film english or indian.....
Another film in my long list of must see films now
Yes, am planning to watch it during summer, now that you have recommended it so highly... Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 22 2009, 11:40 AM
Lantana 1982
A very interesting movie, a thriller and yet not really a thriller.
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Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 22 2009, 05:19 PM
Lantana 1982
A very interesting movie, a thriller and yet not really a thriller.
Madhavi
I haven't yet seen Lantana although it is considered one of the best Aussie films ever. Other acclaimed Aussie films I have seen and liked include Picnic at Hanging Rock (brilliant), Walkabout (quite good photography) and Ghosts of the Civil Dead (very disturbing and realistic). From my side... (it'll be interesting to see your response!)
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
If you've ever wondered what a cult classic is and what the fuss is all about, watch this low-budget gem. John Carpenter, who went on to classics like Halloween and The Thing (horror) and Escape from New York (thriller), is a genuine auteur and Assault absolutely proves it....very atmospheric, brilliantly directed in a guerilla film-making style, it has to be seen despite the no-name cast.
Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 23 2009, 11:09 PM
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
If you've ever wondered what a cult classic is and what the fuss is all about, watch this low-budget gem.
Faraaj,
Much, much obliged for the recommendation. Just saw it. A B movie, yes inded it it epitomizes what the fuss is all about. On a budget, focussed on the specific needs of an audience, it delivers, and how! Tight, it builds up to the action with that fantastic background music, and the shocking ice-cream van scene, and then when the action comes, it is relentless and terrifying. Excellent movie. The action takes place in a police precint in inner city L.A. that is in the process of being shifted to another place. It is the last evening before it will be closed, a violent gang decides to focus its anger on it and wipe out everybody who happens to be inside it. The dialogues are a tad cheesy, the relationships are believable, and the homage to Hawkes is obvious.
Have not seen Night of the Living Dead and now I need to see Halloween again. Have not seen too many horror flicks. I prefer the sylized earlier silent horror films and the Tim Burton style which keep the horror and terror at a bit of a distance.
Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 23 2009, 11:21 PM
3rd Man (1949) (Disregard the "The" again )
What a film! If you want atmosphere and style and the romance of films, this is it. It has Joseph Cotton playing the naive American writer of bad westerns, who has come to Vienna to meet up with his friend, Harry Lime. He comes to his funeral. And then meets up and falls in love with his friend's girlfriend and then meets up with his friend. Shot on location, Reed fought with Selznick over all the details of the film and got his way. So you get Post WW2 Vienna, bombed and savaged, with its slick long streets and crumbling buildings and cemeteries and sewers. A dark city peopled with morally ambiguous characters who know about treachery and betrayal and disillusionment. You get tilted camera angles and breathtaking black and white photography, and that insistent zither (annoying at times but integral to the film). And you get Orson Welles as Harry Lime. ... What more do you want? 
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Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 24 2009, 05:14 PM
3rd Man (1949)
The 3rd Man contains one of the greatest dialogues in film history, delivered by the evil Harry Lime
"...in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock!"
Carol Reed hadn't scripted what Lime was going to say in the scene. Welles came up with this twisted gem!
Madhavi
You absolutely have to see a neo-noir gem called The Long Good-bye (1975) directed by the enfant terrible of the 70s, Robert Altman. Based on the Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep) novel with the same central character of Phillip Marlowe, its a brilliant film and also intelligently plays homage to various classic noir's - including The 3rd Man. Its one of the great films.....
Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 24 2009, 08:10 PM
What do you think Ofc I have seen it and I loved it... In fact Altman is one of my favorite directors. Have seen most of his movies. Check out an obscure film of Altman, one of the first I saw of his, that set me off on checking out all his movies, strange and yet compelling.
Come back to 5 and dime Jimmy Dean Jimmy Dean
His weakest is the Greer one, cannot remember the name. Dr. something and women.
Now did you have to go and deliver the punch line of the movie!
Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 25 2009, 07:59 AM
No Country for Old Men (2008)
Roger Ebert has called the Coen Brothers an American institution. I agree! I also think that the finest fiction writer of the past three decades is Cormac McCarthy. The Coens and McCarthy joined hands on what is certainly the Coens best film and for me one of the top five of the 21st century. This is a film that works on so many different levels - as a thriller/chase film, a visual and technical masterpiece, and ultimately as a study of the nature of evil. Before seeing NCFOM, I never believed the Coens could top Fargo and The Big Lebowski. I stand corrected, but I really can't see them topping this one....
Film adaptations of two other Cormac McCarthy novels are up for release in the coming months or year - The Road (their Pulitzer prize winner) and Blood Meridian (a masterly but very violent critique of American/Indian relations)....
Posted by: hildebrand Apr 25 2009, 03:49 PM
North By Northwest
Its one of my favourite Hitchcock movies. Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint did a wonderful job.
The crop duster scene and the climax at Mt. Rushmore had me riveted to my seat!
A very beautifully shot movie with wonderful music. In some ways the movie was quite Bond-like!
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Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 26 2009, 03:57 PM
North By Northwest
In some ways the movie was quite Bond-like!
Hildebrand
Cary Grant was the first choice for Bond but was asking for too much money. Between his financial demands and the fact that he was ageing, the producers decide to go for an unknown scot named Sean Connery....the rest is history!
Hitchcock operated in an era of strong censorship board authority. They were especially observant of his films because of the themes and their high profile. He always managed to find a way around it and risque references abound in all his films.
In N by NW witness the last scene. Cary Grant and Eva kiss. The code didn't allow Hitchcock to show anything more. But he suggested a lot more by cutting to the train entering a tunnel.....there's loads of double entendres in all his films.....I personally enjoy the way he tormented the censor board bureaucrats.....
Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 26 2009, 04:04 PM
Them! (1954)
Possibly the greatest B movie of all time - others from the 40s-50s include Cat People and Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Them! is one of my favourite films. A sci-fi, nuclear, horror film - Them! really captures an era and the paranoia generated by nuclear testing. The low-budget gives it a marvellous visual authenticity not found in more expensive studio films of the time. This is one of my favourite films of all time....
Posted by: hildebrand Apr 27 2009, 04:53 PM
North By Northwest
In some ways the movie was quite Bond-like!
Hildebrand
Cary Grant was the first choice for Bond but was asking for too much money. Between his financial demands and the fact that he was ageing, the producers decide to go for an unknown scot named Sean Connery....the rest is history!
Hitchcock operated in an era of strong censorship board authority. They were especially observant of his films because of the themes and their high profile. He always managed to find a way around it and risque references abound in all his films.
In N by NW witness the last scene. Cary Grant and Eva kiss. The code didn't allow Hitchcock to show anything more. But he suggested a lot more by cutting to the train entering a tunnel.....there's loads of double entendres in all his films.....I personally enjoy the way he tormented the censor board bureaucrats.....
Yes he sure tormented them like Raj Kapoor did here!
Any pakistani filmmaker with the same distinction?
Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 30 2009, 10:58 AM
Them! (1954)
Possibly the greatest B movie of all time - others from the 40s-50s include Cat People and Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Them! is one of my favourite films. A sci-fi, nuclear, horror film - Them! really captures an era and the paranoia generated by nuclear testing. The low-budget gives it a marvellous visual authenticity not found in more expensive studio films of the time. This is one of my favourite films of all time....
Have not seen it! Have seen both Cat People and Invasion.
Posted by: mmuk2004 Apr 30 2009, 10:59 AM
And talking about Hitchcock and sex...
Marnie (1964)
It was a big flop when it was released; it is now regarded as a typical, if not great Hitchcock film. Tippie Henderson is the heroine, a compulsive liar and thief who has some strange fears. Sean Connery blackmails her into marrying him and tries to find out what is behind those fears. Gossip: Hitchcock is supposed to have been so obsessed with Tippi Henderson that he used to monitor every action of hers and finally by the end of the movie, they were not on talking terms. The film itself explores the taboo subject of sexual tension/repression obliquely (ofc) and it is this underlying, freudian psychoanalytical angle that gives the film its edginess. And it is the last score that Bernard Herrmann did for Hitchcock.
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Posted by: Faraaj73 Apr 30 2009, 04:35 PM
Gossip: Hitchcock is supposed to have been so obsessed with Tippi Henderson that he used to monitor every action of hers and finally by the end of the movie, they were not on talking terms.
He had her under exclusive contract and in fact deliberately destroyed her career after Marnie by refusing to lend her out to anyone. She was particularly upset about Godard being interested in casting her and Hitchcock not permitting her release.....
Les Enfants du Paradis (1945)
Review I wrote the first time I saw this film....
As a film buff for well over 20 years I've seen pretty much all of the acclaimed classics of cinema. So, the odds of adding another classic to my top 10 or 20 or 50 all-time favorite list are slim. I had completed little more than an hour of Les Enfants last weekend when I knew that even if the rest of the film went downhill (which it didn't!!!) it would be in my ratings alongside other favorites like Lawrence of Arabia, Double Indemnity, another great French film Le Salaire de la Peur, The Seventh Seal and a handful of other classics.
There is nothing I can criticize about the film. If the length of three hour sounds excessive, I would say that the three hour flew by. This is a marvelously entertaining film with varied art forms - the theatrical, the mime, poetry - seamlessly combined to make a complete story. It alternates from love story to tragedy to comedy and at each moment the mood it captures is never false. Only superlatives apply in describing the acting. I had heard the name Arletty before. Now I'll never forget it. And she was the third best actor in the film. For me the actors playing Baptiste and Lemaitre (both based on real historic characters of the 1840's) gave among the greatest performances in cinema history. I could appreciate the magic of Baptiste's mime and Lemaitre's theatrics even though I can't speak french and had to rely on subtitles (not for Baptiste though!).
There are many magical moments in the film. The first mime by Baptiste reenacting to the police and the crowd is great cinema. Lemaitre first seeing and flirting with Garance is another. Oh, there are too many. I've just mentioned two from the first 20 minutes of the film! The entire film is a joy from beginning to end...
Posted by: simplefable May 12 2009, 10:34 PM
Col. Frank Slade has a very special plan for the weekend. It involves travel, women, good food, fine wine, the tango, chauffeured limousines and a loaded forty-five. And he's bringing Charlie along for the ride...
Al pacino , finest of actors won an Oscar for this 1992 film. But somehow i feel that the picture never got the reviews / revenues it warranted.
If a film is about inspiration...or character or about how and what we come to pick on our journey of life..this takes the top prizes.
No computer graphics, nor big budgeted...this small film is about how a young boy, who stands by what he believes come to get impressed by a retired colonel...and along the way inspires the maestro to see life from a different angle. For me, it has been an experience to watch this film..If you havent watched it yet, just get it and kick your shoes off..to enjoy the beauty of life. The speech of Al pacino in the climax is something legends are made of...
Posted by: Faraaj73 May 14 2009, 02:34 PM
Al pacino , finest of actors won an Oscar for this 1992 film. But somehow i feel that the picture never got the reviews / revenues it warranted.
For me, it has been an experience to watch this film..If you havent watched it yet, just get it and kick your shoes off..to enjoy the beauty of life. The speech of Al pacino in the climax is something legends are made of...
This is indeed a brilliant film and Pacino won a much-deserved Oscar for his brilliant speech in the end. The film is looked down on by some critics because its a remake. However, the original - the Italian Profumo di Donna starring Vittorio Gassman in the Pacino role - was a pretty ordinary film. Scent of a Woman is definitely one of the best remakes ever....as is....
No Way Out (1987)
This is a thriller remake of the noir The Big Clock with Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman (what a great actor!) reprising the Ray Milland and Charles Laughton. Again, overlooked by critics because of the remake stigma....
Posted by: simplefable May 15 2009, 12:53 AM
I enjoyed No way out immensely..the editing is fantastic for that film which makes us sit on the edge of the seat, till the very end. Gene Hackman was menacing...and ruthless. truly great actor.
This funny funny film will tickle a rib or two....with a simple plot to go with, the entire film is a laugh riot. Two people who are deeply in love...a musician and an executive, buy a mansion which has come cheap. Then they start to spruce it up a little before getting married and moving in. A big surprise awaits them..as the house needs every kind of service from Plumber to Electrician to mason....to carpenter.
As they start pouring in funds from their personal accounts...they get to know the first hand experience of building a house...
Both lead actors Tom Hanks and Shelley long were very good..and fresh as daisies. a Treat worth watching....produced by Stephen Spielberg...
Posted by: hildebrand May 15 2009, 02:08 PM
The Bachelor Party(1957)
Starring Don Murray, E.G. Marshal, Jack Warden
Five bookkeeper colleagues go out for a night on the town as a bachelor party for Arnold. There is one remaining bachelor among the bunch, Eddie, who is Arnold's best man. The other three married men envy Eddie's carefree life, especially Charlie, who hates his life but can't figure out why. He works hard, goes to night school four days a week, and doesn't spend much time with his pregnant wife, Helen. Charlie doesn't want to admit to himself that he doesn't yet want to be a father. As the purpose of the night hits him, Arnold confides his insecurities to Charlie about love and marriage. A further revelation from Walter, the eldest of the group, makes the men think further about life in general. An encounter with a girl he picks up at a Greenwich Village party and what looks to be desperation on Eddie's part to have a good time makes Charlie realize by the end of the night what he really thinks of his life.
The movie had a Tom Hanks namesake in 1984 (minus the The) which was quite funny in places too.
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Posted by: hildebrand May 15 2009, 02:27 PM
Here's a pic of the Tom Hanks movie poster!
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Posted by: simplefable May 15 2009, 09:02 PM
I was not much impressed with this movie. It has two of my favorite stars, yet personally, i felt something missing. But, yes, a passable film. I thought there was so much potential for this theme..and lots of it left untapped.
PS...gonna look for Bachelor party.. 
Posted by: Aditya Pant May 15 2009, 09:19 PM
Loved this film
Posted by: Faraaj73 May 16 2009, 11:01 AM
Loved this film
Good choice Aditya. LA Confidential is not just one of the finest neo-noirs, its one of the finest films of the modern era....I read the book and this is a rare case of the film being better....
Ladri di biciclette (1948)
The greatest work of neo-realism, this is Vittorio de Sica's masterpiece.....the only film that made me cry - the end is truly heartbreaking.
Posted by: simplefable May 16 2009, 01:25 PM
Both are my favorite films..
The first one has the finest talents coming together to play out a drama that is spellbinding..and holds us till the very last scene.
The second one is my altime favorite...not for nothing is it considered to be in the best of ten films ever made...Difficult to explain that experience. Suffices to say that if you havent seen that film...make sure you see it, because it is about life...and the inexplicable injustices it deals out to the good nice people...
This is one more film..an unforgettable drama. It missed oscars because it was released in the odd season and swept under the rugs.. But then oscars is not the ultimate praise...for a film. It is the audience that counts..and this film has won hands down in that department..
Imagine being incarcerated in a jail for no fault and on false charges..for a banker who is a decent person althrough...even in the most trying circumstances..Then, trying to mingle in the criminals that live there...and then, the way a single indomitable human soul goes about conquering the odds ...with nothing but the will to live and be free.. !!! Enough said..just try this for the beauty of life...and the celebration it deserves !
Posted by: hildebrand May 16 2009, 03:41 PM
I was not much impressed with this movie. It has two of my favorite stars, yet personally, i felt something missing. But, yes, a passable film. I thought there was so much potential for this theme..and lots of it left untapped.
PS...gonna look for Bachelor party..
It was quite hyped then due to the pairing. I love its opening and closing songs.
Do you know it was a remake of the movie The Shop Around The Corner(1940) starring my fave James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. As a tribute to the original the shop owned by Meg Ryan's character was named as "The Shop Around The Corner"!
Posted by: Faraaj73 May 16 2009, 04:55 PM
It was quite hyped then due to the pairing. I love its opening and closing songs.
Do you know it was a remake of the movie The Shop Around The Corner(1940) starring my fave James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan.
The original hasn't aged well and I thought You've Got Mail was quite an intelligent update. Hanks' Godfather imitation was really very funny....
Night of the Living Dead (1968) - the 1990 remake was good too.
A low-budget horror classic from George Romero which played on the I Am Legend concept and introduced zombies. Dawn of the Dead was one of the very good sequels.
Posted by: simplefable May 16 2009, 06:37 PM
Do you know it was a remake of the movie The Shop Around The Corner(1940) starring my fave James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan.
Yes, i do know. infact, i got the film of Jimmy in my collection.
I love jimmy...his portrayals have such an earthy feeling...it doesnt look like acting at all.. Vertigo, Anatomy of a murder.....they are still spellbinders. 
I just loved the film so much, i hunted for the book ( talking about eighties...) and read it in a go. The film was made in strict faith to the book. The star cast , while no great shakes...is just perfect. A taut film to the end...as the jackal takes careful aim at the french president...Charles Degaulle..even as the detective rushes upstairs..! Recommended for sheer rush of adrenaline..
Posted by: mmuk2004 May 17 2009, 05:08 AM
So many goodies to comment on. Will do later... But I must ask all of you to give The Shop Around the Corner another chance:
The Shop Around the Corner(1940) was directed by Ernst Lubitsch, the master of the genre of sophisticated comedies. Shop is a little different, it is a gentler romance, and yet the Lubitsch touch is evident,in the subtle details in this controlled comedy of manners. It is not witty or sparkling, but completely understated and I personally found it tremendously rewarding watching it the second time around. Watch it not just for the romance of Klara and Kralik which is framed by Lubitsch's gentle irony, but for all the supporting characters and their interactions. Schildkraut as the unctious Vadas, who everybody avoids, Pirovitch who has a family to support and who tries to avoid giving his opinion, Pepi the delivery boy who introduces himself as "liason person" to the doctor, and the wonderful Frank Morgan(the wizard of the Wizard of Oz) as the likeable, irascible store owner Hugo Matuschek. And as the movie is about a store, watch the comedy arising out of the scenes where the three main characters give their sales pitch. And as for the romance, pay attention to not just the zingers between the main characters but the comedy arising out of the idea of a romance of thoughts between them. I loved the scene where Kralik(James Stewart) is tells Bressart(Pirovitch) about the romance and compares his situation to that of a person about to open a Christmas check (that's the American spelling ). And the details...notice the look on Perovitch's face as he imagines the situation...
Here is a sample of the conversation:
P: Tell me who is the girl
K: YOu know that girl I was corresponding with?
P: O yes about the cultural subjects...
K: Well after a while we got on the subject of love. Naturally on a very cultural level...
P: Well, what else can you do in a letter?
K: She is the most wonderful woman in the world.
P: Is she pretty?
K: She has such ideas, and such a view point on things that she is so far above all the girls you meet today that there is just no comparison.
P: So she is not so very pretty...
Here is the scene:
And then there is so much more. It is about loneliness and about job uncertainties and it is a "Christmas" movie (It predates It's a Wonderful Life by six years) and then it has a wonderful ending that knits the romance, the spirit and the comedy together.
By the way, the British comedy, You are Being Served was inspired by this movie.
Posted by: mmuk2004 May 17 2009, 05:13 AM
Love in the Afternoon 1957
Billy Wilder, was a great admirer of Ernst Lubitsch. Love in the Afternoon starring a young Audrey Hepburn and an ageing Gary Cooper is the closest he came to Lubitsch's romantic comedies. He cast Maurice Chevalier(who acted in a number of Lubitsch films) as Audrey's detective father. Cooper playes the philanderer that he had played successfully in Lubitsch's films twenty-five years ago. The story is about a young girl who steals her detective father's dossier and flees to warn a rich philanderer, who she falls in love with. She pretends to be a woman of the world and Cooper in turn hires Chevalier to find out about her.
Everyone blamed Cooper for the film's failure. Gossip: Cooper got a complete facelift done in 1958, but it was not very successful.
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Posted by: simplefable May 17 2009, 09:33 AM
Wow...now, i got one more film to find !
saw a bit of this film on TCM, if i recall correctly. BTW..i do love shop around the corner..those films are so subtle..with lots to interpret between every dialogue. The characters were so real and so were the cicumstances.. 
Posted by: hildebrand May 17 2009, 03:40 PM
So many goodies to comment on. Will do later...
But I must ask all of you to give The Shop Around the Corner another chance:The Shop Around the Corner(1940) was directed by Ernst Lubitsch, the master of the genre of sophisticated comedies. Shop is a little different, it is a gentler romance, and yet the Lubitsch touch is evident,in the subtle details in this controlled comedy of manners. It is not witty or sparkling, but completely understated and I personally found it tremendously rewarding watching it the second time around. Watch it not just for the romance of Klara and Kralik which is framed by Lubitsch's gentle irony, but for all the supporting characters and their interactions. Schildkraut as the unctious Vadas, who everybody avoids, Pirovitch who has a family to support and who tries to avoid giving his opinion, Pepi the delivery boy who introduces himself as "liason person" to the doctor, and the wonderful Frank Morgan(the wizard of the Wizard of Oz) as the likeable, irascible store owner Hugo Matuschek. And as the movie is about a store, watch the comedy arising out of the scenes where the three main characters give their sales pitch. And as for the romance, pay attention to not just the zingers between the main characters but the comedy arising out of the idea of a romance of thoughts between them. I loved the scene where Kralik(James Stewart) is tells Bressart(Pirovitch) about the romance and compares his situation to that of a person about to open a Christmas check (that's the American spelling
). And the details...notice the look on Perovitch's face as he imagines the situation...Here is a sample of the conversation:
P: Tell me who is the girl
K: YOu know that girl I was corresponding with?
P: O yes about the cultural subjects...
K: Well after a while we got on the subject of love. Naturally on a very cultural level...
P: Well, what else can you do in a letter?
K: She is the most wonderful woman in the world.
P: Is she pretty?
K: She has such ideas, and such a view point on things that she is so far above all the girls you meet today that there is just no comparison.
P: So she is not so very pretty...
Here is the scene:
And then there is so much more. It is about loneliness and about job uncertainties and it is a "Christmas" movie (It predates It's a Wonderful Life by six years) and then it has a wonderful ending that knits the romance, the spirit and the comedy together.
By the way, the British comedy, You are Being Served was inspired by this movie.
Thanks Madhavi for describing it. I'll keep an eye out for it. I am told its better than its remakes. Your review confirms it!
Posted by: simplefable May 21 2009, 01:05 PM
I got this film on net..and was surprised to find it to be a pretty decent film. One of those films which are lost ..i suppose. The film is a World WAr II counter-espionage drama.. based on a real life incident. The British want to pass on a snippet of false information about the allied efforts ...through a bag chained to the wrist of a dead german person. Ofcourse the german is a fiction character created by the british !
The germans, suspicious of foul play...try to find holes in the history of a man who never existed...and the rest is as they...history. Dont miss it if you can get your hand on this fine film...
Posted by: Faraaj73 May 21 2009, 02:58 PM
I got this film on net..and was surprised to find it to be a pretty decent film. One of those films which are lost ..i suppose. The film is a World WAr II counter-espionage drama.. based on a real life incident. The British want to pass on a snippet of false information about the allied efforts ...through a bag chained to the wrist of a dead german person. Ofcourse the german is a fiction character created by the british !
The germans, suspicious of foul play...try to find holes in the history of a man who never existed...and the rest is as they...history. Dont miss it if you can get your hand on this fine film...
SF
There are lots of lost gems....I haven't heard of this one so thanks for introducing it - I'll put it on my radar...but, I think it will be difficult to find...which site on the net do you use? I am familiar with the cast because of my love of noir. Clifton Webb was in Laura and Gloria Grahame in the excellent In a Lonely Place....the director was a well-known British cinematographer who worked with Noel Coward.....
Straw Dogs (1971)
A Sam Peckinpah film. He made The Wild Bunch (1969) which is one of the greatest films ever made. Straw Dogs is his second best film and in many ways more violent than The Wild Bunch. This was banned in the UK at least upto the mid-90s because of the infamous rape scene.
Posted by: simplefable May 21 2009, 10:06 PM
Faraaj..the pleasure is mine.
Saw straw dogs..one fine film. a bit violent..but Hoffman was brilliant. I keep looking at odd films at random, without specifics...as O.Henry says..am the true adventurer who meets and greets an unknown fate.. 
i found " the man who never was on rapidshare..you can just google " the man who never was on rapidshare" and you will be there.. the link is still active as i checked out.. 
This is one more favorite films of mine..
Haley joel osment's mom drops him off at his uncles' place as she goes off on a job hunt. The boy has to cope up with two hard nosed men..with hearts of gold. but trust me, it takes real love to bring them out. A wonderful film which leaves lots of memories with you ...Michael caine and Robert duwall play the key roles...but in the end it was a film which goes beyond characters and roles and delves deep into our selves...to discover the beauty and poignancy of life !! Just dont miss it !!
Posted by: hildebrand Mar 28 2011, 10:58 PM
Strangers On A Train (1951)
A must watch for the lovers of Hitchcock Movies.
Posted by: Sharmila-Sweet May 11 2011, 02:35 PM
NOTTING HILL
one of my favorite romantic films
Posted by: hildebrand May 11 2011, 10:04 PM
Lonely Wives
Its a 1931 comedy Directed by Russell Mack and starring Edward Everett Horton (who plays a double role), Esther Ralston, and Laura La Plante.
It is based on a play of the same name.
Here is a link to download the movie for your enjoyment:-
http://www.archive.org/download/Lonely_Wives_1931/Lonely_Wives_1931_512kb.mp4
Posted by: Sharmila-Sweet May 16 2011, 01:34 PM
SERENDIPITY
Another favorite of mine (Hindi version Milenge Milenge was also good)
Posted by: Rushin May 25 2011, 07:18 AM
You Only Live Twice
Posted by: hildebrand May 29 2011, 10:46 PM
Escape By Night(1937)
Watch the movie here:-
http://www.archive.org/details/escape_by_night
Posted by: Sharmila-Sweet May 30 2011, 12:17 PM
Titanic
Posted by: hildebrand May 30 2011, 08:14 PM
Charade 
Posted by: mmuk2004 May 30 2011, 10:56 PM
Strangers On A Train (1951)
A must watch for the lovers of Hitchcock Movies.
Ofc...
Hitchcock took great pains about the food the characters ordered in the film. For him, it reflected their character and attitude to life.
Here is the famous murder scene from the movie reflected on the character's broken glasses...
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Posted by: hildebrand Jun 5 2011, 05:53 PM
Glad to see you back Madhavi. Hope to see more of you (and me!) here.
Hitchcock movies are always a delight.
next letter is E
Posted by: mmuk2004 Jun 5 2011, 09:46 PM
An Education (2009)
An Education: A coming of age story based on a true story. A bright young girl growing up in the suburbs of London in the 60s, seduced, by an older man…so easily , practically in front of her parents. Could have been depressing, it is in parts, but it has the vivacious Carey Mulligan in the central role and she has a certain intensity and enthusiasm that is infectious. Emma Thomson has a wonderful cameo as her anti-Semitic headmistress. Not a great movie, but a thought-provoking one.
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Posted by: mmuk2004 Jun 5 2011, 09:49 PM
Thanks Hildebrand for the welcome. I am generally around even if I am heavily erratic.
Next letter: N
Posted by: Rushin Jun 6 2011, 12:55 AM
Nine Months
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Posted by: Sharmila-Sweet Jun 13 2011, 02:34 PM
Silence of the Lambs
Posted by: Rushin Jun 19 2011, 07:32 AM
Silence of the Lambs
Spiderman
you pick the number
Posted by: Sharmila-Sweet Jun 21 2011, 11:33 AM
North by Northwest
Posted by: Rushin Jun 22 2011, 04:58 AM
North by Northwest
The Towering Inferno
Posted by: Sharmila-Sweet Jun 23 2011, 11:22 AM
Ongbak
Posted by: Rushin Jun 27 2011, 04:08 AM
Ongbak
Kung fu Panda
Posted by: Sharmila-Sweet Jun 28 2011, 11:32 AM
Armageddon
Posted by: Rushin Jul 1 2011, 10:34 PM
Armageddon
Never Say Never Again
Posted by: simplefable Jul 28 2011, 11:42 PM
NETWORK 1976
Posted by: Sharmila-Sweet Aug 5 2011, 12:08 PM
Kiss of Death (1995)
Posted by: Rushin Aug 7 2011, 04:20 PM
Helen of Troy
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Posted by: Sharmila-Sweet Aug 8 2011, 11:18 AM
YOURS, MINE AND OURS
Posted by: hildebrand Sep 17 2011, 12:02 AM
Shrek
Posted by: Sharmila-Sweet Sep 26 2011, 12:00 PM
Kill Bill
Posted by: hildebrand Oct 1 2011, 10:32 PM
Lost
Posted by: Sharmila-Sweet Oct 3 2011, 11:06 AM
Top Gun
Posted by: hildebrand Nov 23 2016, 09:44 PM
Ninotchka
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