Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

[Reza]

The Long Dark Hall (Reginal Beck & Anthony Bushell, 1951) 6/10

Gloomy courtroom melodrama which has a background more fascinating than the plot itself. The married leading stars - Rex Harrison & Lilli Palmer - were involved in a scandal some years before this film when Harrison's affair with starlet Carole Landis ended when he refused to divorce Palmer and Landis committed suicide. Palmer stood by Harrison after the scandal when his career in Hollywood all but ended. Here they play a married couple who's lives suddenly turn upside down when he is charged with murdering his chorus girl mistress. Throughout the trial and leading upto the twist ending the wife stands by him. Reel life sort of mirroring the actors' own lives. The film moves at a lifeless pace and inly livens up during the scenes with Anthony Dawson who is reptilian as the actual murderer.

[Reza]

Man With the Gun (Richard Wilson, 1955) 7/10

A notorious gunslinger (Robert Mitchum) rides into town to meet his estranged wife - now a saloon madam (Jan Sterling) - and ends up becoming the sheriff and rids the town of a gang of land grabbers. The plot has a vague resemblance to "The Gunfighter" with Mitchum here giving his usual laconic performance as a man who is tired of being constantly on the move and who just wishes to retire. Solid little western with exciting gunfight sequences, a good score by Alex North, moody photography by Lee Garmes and a remarkable supporting cast of familiar faces many of whom appear uncredited here - Henry Hull, Barbara Lawrence, Karen Sharpe, Leo Gordon, James Westerfield, Ted de Corsia, Claude Akins, Angie Dickinson and Maidie Norman.

[Reza]

Paris Blues (Martin Ritt, 1961) 7/10

Four attractive stars enveloped by a Duke Ellington score. Bohemian Paris with it's smoky, dingy jazz bars. A snappy jamming session with the great Louis Armstrong. All wrapped up in a soapy plot where art takes precedence over romantic committment resulting in a lot of anguish of the heart. Two ex-pat American jazz musicians in Paris - the brooder (Paul Newman) wants to write a great piece of music for a concert and the other one has a massive chip on his shoulder (Sidney Poitier) having escaped intense racism in America - meet and fall in love with two American tourists (Joanne Woodward and Diahann Carroll). Needless to say things don't run in a smooth fashion. The film is good if taken as a mood piece - the atmospheric shots around Paris avoiding the obvious vistas and instead concentrating on the rather seedy aspects of the romantic city - but as a story about romance, music as an art form and the subject of racism the film pretty much holds back and meanders along. The fantastic Duke Ellington score along with the amazing rendition of "Battle Royale" by Louis Armstrong makes it worth watching. Newman was a fine successor to Brando and Dean and delivers a charmingly intense performance. The image of Poitier, tightly coiled up in suppressed anger, spoke for millions of blacks and his presence in all these early films clearly show his larger than life star presence.

[Reza]

Louder Than Bombs (Joachim Trier, 2015) 8/10

Sensitive, anguish filled drama of a dysfunctional family still reeling after the death of the mother (Isabelle Huppert), a famous war photographer, in a horrific head on collision. There is an underlying mystery about the accident as there are hints of suicide. The doting but lonely husband (Gabriel Byrne) tries to reconnect with his two sons - the elder (Jesse Eisenberg) has just become a father himself, an event that has thrown him off kilter making him question life and the younger - an introverted, troubled teenager (Devin Druid) who misses his mother and who repeatedly rebuffs his father's attempts towards closeness. The film's offbeat structure goes back and forth in time and gradually reveals all the relationships from different perspectives. Huppert yet again plays a difficult character, a workaholic who stays away from her family for long periods of time as her work takes on dangerous assignments. The camera repeatedly captures a strong but worn-out woman in glaring closeup and Huppert is not scared to show her age. There is a Bergmanesque coldness to the film - the young director is a Norwegian - but is filmed with it's images sharply lit signifying hope. Superbly acted and edited film has many remarkable dream-like images which hypnotically infuse this repressed melodrama with an emotional resonance.

[Precious Doll]

The Deadliest Sin (1955) Ken Hughes 4/10
The Nice Guys (2016) Shane Black 4/10
Money Monster (2016) Jodie Foster 4/10

Repeat viewings

Fear Eats the Soul (1974) Rainer Werner Fassbinder 9/10
The Lobster (2015) Yorgos Lanthimos 9/10
Fox and His Friends (1975) Rainer Werner Fassbinder 8/10
Tale of Tales (2015) Matteo Garrone 9/10
Katzelmacher (1969) Rainer Werner Fassbinder 6/10
Effi Briest (1974) Rainer Werner Fassbinder 8/10
Pink Flamingos (1972) John Waters 8/10

[Precious Doll]

Pacific Liner (1939) Lew Landers 4/10
Regression (2015) Alejandro Amenabar 4/10
The Last of Robin Hood (2013) Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland 7/10
Chasing Asylum (2016) Eva Orner 4/10
Witching and Bitching (2013) Alex de la Iglesia 6/10

Repeat viewings

Scream and Scream Again (1970) Gordon Hessler 5/10
Suspicion (1941) Alfred Hitchcock 7/10
The Naked Prey (1965) Cornel Wilde 5/10
The Happy Ending (1969) Richard Brooks 8/10

[ksrymy]

Split Second (Dick Powell, 1953) 7/10

A group of escaped convicts, one seriously wounded, take hostages and hole up in a ghost town none of them know is set to be the site of nuclear bombing. I have no idea how, but this little RKO B-movie is a hell of a film. "Split Second" reeks of cheese and tropes, but it's roquefort as far as I'm concerned. We're given a constricted timeline with the setup from "The Petrified Forest" and the film finds its way along from there. Stephen McNally's bank robber and Jan Sterling's leary-eyed hostage are the standouts of an unpredictably solid cast. Director Dick Powell, in his chair and bullhorn debut, keeps the film crisp and brisk and never lets it veer off into boring territory. The proverbial pot is kept abrim with boiling tension.

And Irving Wallace's screenplay has a lot to do with this success. The character dialogue is right out of Agatha Christie which is to say it's riveting, claustrophobic, smart, and never trite.

Also, the special effects during the obviously predictable final sequence are really cool and transcend the stock news footage you've seen of events like it before.

"Split Second" is great. It's gritty, pulpy fun that takes itself as seriously as the Cold War itself. It's way too fun, and that poster is amazing too. I'll happily revisit this one soon.

The Actress (George Cukor, 1953) 7/10

The true story of a young Ruth Gordon and her struggle to make it into showbiz. Based on her award-winning play "Years Ago," Ruth Gordon's biopic is actually pretty solid as far as Golden Age biopics go. It avoids any hagiographical tendencies and manages to have all its sweet, saccharine scenes feel genuine and deserved. The cast is pretty solid with Teresa Wright already in a motherly role though clearly way too young to believably play it. Despite that, Wright has the warmth and serious tones to play it well. Jean Simmons is a little hammy as always, but this is much better than her previous efforts (save for the masterpiece that is "Angel Face").

The real star of the film is the character Gordon obviously loves most and that is her father played by Spencer Tracy. Tracy does here, I think, what everyone else loves him for in "Father of the Bride." He's gruff, warm, sweet, and safely distant. It's a really smart, well-executed performance. It's probably Tracy's best work since "Fury" back in 1936; not to say he's been bad for the last 20 years, he's just not been this good.

The script is nice and full and avoids feeling stagey. I'd be interested to see what Fredric March did with Tracy's role on the stage to win his first Tony Award. "The Actress" is really good. With a better leading lady, say Liz Taylor or another ingénue, this would probably be great.

The Man Between (Carol Reed, 1953) 8/10

A young British woman becomes caught up in smuggling information in a divided Berlin. While Carol Reed can't quite do for Berlin what he did for Vienna in "The Third Man," he makes "The Man Between" another great thriller. Reed was always very good at prioritizing plots and subplots, so the natural mesh here works. He doesn't linger too long on the love story which is a smart choice I'm surprised the studios didn't try to force more. The chemistry between Claire Bloom and James Mason is real and palpable. which also helps. And while Bloom and Mason, with an impeccable German accent, are fine, it's Hildegard Knef who runs away with the show. Knef plays Bloom's brother's new bride, and the mystery and layers of the film are tight and ripe with Knef's blend of robust sense of duty and her human vulnerability. She's smart, beautiful, and insanely talented. It's her performance that drives the film, I believe.

"The Man Between" serves as a bit of a precursor to John le Carré's "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold," and there's an ending here that will more than remind you of it. Reed's film is great. It has all the terror, violence, and fear you need for a Cold War picture, and who better than Reed to play it out in the rubble of Berlin? And the use of the kid on the bike is unbelievably good.

REWATCH: Madame de... (Max Ophüls, 1953) 10/10

A countess sells her earrings, a wedding gift, to pay off her massive debts; her husband learns of her deceit after she claims to have lost them and a tragic series of events spirals out of control after an Italian baron comes into the picture. Max Ophüls' masterpiece still conquers to this day. Ophüls' dancing camerawork is better than any other director's, those long shots are beautiful, and the montage is great. The dance montage, representing the affair between Madame de... and Baron Donati is drop-dead sexy. The sex(ual tension) is all there with suggestion merely flying off the balcony into the pool below with a massive splash. It might be the most passionate, sexy affair filmdom never actually sees.

The actors are all at the tops of their games. Charles Boyer is fantastic as Général de... in what may be his best performance. And while Boyer is great, his work pales in comparison to Vittorio De Sica's performance as the kind-hearted baron. De Sica, a master director, proves his versatility on both side of the camera. De Sica's excellent performance makes the affair between himself and Madam de... all the more tragic and beautiful. He has such kind features and the small scenes between the two are expertly highlighted by De Sica underplaying the part. And this is so La Darrieux can have all the focus. And what focus! Darrieux' performance is one of the greatest female turns in all of film history. She plays fierce, sad, radiant, and exasperated to perfection. Any scenes with Madame de... and her reflection, or any glass surface really, is expertly framed and designed by Ophüls with Darrieux adding every bit of emotion and grace to the screen. It's one of the most masterful performances we'll ever see.

"Madame de..." is a masterpiece. There's not debate. It's one of the most perfect movies ever made - Andrew Sarris thought so too. Its screenplay and performances are god-tier, as far as I'm concerned.

The Story of Three Loves (Gottfried Reinhardt & Vincente Minnelli, 1953) 4/10

A triptych of different loves has a ballerina on the edge, a young boy disenchanted with the French, and a trapeze artist try to find love. "The Story of Three Loves" is interesting in concept, but the film isn't executed too terribly well.

The first story is the film's best segment. This is bad because it leads you to think the rest of the film will be great. We get a steely James Mason doing a less neurotic version of what Anton Walbrook does in "The Red Shoes" opposite Moira Shearer who is also does a rehash of her work in the Powell & Pressburger film. Granted, she isn't as sweaty and paranoid here - she's more ill of heart, and we all know heart problems mean in literary and filmic context - but she's still solid as our diva on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Her dancing is incredible as you'd hope and expect but it doesn't add too much to the plot. It's just an excuse to Vincente Minnelli to get to direct a dancing sequence. And these scenes are too elegant to be by Gottfried Reinhardt like the credits before the story would try to tell you. Even with the added drama at the end, the story falls a bit flat.

The second story, about a young boy who hates learning French, is cool in concept too, but, again, not made well. Little Ricky Nelson is actually pretty alright, and his big scene opposite a witchy, delightful Ethel Barrymore is really good. It's probably the film's best moment. The segment starts to fall apart, though, when Nelson turns into Farley Granger and falls in love for a few hours with Leslie Caron, Nelson's French teacher. If you ignore the fact that the film can't decide between young Nelson's consciousness being a part of Granger's character or not makes this majorly awkward and cringe-inducing. Its teetering on this question of sexual maturity really makes this whole section fall apart. And the magical realism going throughout it should've made it all work. But it doesn't and we're left with a creepy mess.

And then we get Kirk Douglas and his chin helping Pier Angeli from the brink of suicide by forcing her to do trapeze stunts that could kill her. This section of the film might be the least believable. There's no way, spoiler, that Douglas' character would have stopped and not made Angeli go through with the stunt. He's fixated, almost demonically, on doing this trick to the point that the director leaves almost no doubt in our minds that he'll go through with it. So when this betrayal of character happens, the ending feels forced, hammy, and cheesy. It's a massive failure. And, as anyone who has ever written a five-paragraph paper for a high school English class knows, you never end the middle, weighty part of your paper with the weakest argument. It makes the film seem worse than it probably is.

"The Story of Three Loves" is a mess and suffers from excess. It's a gorgeous film, yes, with beautiful sets and costumes and shots, but it's substanceless and trite.

Donovan's Brain (Felix E. Feist, 1953) 5/10

A scientist revives a dead man's brain, suspended in liquid, but the brain soon becomes more and more powerful and, thus, harder to stop. "Donovan's Brain" never gets as campy as I would really have liked. It stays serious, and I guess it does so because sci-fi was becoming a real, real thing in cinema at this point. This situation was a total possibility in the eyes of its viewers back in '53. And, for that, it's more fun to watch in a modern context.

Nancy Davis and Lew Ayres are pretty bland and do their best '50s-sci-fi-B-movie acting - the kind you see in something like "Destroy All Humans!" or other '50s parodies. The film isn't actively terrible because of them, but it really feels like they didn't commit to the script because they knew it might have been a bit goofy. Oh well. Who cares? "Donovan's Brain" is still pretty fun. It isn't Ed Wood type entertainment, but it's on the level of other MST3K movies that make the era so unforgettable.

Kiss Me Kate (George Sidney, 1953) 6/10

A pair of divorced actors have to come together once more after Cole Porter turns "The Taming of the Shrew" into a musical. Broadway's most famous Shakespeare adaptation (arguably, of course) is pretty alright. I don't really care for Howard Keel's deep voice which I think almost never captures what is needed to on camera. Kathryn Grayson, whom I usually find very annoying, does pretty good work as our shrewish character (probably in part to the fact that I find her annoying usually). The sets and costumes and other aesthetics are nice, but there's one thing that this movie has that blew me away.

And that is Ann Miller. The more MGM musicals I see, the more and more I realize that she's one of the few really good things about any of them. Miller's leggy routines and unique sass make her the film's heart and soul and legs. Her numbers are astounding. I'm sad she never got to be strictly a leading lady because she's über-talented. And her number with Bob Fosse at the end is a revelation. They mirror each other perfectly and there's such precision!

While "Kiss Me Kate" isn't as tongue-in-cheek and fun as a regular "Taming of the Shrew," it still has its comic bite and wit about it. It's worth seeing for Miller alone and because it isn't half bad overall.

Roman Holiday (William Wyler, 1953) 7/10

After running away from her demanding schedule, a European princess ends up in the arms of an American reporter who, after helping her out, tries to get an exclusive with her. I didn't find "Roman Holiday" nearly as enchanting as everyone else. I think most of the fault is with Gregory Peck who is a little bland opposite a radiant Audrey Hepburn. And while Hepburn is certainly good here, I don't think it is nearly as good as her work to come. She's very charming and naïve as Princess Ann, but I feel the role is fairly lightweight. The complications of her character are just plot devices used to usher her into this relationship with Peck. They don't rear their ugly heads until something needs to be shaken up. It all feels a bit inorganic. And Eddie Albert is okay here, but I'm not sure what he did to really warrant an Oscar nod.

But with scenes like "The Mouth of Truth," it's hard to dislike this movies despite its faults. It's a really sweet movie with the nicest intentions and is deservedly remembered. I just think there's a little too much fluff. I'd like stakes to have been higher. But maybe I'll like it more on another viewing. Who knows? But, for now, it falls just short of greatness.

[ksrymy]

REWATCH: The Big Heat (Fritz Lang, 1953) 9/10

A tough cop and a gangster's moll take on a massively-corrupt crime syndicate. Fritz Lang's brutal noir puts anger into both male and female hands for two interesting looks at organized crime. Glenn Ford, whose merely alright performance is the film's only big weakness, takes time for his anger to slowly boil over time whereas Gloria Grahame, the films biggest strength, simply simmers until the pot quickly boils over (directly into her face).

And that coffee pot scene alone makes the film worth viewing. You can tell this as around the time filmmakers were sticking it to Hays because I can't imagine something this graphic (albeit, off-screen) happening in a film released even just a few years earlier. And maybe we were only lucky to get this scene because the perpetrator, played excellently by Lee Marvin, gets his comeuppance. And, speaking of Mavin, in the few films I've seen him in, he's always been solid. Just looking at him, I always expect him to play the same neanderthalian behemoth each time, but he's actually pretty good.

As for the rest of the film, it's mercilessly edited, tightly paced, and entirely gripping. "The Big Heat" is superb. It's one of Lang's very best - his best in nearly a decade. Grahame's superb performance here might be her career-best work; I think it's much better than her work with Nick Ray three years before. Everything comes together in this film with only Ford holding it slightly back at times.

Titanic (Jean Negulesco, 1953) 6/10

An unhappily married woman takes her two children and boards the ill-fated Titanic with her husband in tow trying to gain custody of the kids. We exchange facts and smarts for pure melodrama in Jean Negulesco's schmaltzy "Titanic." As usual, Barbara Stanwyck is pretty good though it's definitely a performance of her more forgettable than most of her other work. Clifton Webb shines much brighter as her desperate husband. His scenes, especially the later ones with his son, are strong. But apart from the two principal actors, the cast is mostly fairly weak with only Richard Basehart coming in every now and then to spice things up.

And even though the melodrama works a little bit, the film feels shaky without some insight into the inner workings of the ship. I'm not necessarily advocating Webb and Stanwyck gleefully running through boiler rooms, but we don't spend enough time with the crew. We're just happy, cruising along, then iceberg.

But everything post-berg is pretty good. The effects are noteworthy and look good for the time - and by today's standards even. "Titanic" is a nicely crafted half of a film. The melodrama fails to reach the grandeur of a film by Sirk, but that's a level of artistry that's nearly untouchable. Maybe the film would've worked better if it were Webb trying to get his wife back. The children are no more than pawns for the film to move. But, then again, we wouldn't get those last great scenes between Webb and his son. I think "Titanic" is good, and it further proves to me that Jean Negulesco is one of the very best of the studio hacks.

Crazylegs (Francis D. Lyon, 1953) 4/10

The story of Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch is presented to us in all its cheesy, '50s glory. "Crazylegs" isn't a very good film. It's a lot of ham piled with swiss. Having Hirsch play himself doesn't work too well because he's not a good actor. The stunt casting works for all the physical stuff though.

To be perfectly honest, I only watched this because it received an Oscar nod for its film editing. And, to be fair, it richly deserved that nod. The sports scenes are super solid. They're made tense and watchable. To be honest, ESPN could take a good look at this film and make some changes to their highlights and "30 for 30" series.

There isn't much more to say about "Crazylegs." I don't really regret watching it, but it's certainly not worth ever seeing again.

Thérèse Raquin (Marcel Carné, 1953) 7/10

Two lovers think they've gotten away with murder after the woman's meek husband "falls" from a speeding train, but the two are forced to contend with a blackmailer's demands and the suspicions of the man's mother. "Thérèse Raquin" is Marcel Carné's best film in years. It echos "La Bête Humaine" but with a more threatening sexuality under the covers. Simone Signoret's performance is as great as you'd expect. She underplays her natural sexuality for subtle naïveté turned torrid. Raf Vallone, who plays Signoret's lover, is certainly handsome enough, but he lacks the acting chops for the part that would really make this an affair to remember. There are no fangs to this relationship. It doesn't work with the pessimism the film needs and Carné knows how to create so perfectly.

Apart from the two leads, the rest of the cast is pretty good with Sylvie stealing the show in her few scenes. I'm not sure why I haven't seen her in more. I need to seek her films out - especially knowing she's gifted in comedy.

The film is shot beautifully with mood and subdued rage. It grips and doesn't let go, but it falls shy of greatness. And I really wish this were a great film - I think Carné has made several. And even with the electrifying kisses and physical chemistry between Vallone and Signoret, something doesn't feel right when Vallone becomes the main focus of a scene. With someone else, even aging Jean Gabin, this film would've felt better. Alas, for now, I believe this is very good but short of that echelon of films labeled "great."

REWATCH: The Naked Spur (Anthony Mann, 1953) 9/10

A bounty hunter's attempts to bring a killer in for justice are compromised by his two disreputable sidekicks and the killer's girlfriend. My second viewing of this film makes me certain this film is a near masterpiece. Anthony Mann's westerns rivals those by Eastwood but almost always fall just short of Leone's. I think this is the best of Mann's work on the wild frontier. James Stewart is solid here in maybe the angriest role I've ever seen him in. I don't think he smiles once. That's like watching a dog walk on its hind legs.

But Stewart isn't even the best part of the film; the whole ensemble is incredible. Janet Leigh, although a bit miscast, is pretty good as the also-excellent Robert Ryan's lover. I think I may have made my mind up that Ryan is the best villainous character actor ever. His villains are all despicable but each also feels largely original. And while Ralph Meeker is the cast's weakest link, he's still alright. The best part, though, has to be Millard Mitchell as a rugged prospector. Mitchell is always good for coming into a western and stealing the show - he certainly did so in Henry King's "The Gunfighter" - and he makes another smart, round character out of what is basically a stock role modeled after Walter Huston's "Sierra Madre" work.

"The Naked Spur" is violent and creative. The rockslides, the spur climbing, the long-range shots - it's all beautiful. The film is shot nicely and crafted with care and scrutiny. It's a masterpiece in Technicolor and a near masterpiece in every other aspect. This is one of the very best westerns.

REWATCH: Pickup on South Street (Samuel Fuller, 1953) 10/10

A pickpocket unknowingly lifts important communist intel from a woman on the subway sparking a chase to retrieve the sensitive info. Samuel Fuller has joined Kenji Mizoguchi and Alfred Hitchcock in that very rare club of directors who have made three masterpieces over a three year period. With "The Steel Helmet" and "Park Row," Samuel Fuller keeps that looming sense of dread and despair and channels it from Korea and 19th century New York into a modern-day metropolis with some extra Red Scare to boot.

"Pickup on South Street" is an outright masterwork in tension, editing, and noir dialogue. And this dialogue could not be better delivered than by one of the genre's best casts. Richard Widmark slings sleaze with the best of them, Jean Peters plays the vixen better than most anyone (and the fact that she constantly refused to become a sex symbol (which she most certainly could have been) is super admirable), Richard Kiley's tough guy hits all the right marks, and, even still, nobody can touch Thelma Ritter whose for-a-price police informant is one of the very greatest supporting performances in film noir and, as far as I'm concerned, film in general. Ritter always played fast-talking, sardonic spinsters well but none better than Moe. She's just as quick with a verbal barb as she is to sell you a tie. And, if you think her early scenes are good, just wait for that gut-wrenching final scene she's in. It's the most sentimental thing I've seen Fuller direct and, even then, its brutal. Pauline Kael said Fuller, and this film, are unconcerned with sensitivity, but she must have slept right through this bit.

"Pickup on South Street" aims to please. It aims high, delivers square in the breadbasket, and owns the screen. The editing is astounding, the shots are framed perfectly, and the cast is tops. It's one of the very best movies in my favorite genre of film. And you know a film is great when it manages to shoehorn in communist fears in an organic, smart way - and doing so before "Body Snatchers" is even more impressive.

REWATCH: Gate of Hell (Teinosuke Kinugasa, 1953) 9/10

An obsessive samurai becomes dangerous fixated on a woman he rescues after he finds out she has a husband. "Gate of Hell" may be advertised to you, in its most basic forms, as a samurai film, but, my God, it's Japanese Sirk. The melodrama is high and mighty with this one but with Teinosuke Kinugasa's signature darkness. It's more threatening than anything Sirk did, but Sirk loved love (or did he?) and Kinugasa's previous comments on love ("A Page of Madness," anyone?) should prove that he's the antithesis to this Sirkian comparison.

Kazuo Hasegawa is unnerving and frightening as our samurai stalker. He does get a little over-the-top at points, but, with the insanely gorgeous color schemes we have going on, he fits right in. In fact, up to this point in history, I think you could make a pretty sound case for it being the most beautiful color film of all-time. The sets, the costumes, and the lighting are all unbelievably rich.

But I'd be hard-pressed to say whether the tech aspects are more radiant than Machiko Kyô whose performance as our stalked, fearful wife. And it's an even more impressive performance when you realize how common that role is in film. I'm not sure whether it's the setting, her expressions, or the script, but Kyô owns the film. It's probably her greatest performance.

"Gate of Hell" is beautiful. It rightfully won a Costume Design Oscar and also earned an honorary award for its being in a foreign language. It's interesting to think a film like this captivated American audiences in the '50s. It's no "Rashômon," but I guess drama translates well into any language. And with the expressive cast we have in "Gate of Hell," that translation is natural. It's a great film.

The Jungle Book (Jon Favreau, 2016) 8/10

A pack of wolves, a panther, and a bear help raise an orphaned boy who tries to find his place in humanity and in the jungle. I went into "The Jungle Book" with one thing in mind: I swore to Jeebus that if they shoehorned in "The Bare Necessities," I'd lose my mind. And they did just that. But I didn't lose my mind.

The success of this adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic tales is good in that it's very organic in what it does. The song fits in normally with a few hums and performed as nothing other than a ditty that might get stuck in your head all day. And, after seeing that, I was relieved.

And then came "I Wanna Be Like You," and, oh my God, that's when the film flirted with crumbling. I like Christopher Walken and I think he's a solid song-and-dance actor (more than we give him credit for). But this is just a miscarriage of ideas. It's like the writers didn't know how to make the scene work without it. And, for the most part, it could've been one of the film's best moments. Couple the song with summoning Walken by cowbell, and you get a small groanfest in this otherwise great film. I do think the decision to make King Louie more Kong-esque really works and makes the whole chapter more terrifying. And the labyrinthine structures in which we're surrounded make for a great atmosphere too.

Aside from that section, the film is one I'd consider great. I think it's far better than the Disney animated version, and I think it's marginally better than the Korda production.

A "Jungle Book" is only as good as its Bagheera, and who better to play the watchful guardian than Ben Kingsley? Everyone seems to be heaping praise on Idris Elba's voice work as Shere Khan (work that's serviceable at best - his voice isn't super special, at least not enough to carry some weight in a film relying so heavily on voice work), but it's Kingsley who is the heart of the film. He strikes the right tone in every scene and makes Bagheera more listless and concerned and real than the previous versions.

As for the other voices, Scarlett Johansson's brief work as Kaa is both entrancing as it should be and sinister (and also sexy, but that's not what we're going for here). Bill Murray is a fun Baloo, and Lupita Nyong'o and Giancarlo Esposito are solid wolves. It's one of the most solid voice casts we've had in years excluding Pixar who seems to think an entirely A-list cast means the characters will be portrayed well.

As for Mowgli, little Neel Sethi is really good. If you read my reviews, you'll know I really, really dislike child acting, but this kiddo knows what he's doing. He strikes the right balance of naïveté and angst and joy and tears.

And the visuals are superbly stunning. This is one of the few films I'd recommend that you have to see in IMAX 3D; I feel a lot of the film would be genuinely lost in another format. Apart from "Gravity," this is the best use of 3D I've ever seen in a film. A lot of films can't decide between atmospheric 3D and action 3D, and "The Jungle Book" both does gracefully.

"The Jungle Book" is a great film. I was ragging on Disney for their new obsession with live recreations of their animated classics, but, if they're all this great, I won't care one bit.

Paris Is Burning (Jennie Livingston, 1990) 8/10

This documentary examines the life and culture surrounding the intense drag balls that defined gay NYC culture in the late '80s and early '90s. "Paris Is Burning" is so much fun. It might be the most fun documentary I've seen. It's a joyous explosion of emotion with heaping mounds of down-to-earth realism and problems. I wish I could spend an entire TV season with these people. And the fact that so many major players died so soon after this film was made and released is even sadder.

Jennie Livingston's passion for this project is on full display. We get nothing but beautiful, well-rounded portraits of these individuals. We get all their many problems, politics, and personalities. And seeing them navigate this ball circuit is mesmerizing. Who knew so much went into this? You'd think they would strut out like peacocks, vogue for a bit, and leave, but, no, there's an entire deep-rooted culture behind it. It's like the gang fight-dancing in "West Side Story" but with less stabbings and more sass. There is a section where these contestants discuss houses, ball gangs more or less, and it's like watching people talk about sports. They hate certain houses, they love certain houses. It's fascinating.

"Paris Is Burning" is beautiful. It's a great documentary on one of those rare, filmed-at-the-right-time movies that will stick with me for a long time.

Shane (George Stevens, 1953) 9/10

A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a kind family, but he's forced to return to his old ways when a dispute between honest farmers and a greedy rancher slowly gets out of hand. George Stevens is arguably the most heavy-handed director in Hollywood's Golden Age. He loves to linger and add as much drama to everything as he can. At this point in his career, he hadn't made a truly great film in ten years ("The More the Merrier").

But, wow, does Stevens lose all that ham-fistedness and drive this movie through and through. "Shane" is stunning. Loyal Griggs's superb cinematography lays out the familiar Hollywood western landscape in inventive and beautiful pastiches of dry color with sumptuous blues and yellows to try and even the palette out and avoid shooting "Shane v. Jack Wilson: Dawn of Justice" with the amount of brown there is.

Alan Ladd, who likes to rival Gary Cooper and Robert Taylor, in my book, for most wooden actor of all-time, is actually really good here. It's more in line with his "This Gun for Hire" work. Ladd's chiseled features and telling line readings paint a nice portrait of a man's reformation among the nation's geographical reformation. And there are enough nature shots to more-than-adequately assert that. The supporting cast of Ben Johnson, Jack Palance; Elisha Cook, Jr.; and John Dierkes are all, too, very interesting and make for a dynamic ensemble. None of the previously-mentioned men can hold a candle to Van Heflin though who gives one of his very best performances as the bedraggled yet cheerful homesteader Joe Starrett. I never quite bought Heflin in his more debonair roles (looking at you, "Madame Bovary") so, for me at least, he fits perfectly in this jigsaw puzzle of a cast. He's tough, understanding, but, most of all, shows a deep love for his family and friends that makes him, arguably, the most important and central character.

Where the film fails, for me, is that Jean Arthur's mother character isn't given much to do. Any homesteader film knows the mother, traditionally and archaically, is what binds the family together. I understand her role is slightly subverted when her son becomes fixated on Shane, but it's like they write her out completely. And Arthur has major talent that shouldn't be wasted. And, naturally, as you'd expect with me, I found the mannered, tedious child acting styles of Brandon de Wilde to be fairly annoying and tiresome. To be fair, he's much better than most - his performance here only reminds me why Claude Jarman, Jr. is the absolute worst in "The Yearling" - but it doesn't make him Oscar-worthy one bit.

"Shane" is marvelous. There are rowdy fistfights abound, shocking deaths, and a stylized vision of the Old West that makes one forget westerns used to be serious period pieces with incredible dedication put into them. I'm thankful we're getting small revivals with this same passion in the genre as of late. "Shane" might just miss out on being a masterpiece, but it's a film I won't forget for a long, long time. And how could you with a screenplay like this?

I Vitelloni (Federico Fellini, 1953) 8/10

Five young men navigate post-adolescence in their dreary seaside town. My journey through Fellini has brought me here, and, while most say this is his first great film (I'd argue that's "Variety Lights"), I'd say this is his first film that feels distinctly like what he's known for (pre-"Juliet of the Spirits" that is...). "I Vitelloni," boasted by an beautiful, evocative score by Nino Rota, is a film about lingering. That post-school section of one's life where being unsure of what to do with one's self is life itself. And this is captured exquisitely by Fellini's cast of characters. The breakout star, as if you couldn't tell already, is Alberto Sordi whose work in Fellini's early films is a cinematic trove of laughs. His performance here as Alberto and his work as the titular "White Sheik" the year before makes for a great one-two punch in foreign comedy. Each character, though, is exceptionally written. I could watch five separate films about each of these young men and not complain about sequels.

Fellini's visual style is getting into full-swing here too as the camera movements are sweeping and beautiful and the editing is exciting and graceful. And this is really exciting development. I do think, unlike his future films, what holds the film back is its female characters. All the women here are depicted as weak and vain and selfish.

But "I Vitelloni" is still great. Watching the filmmaker find his voice has been a treat.

Captain America: Civil War (Anthony & Joe Russo, 2016) 6/10

After an international act regulates all superhuman activity, the Avengers split on how to act with the pro-law side siding with Iron Man and the renegade side sticking with Captain America. Alright, this mess.

First off, Marvel has betrayed the character they've expertly built up over two rather good movies. "The Winter Soldier" is the best film in the MCU and, arguably, the only one that's actually really, really good. This is because it plays out like a Cold War spy thriller instead of, well, a modern superhero film. It strikes the proper balance between Rogers' WWII upbringing and modern day war. And Captain America was made, and through those first two films, represents a New Deal liberal defender of the people. So why, oh, why do they decide to turn him into a whiny, douchy internet libertarian in "Civil War" once he doesn't get his way? Cap's arguably the most sensible of the always-hot-headed male Avengers. This chasm of character doesn't gel with the production and you can tell Chris Evans is having a bit of trouble getting the role down this way.

On a more positive note, "Civil War" finally finds a good outlet for Iron Man. Robert Downey, Jr. is always reliable for witticisms and humor, but this is the first time I've seen him to some solid dramatic work in the MCU. After seeing it, I crave more of it. Beef up his stories, Marvel.

And then the massive cavalcade of characters appearing in the film is both interesting and a downfall. On the positive side, I'm glad we get more Ant Man and the introduction of a superb Black Panther. The airport fight scene (the film's greatest moment) wouldn't be as great without all the action going on between the different characters. On the other hand, it feels really forced sometimes. Hawkeye coming out of retirement and just popping in halfway through the film feels super forced. It's not like he's particularly invested in any of this. He's just another face to throw on the poster.

Maybe most importantly, we get Marvel's, and not Sony's, Spider-man. Tom Holland's work as the webslinger makes me wish we never got the Maguire and Garfield films. Holland looks and acts every bit of 17 like the previous films didn't and it feels so much more believable. His cutesy little quips as a first-time hero hit the right comic notes, surprisingly, and it's no shock to see that this Spider-man can do way cooler stunts and feats than Sony's. It's refreshing. We also get Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, and Marisa Tomei is still incredibly hot and I don't feel bad for saying it. I want an Aunt May film.

So this is your typical Marvel clusterfuck. It somehow comes out as having been pretty alright, but maybe that's just because it's better than "Age of Ultron." If I have one more complaint before I go, it's that the Russo Brothers should be tried and executed for not giving Daniel Brühl more to do because he's incredible - and the twist regarding him isn't well-executed and seems more like, "Hey, this guy needs to be in the movies because he's a major player in the comics. Gotta shoehorn him in somehow."

The Blue Gardenia (Fritz Lang, 1953) 5/10

After a night of drinking, a woman wakes up to find a dead body and herself as the prime suspect. Typical potboiler noir helmed by Fritz Lang looking to make money. This isn't too terribly inspired at all, but at least we're given a really good cast. Anne Baxter and her reptilian eyes make for a good lead, and Richard Conte is always solid in this genre as the sweetheart. And when isn't Ann Sothern a welcome face? She's criminally underused in almost every film in which she plays support, I'd say.

I don't really have too much to say about "The Blue Gardenia." It's shot moodily and has a decent enough story behind it. It's just derivative of all the better noir from the era. It's derivative for Lang even. This has been rightfully overshadowed by "The Big Heat."

REWATCH: From Here to Eternity (Fred Zinnemann, 1953) 7/10

A second-in-command has a passionate affair with his captain's wife and a boxer is cruelly mistreated for not boxing with his squad on the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. This is the first time I've seen this film in, what, six years? I don't think it's improved or depreciated in my eyes at all. Everything I thought before mostly stands.

Burt Lancaster is alright in maybe his first performance of merit (and one that's perfect for his dramatic range, at this point), and he's got great chemistry with Deborah Kerr even though she's woefully miscast. Their beach scene is rightfully iconic and especially so with the camera following the rushing waves. And the camera work during the last ten minutes is also eye-popping.

Monty Clift is good as a haunted bugler coping with what every retired boxer copes with in Hollywood: killing a man in the ring. Clift is good, but the role feels super lightweight. He doesn't get a whole lot to do other than look sternly at his superiors, run for punishment, and look sad while playing "Taps." I don't know why he gets so much praise for this film when he's clearly better in Hitchcock's underrated "I Confess" from the same year. If you want gravitas and mood, go there.

Frank Sinatra is really good in the role that saved his career. His death scene is well-acted and he hits all the right notes to play what would usually be the stock "best friend in camp" role. And you'd really think he and Ernest Borgning hated each other by the looks they give on camera. Palpable, palpable tension there.

And Donna Reed won her Oscar because she dropped her wholesome act and played a call girl, but it's not the most impressive thing. It's effective casting-against-type (much like Michael Douglas on "Will & Grace"), but little else goes on down below. Her final scene is botched by her facial expressions.

Fred Zinnemann's filmmaking, though, is fantastic. He and cinematographer Burnett Guffey make great use of the locations and sets (especially the bar). And Daniel Taradash's nice, compact screenplay gives us lines that are never boring, at least.

"From Here to Eternity" is very good. It's soapy, it's exciting, it's fun to listen to and fun to watch. It touches on some social nerves that other war films of the time didn't. And while Pearl Harbor seems a cheap way of making the Shakespearean clock hit noon, it still feels awful and undeserved and tragic.

The Glass Wall (Maxwell Shane, 1953) 8/10

Through a law saying anyone who fought alongside the U.S. in WWII can enter the country legally, a Hungarian refugee must locate a clarinet-playing G.I. named Tom who serves as the only proof that he fought fascism and communism in Europe. "The Glass Wall" is a great film that doesn't deserve to be as buried as it has become.

"The Glass Wall" is propped up and placed firmly on the capable shoulders of Vittorio Gassman who gives an absolutely electric performance. Gassman's timidity, tenacity, and overall terrific acting make for a great, thrilling ride. Even on the surface, we're given a neat, interesting plot - one that's far more compelling than your typical "find a guy to prove your innocence" plot. The immigration aspect puts a nice big Shakespearean clock on the film and the time constraints are effectively felt throughout. And Gassman is excellent opposite Gloria Grahame who is one of film noir's most reliable faces and presences.

If anything keeps this from being a masterpiece, it's just that director Maxwell Shane isn't very inventive or creative. The film really is propelled by Gassman and Grahame and the interesting cast of supporting characters. The writing is excellent as well. This just goes to show that even great movies can be held back by their directors. Imagine what this could have been in the hands of a studio hack like Henry Hathaway. This could've and should've been a bona fide classic noir. I'm super glad to have found this film. Gassman steals the show on all fronts.

REWATCH: The Wages of Fear (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1953) 10/10

Two sets of truck drivers develop a rivalry as they race through South American junglelands to deliver loads of nitroglycerine meant to stop a massive oil fire. This is still the foremost masterpiece in tension and action. Clouzot's expert direction gets us well-acquainted with the characters before forcing them into these brutal scenarios. And while I think the film's only small flaw is its overlong exposition, it's never boring in these parts (unlike its remake "Sorcerer" in which it feels like ages pass before we move onto the trucks). Yves Montand is pretty good, but it's Charles Vanel as his greedy, oily partner who commandeers the picture and remains the most memorable character. Vanel's channeling in on Jo's motivations and deeply-rooted emotions makes for a smart, engaging performance.

As for the action sequences, all modern action films with car scenes can basically trace their ways back to "The Wages of Fear." Whether the trucks are precariously balanced on a rotting wooden platform or trudging through black, suffocating oil, every piece feels heavily imitated yet incredibly fresh. It's not a word I use often, but this film is truly revolutionary.

"The Wages of Fear" is an out-and-out masterpiece. "Often imitated, never duplicated" is a phrase created for this film, as far as I'm concerned.

How to Marry a Millionaire (Jean Negulesco, 1953) 2/10

Three women set out to find and marry millionaires. Oh my dear God, this movie is atrocious. What a sexist pile of garbage! "How to Marry a Millionaire," today, is advertised as, "You're only going to watch this because of Marilyn Monroe, and we know it." Even with another woman in Monroe's role, this movie would be awful. The entire premise is centered around the glamor of gold-digging and shaping yourself into being everything a man wants just for money. It's like leather-clad Sandy in "Grease," but for 90 straight minutes.

A lot of the jokes don't land. Monroe's goofy glasses bit on the airplane, especially, comes off as incredibly forced and vaudevillian. Lauren Bacall never was a great comedienne, and Betty Grable is used for her pin-up fame more than anything else. This movie is incredibly shallow. But for a movie so shallow, you'd expect it to be pretty. But no. The sets in this film are so incredibly ugly. What a waste of CinemaScope and Technicolor. These highly-furnished apartments and the decorators behind them somehow think pearlescent seafoam blue matches gaudy gold and white in a room full of greys and neutral earth tones. I don't know much about decorating, but even I know this is ugly and doesn't mesh. And even the cavalcade of costumes aren't particularly good.

If there's one thing from keeping this from being an abomination of a film, it's William Powell's performance. This is his second-to-last film, and he's every bit as good as he was in his prime. He's playing a much sadder role, in a sense, and you can tell how it relates to him. But Powell makes the most of what he's given and plays his rich fancypants well.

But, yeah, this movie is absolute garbage.

The Cruel Sea (Charles Frend, 1953) 7/10

A commander and his new recruits must navigate the tough winter seas to rescue survivors of U-boat attacks. "The Cruel Sea" benefits from its grounded sense of realism more than anything else. It's a tough, unforgiving movie that performs a deadly dance with the ocean much in the vein of Hitchcock's "Lifeboat." Jack Hawkins is pretty solid as our lead, but most of the cast is pretty perfunctory and serviceable at best. It's the big drawback from this film.

But "The Cruel Sea" relies mostly on its keen visual style. The effects are superb - better than the flashier sci-fi films of the year. And it works better than Jean Negulesco's "Titanic" from the same year. The waves are dark, dismal, and demanding. They're wet chasms of a foreboding death. There's nothing nice about the water here. There's no sense of escapism - only fatalism.

"The Cruel Sea" is solid mostly for it's overall production. The writing is solid even if the actors are not. Jack Hawkins was super solid and definitely should be remembered for more than the epics of the late '50s/early '60s.

The Captain's Paradise (Anthony Kimmins, 1953) 7/10

An English ferryboat captain in the Mediterranean suddenly has his life turn topsy-turvy when his wife in Gibraltar and his mistress in Tangiers cross paths. Ealing puts out another good comedy proving, yet again, that Alec Guinness is a helluva funnyman.

The premise is simple and seen often, but I don't remember it being executed as well as it was here. Guinness is solid, but the women are more interesting. Yvonne De Carlo is sultry and sexy and panther-esque as she's directed to be. It's not a big stretch for her, but it's damn-near perfect casting. On the other hand, there's the always-magnificent Celia Johnson as Guinness' wife. And Johnson hits it out of the park. She wears the mantle of comedy's typical nagging wife well but never gets annoying with it. Her performance is more based in concern than nitpicking. Naturally, with material this light and under the direction of Anthony Kimmins, it pales in comparison to her work with Lean, but that's master class, top tier work.

"The Captain's Paradise" isn't as playful with gender roles as it hinted to be near the beginning, but that's not a big deal. The characters' stubborn sense of tradition is what propels their actions. And the laughs stick and stick hard. It's not quite in the pantheon of great comedies, but I attribute that mostly to the director's bland sense of visual style.

Little Fugitive (Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin) 7/10

Victim of a cruel prank, a young boy believes he has shot and killed his brother after their mother goes out of town, so he runs away to cope. The little film that inspired the French New Wave, at least per Truffaut, "Little Fugitive" is a cute movie. On the surface, it's an odd, funny tale of a young boy who kills his brother and celebrates by spending the day at Coney Island, but, instead, we're given this neat, unique-for-the-time look at coping mechanisms and loss of young innocence. Hollywood's love of lost innocence during this time period always happened to women and almost always through implied rape. This is a crisp breath of originality.

Sadly, the copy of the film I got to see wasn't very good. Had it been clearer, I'm sure the film would look prettier and far better explore New York than this print did. However, I can't fault that, because the grainy, unfocused nature of the film actually helped me associate with and sympathize for our young protagonist a bit more.

One thing I noticed is that the film is surprisingly uplifting whenever things get bad. Postwar America loved cheer and joy. I wish this were a little darker via "Shoeshine" or "Germany, Year Zero" (okay, maybe not Rossellini bleak, but still). However, when it does need to be uplifting, it really works; that last scene of the brothers is beautiful.

"Little Fugitive" is solid. It feels ahead of its time and has left an indelible footprint in the evolution of cinema. And this is also one of the few films from this period with really solid child acting.

REWATCH: White Mane (Albert Lamorisse, 1953) 7/10

The grandson of a fisherman becomes fixated on befriending an untamable white stallion. Albert Lamorisse is a wonder with short film. This is my second time seeing "White Mane," and it's as sweet as ever. The right balance between sentiment and angst and fear is hit, and those are three emotions that are almost required to be in any movie with a child as its lead.

"White Mane" is beautifully shot on location and makes great use of the landscapes that abut the foreground. The symbolic use of fire and water gets a little obvious near the end, but, for the most part, it's nice work. This is the film they had in mind when they used rudimentary filming methods to prove horses had all four feet off the ground at some points during galloping.

The film is a small fable but a big wonder. It's not as magical and sweet as "The Red Balloon" (though few films are and ever will be), but we see a nice compact story told in under an hour. And in the age of 2.5 hour blockbusters becoming the norm, it's nice to be reminded films like this exist and still work. "White Mane" is really good. It's a film I'd have no problem showing to one of my future accident babies.

Julius Caesar (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1953) 6/10

The foretold assassination of the Roman Emperor leads to tragic consequences for the idealists and those loyal to the republic as well. Joseph L. Mankiewicz has always been a solid screenwriter and very good with directing wordy scenes, so why is "Julius Caesar" not very good?

For what it's worth, James Mason, John Gielgud, and Edmond O'Brien, as our Brutus, Cassius, and Casca, respectively, are all pretty solid in mid-tier work for all of them. There's nothing redemptive or super interesting from their work here. It's all standard - something you'd see at your local big city's theater (unless you like in New York, L.A., or Chicago). The set design is pretty well done and there are a few good shots of the sets too, but, mostly, it's uninspired and takes a back seat to the dialogue Mankiewicz so loves.

But then there's Marlon Brando in a terrible miscasting. Maybe because they wanted to see his chest and maybe because he was super bankable, they thought Brando would make a good Antony, and, boy, were they wrong. He gnaws at the scenery with a wanton disregard for his character. Mark Antony is a great speaker, but Brando looks like he based his knowledge of public speaking off Huey Long or his local "end is nigh" soapbox hobo. He botches the "Friends, Romans, countrymen" speech with this. He loves holding up a clawed hand like he's trying to crush the imaginary skull of Yorick. He's the worst part of the film. He doesn't come into for about the first third, but I wish he could've lingered in the wings a bit longer.

This further proves that MGM likes things big and hollow (much like the physical sets) and that's their biggest downfall. They love spectacle too much, and Shakespeare and spectacle don't go together as much as revisionism would probably try to tell you.

White Witch Doctor (Henry Hathaway, 1953) 5/10

A woman arrives in Africa to help the native tribes with medical knowledge and other necessities while a fortune hunter and animal wrangler slowly falls in love with her as he escorts her upriver, wary of her suitability for the continent. Obviously hoping to cash in on the success of "The African Queen," "White Witch Doctor" is actually better than that more successful mess of a film. While the interactions with the tribespeople are really terribly done and results in a hundred scenes where they accuse the knowledgeable Susan Hayward as a witch or witch doctor. Hayward does what she can, and she does it fairly well despite the terrible script. At least this isn't "The Snows of Kilimanjaro." I blame Hemingway for America's obsession with Africa in the '50s. If Hemingway wouldn't have almost died in two consecutive plane crashes, this never would've happened. Robert Mithcum plays our brusque, gruff romantic lead and looks sleepy as ever, but, this time, not in a good way.

At least the use of color here isn't wasted and the sets seem moderately real if only because there isn't a huge, obviously matte Kilimanjaro in the background. "White Witch Doctor" isn't great. It's not even good. But of Hollywood's Africa-centric films from this time, it's sadly one of the better ones.

The Robe (Henry Koster, 1953) 3/10

While drunk, a tribune wins Jesus' robe after the crucifixion; he is later tormented by nightmares and delusions, and, looking to cope, tries to find out more about the man he killed. "The Robe" is subtle like a red door on a suburban house. But can you expect subtlety from religious films and/or epics? Yes, you can. That's been proven with movies like "Ordet" (well, sort of).

But with a director like Henry Koster behind the camera, you're looking for someone who can play up emotions and keep things wholesome. And Koster was never really a good director. He was a step above the studio hacks for whatever reason. And his treatment of "The Robe" is pretty shallow. The sad part is that there's not a single good performance in the cast. Richard Burton is alright. I guess you'd say he does the best job, but it's incredibly boring work. He's the least interesting character in the entire story, and he's our lead. Jean Simmons is hired to stand around and look pretty and promise not to get married. That subplot could've been thrown out entirely. What's most disappointing is that the film fails to be exciting even with Caligula as a major player. Jay Robinson's performance as the syphilitic wonder is gaudier than the regent was himself. He screams in a high-pitched voice the entire time and needs a couple Vicodin if he wants the performance to come off as any kind of realistic. He's garishly cartoonish. Yes, Caligula was petulant, but there's a level of overacting here that I've never seen before.

But, for all the garbage in the plot and direction, the film looks nice, at least. Some of the costumes are gorgeous and the sets look less like papier maché than other epics of the time did. It's still an uninspired piece of dreck though. I'd read the book if I had time. Maybe it's far more interesting and insightful.

[ksrymy]

Beat the Devil (John Huston, 1953) 4/10

A ne'er-do-well American teams up with four crooks trying to lay claim to land rich in uranium deposits in Kenya as they wait in a small Italian port. "Beat the Devil" is a really interesting film. It's kind of a fever dream. It's aimless and listless. The film was reportedly written on a day-to-day basis, and that aspect is really obvious. The film feels incredibly disjointed and the comedic sequences are pretty awful and don't work well. I love the idea of Bogie and Co.'s car going off the cliff, but, upon return, the reactions in the hotel lobby strike such a false, jarring note.

For what it's worth, though, Bogart is his good, cynical self and Peter Lorre comes in to play his usual schtick in a preposterous blonde dye job. But it's nowhere near as preposterous as Jennifer Jones who's almost unrecognizable in a blonde wig that makes Brigitte Lin's character's hair in "Chungking Express" look natural. Jones, for most of the film is pretty alright though her bigger dramatic moments fall terribly flat. Gina Lollobrigida is sexy and sly in an underdeveloped role.

"Beat the Devil" is a mess. It could have easily been one of Huston's best, but I'm not quite sure where everything went wrong because there are a ton of flaws. I loved the overall feel of this movie, but it doesn't follow up on this steamy, sweaty atmosphere is creates through its wonderful shots and sets.

Summer with Monika (Ingmar Bergman, 1953) 7/10

Two teenagers in dead-end jobs settle down when the girl gets pregnant, but she becomes listless, yearning for adventure, leaves her child stuck with her husband. "Summer with Monika" lacks all the spiritual edge and raw edge that makes Bergman's later works so great. But this film is an interesting take on all the mistaken teenage lust films I've seen. Because, though it lacks that edge and elan, it does have Bergman's iconic cynicism in heaping portions. In America, we always seem to get pernicious men walking out on pregnant women, but seeing everything thrown onto the man is quite affecting and original. Harriet Andersson is good as the titular girl who seeks the comfort of anything but the home and hearth. Lars Ekborg plays well off her as the affected husband though, at times, he's a little dull.

The film is shot beautifully and Bergman tramples on teenage idealism in a bleak, interesting film. "Summer with Monika" is pretty good, but I think it doesn't reach the level of Bergman's better films. And that's just a testament to how excellent he is.

Sawdust and Tinsel (Ingmar Bergman, 1953) 9/10

A ringmaster, who isn't being taken back by his family, and his mistress, who sleeps with an actor in exchange for a necklace he promises is valuable, are stuck with one another after their affairs go awry. This is Bergman's first film to nearly qualify as a masterpiece. The central performances by Åke Grönberg and Harriet Andersson are pretty good; Andersson's work, in particular, is very, very good. Her seduction scene opposite Hasse Ekman (the cast's weak link) is superb. Andersson's raw sexuality and trepidatiousness in relationships creates an excellent vessel and outlet for Bergman's signature jaded women. Andersson's transformation is beautiful.

But the best part of the film is easily Frost the Clown played by Anders Ek. Ek is absolutely phenomenal, just positively remarkable. Bergman takes the old trope of laughing at a clown when his job isn't to make someone laugh and injects it with shock, awe, and heartbreak in ways that more tired directors wish they could do. Ek's performance from the opening scene (that opening scene!) to the end is the entire reason to see the film as far as I'm concerned. And Frost's costuming, makeup, and the sets he gets to run around in are beautiful.

And while that bleak opening is great, the final fight between Åke Grönberg and Hasse Ekman is brutal. Bergman gets bloody and relentless which is something this master of subtlety doesn't do often. It's edited beautifully and the physical pain is felt through the screen.

"Sawdust and Tinsel" is incredible. If Ekman were better, I'd say this is a masterpiece. All this Bergman I've been watching lately has probably shoved him into my list of the ten best directors of all-time.

REWATCH: The Band Wagon (Vincente Minnelli, 1953) 10/10

A famous hoofer and his friends try to mount his comeback show, but they hire a pretentious director who turns it into a Faustian tale and hires a prima ballerina as the female lead. "The Band Wagon" is career-best work from nearly everyone involved. Fred Astaire is at his most charming and funny, Cyd Charisse (though never a great actress) hits her comedic notes and dances like never before, Jack Buchanan's artsy-fartsy director is the film's high point, and Vincente Minnelli has never, ever been better. And I feel it would be unfair not to mention Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray who also do good work as the Buddy and Sally to Astaire's Rob Petrie.

There's an obvious affection for the stage and genre on Minnelli's behalf. This sees his best stage numbers, and the four or so songs adapted from previous musicals fit in organically with the rest of the film. I'm in the minority of one who prefers the extended detective sequence over the final ballet in "An American in Paris." It's moodier, more evocative, and just plain better. The "Shine on Your Shoes" segment has always been a favorite of mine, and it's simply effervescent.

I know I mentioned him earlier, but I need to talk about Jack Buchanan some more because he is the greatest thing about this musical masterpiece. Buchanan's Jeffrey Cordova is such a wonderful send-up and tongue-in-cheek reference to every heavy-handed director full of ambition. His lines are magnificent ("Exploiter of children! Purveyor of evil!") and his panache is incredibly welcome and at home in "The Band Wagon." He steals the show from the two radiant leads. And props to Cyd Charisse for turning in a good performance; I often forget she's not as bad an actress as Leslie Caron was.

"The Band Wagon" is an outright masterwork from, arguably, the genre's best handler. It's a film about going with the flow and trust. An excellent effort by Minnelli.

REWATCH: Tokyo Story (Yasujirô Ozu, 1953) 8/10

An aging couple go to the city to visit their children, but none of them seem to have any time for them. All it took was this fourth viewing for me to really appreciate this film and finally recognize its greatness. Upon first viewing, I was too young and immature to handle the static camera work. Now I realize (and realized on my two previous viewings) that this is Ozu's way of focusing us in on the drama at hand, and not to mention that his playing with the field of depth is superb. We're placed at the tables and knees of these folks as we watch them realize that, as they age, society has no place for them.

I think the performances are mostly across-the-board excellent. I think the performances from most of the children are ho-hum (and this is the film's biggest weakness) save for the always-radiant Setsuko Hara as their widowed daughter-in-law. Hara's performance is the bright spot in this grey, heartbroken film. She's the one comfort we have; Ozu knows this, and plays this up only for that ending to claw at your soul even more effectively.

The performances of the parents, by Chieko Higashiyama and the superb Chishû Ryû, are stellar. Heartbreak thy name is. Ryû in particular is great. He also gets to express the largest range of emotions aside from Hara. Ryû's drunken bar scene with his old friends is an excellent example of his understanding his character's motivations and twisting them into heartbreak in unlikely places. Ozu subvert's these potentially hopeful moments and underscores them with signature emotion.

I'm glad that I have finally found greatness in this film.

REWATCH: Ugetsu (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1953) 10/10

Two ambitious villagers seek fortune, one through pottery and the other through becoming a samurai, during constant raids from Nobunaga's soldiers. "Ugetsu" is a film I find myself thinking about frequently and never coming back to for some stupid reason. This is a masterpiece. It might be the best Japanese film, but I will probably say the same about "Sansho the Bailiff" when I watch it in a month or so. All I know is that Mizoguchi is still the greatest Japanese director off all-time.

"Ugetsu" is a simple morality tale. We watch people fall into greed that leads them astray. Masayuki Mori and Kinuyo Tanaka are incredible, especially the latter. As the more level-headed of the film's two couples, their story is all the more tragic. And Mori's scenes opposite an eerie, oddly-arousing Machiko Kyô are superb. Kyô's creepy noblewoman marks the film's high point. Mizoguchi was always excellent at blending the minorly supernatural with the brutal realism exhibited by any directors who lived through a war and have a film set during a war. And while Mori and Kyô are off doing their thing, the scenes w get of Kinuyo Tanaka back home rip my heart out. The scene where the soldiers steal food from her and her child churns my stomach. Tanaka's incredible acting in this scene, as well as her more frustrated scenes at home, is too good.

As for Mistuko Mito and Eitaro Ozawa's storylines are also fantastic though only marginally lesser than Mori, Kyô, and Tanaka's arc. Ozawa's crazed Tobei contains all the intensity of Toshiro Mifune's performance in "Rashômon" and all the sad foolishness that we've seen in many protagonists before. The scene where Mito gets lost in the market while her husband begs and throws money away for samurai armor and a spear is rough to watch.

"Ugetsu" is astonishing. I'm complacent remembering, at one time, this was one two consecutive Sight & Sound top tens ('62 and '72, I think). To be honest, it should probably be on their top ten lists today. But I'm biased because I think this film is one of the grandest, most beautifully shot masterpieces ever made.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953) 9/10

Two showgirls, one fixated on rich men and other other focused on hot, fit men, find love, lust, and everything inbetween on a cruise ship to Paris. I often talk about how Howard Hawks could direct everything, so I'm relieved and excited to see musical comedy can be added to that list. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is a film I would label "great." I couldn't really believe that by film's end. I wrongly expected this to be lightweight and cutesy; well, I guess that's wrong. It's both of those things, but it does it with incredible style and flair.

Everything Marilyn Monroe does here is good. She takes that persona she was known for and rocks it. I know a lot of people say they don't "get" Marilyn Monroe. This is the film to see which will fully make you grasp why she was, and has been, "it" for so long. But even though Monroe is good, it's Jane Russell who owns the film. Russell plays the straight man to Monroe's ditzy, bubbly blonde and I forgot how wry and witty she can be with her deliveries. And the raw sexuality she exudes is great too. Her body language and dancing (those tennis rackets...) during "Anyone Here for Love" are great. The sequence, with the U.S. Olympic team in skin-colored underwear exercising with Hawks focusing on their taut physiques is also super, super homoerotic in a scene that makes the volleyball scene from "Top Gun" look like a Steven Seagal film.

With an always reliable Charles Coburn in tow, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is great. I can only imagine what would've been if MGM got their grubby, filthy hands on this film.

REWATCH: Duck Amuck (Chuck Jones, 1953) 10/10

A very short-tempered Daffy Duck is forced to improvise as the animator, seemingly at whim, changes the scenery, costumes, physique of, and soundtrack to the film. "Duck Amuck" is probably the greatest animated short of all-time (sorry, "What's Opera, Doc?" and "The Cat Concerto") and, arguably, the greatest animated work period. It's just under eight minutes long, and it's one of the most enjoyable things you could ever see.

Chuck Jones, whose career is one of the all-time best, has his magnum opus here in "Duck Amuck." It's an anarchic, why-not, surreal, fourth-wall-breaking masterpiece. And what better character to throw into anarchy than the least patient one you have on tap? Daffy Duck has never been better and neither has Mel Blanc. Daffy's screams and lisps seem even better here than in his other shorts.

Daffy's awareness of what is happening in the animated world behind him is something we don't often think about as viewers, so we get to explore this place with him. It's an incredibly unique experience. And the slapstick comedy coupled with some of Daffy Duck's greatest asides are an indelible combination.

The creativity oozing throughout the cels of this film is unmatched. "Duck Amuck" is the best. And the little twist at the end, with that iconic catchphrase, makes it even better. An out-and-out masterstroke from Chuck Jones.

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (Roy Rowland, 1953) 6/10

A young boy tired of his piano lessons finds himself in a fantasy world where his piano teacher has taken control of his mother. Dr. Seuss's only film work is exactly what you'd expect it to be: it's a stunning visual piece of fluffy, moralistic fun. The movie is a little wonky and Bobby Driscoll is pretty insufferable as the lead, but it is mostly pretty good. The sets in this film are mind-blowing. I don't think I've seen such a creative-looking film since "The Wizard of Oz," let alone one so imaginative.

The film's kind of a "Willy Wonka" meets "The Wizard of Oz" actually. Now, "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T" doesn't quite have the gravity or meaningfulness of those other two films, but it's certainly not an aimless film. It's a nice representation of the crazy things children imagine. But, then again, Seuss himself was always good at creating worlds like that. I just wish the performers did it justice.

None of the performances are particularly good. I don't think the necessarily need to be to make the film work, but it certainly would have made it better. But the film is, again, good and it's a crazy fever dream and creative explosion like I've never seen from this era. I'd have loved to have seen this as a kid.

Invaders from Mars (William Cameron Menzies, 1953) 6/10

After a young boy witnesses a UFO land and disappear into the nearby sand dunes, the town's adults all start acting very strangely. Hello Cold War! "Invaders from Mars" plays out like a slow version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" with all the annoying Hollywood tropes of having a story lensed through the eyes of a suburban child. What we do get, though, are some really excellent sequences. The hospital sequence with the nurse refusing to give our protagonist over to his increasingly irritated and distant parents is surprisingly well-directed. And the sets in this scene are great. The ultra-high vaulted hospital ceilings make for a really eerie scene forcing us to comprehend how small these characters are in the light of these new technically-talented space invaders (aka those Russkies and their damn Sputnik!). And the final scenes where we get to see the invaders up close are way creepy.

I wish the film actually focused more on what science it knew a little bit more. It has all the potential to be pretty smart, but suspension of disbelief is an absolute must for this film. It doesn't take much to laugh at the primitive science and ideas behind this film, but you can't blame it for being made when it was.

I liked "Invaders from Mars" for the most part. I think it's pretty solid, the use of color is intelligently used, and Arthur Franz is an actor I'm starting to like more and more even if he's relegated to mostly B-pictures. "Invaders from Mars" is pretty swell.

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (Eugène Lourié, 1953) 6/10

An atomic bomb test in the Arctic unfreezes a long-frozen Rhedosaurus who becomes hellbent on attacking New York. America's "Godzilla" film, predating the Toho classic by a year, is pretty alright. For a film whose plot is very much centered around "atomic bombs are bad," the film sure avoids talking about it for long. Instead, we get a ton of Ray Harryhausen special effects of which I've always been an admirer. I don't know what it is about his style. The joltiness of the stop-motion should throw me out of the film, but, for whatever reason, I'm completely encapsulated by the aesthetics of it all. It makes the film what it is. In fact, I'm not sure why you would really want to see this other than for Harryhausen.

I mean, the acting isn't great, the plot is barebones and is basically a series of scenes setting up attacks and egregious talk about how to stop the monster. But I also don't really care. I had a ton of fun watching this even if it wasn't the best. Those effects coupled with the absolutely incredible title of the film is enough for me. "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" is too cool for any of us.

It Came from Outer Space (Jack Arnold, 1953) 7/10

A schoolteacher and an amateur astronomer thinks there's more than meets the eye after a strange meteorite hits the earth. I liked this a bit more than "Invaders from Mars" because it seems to be a lot less focused on the idea of communism destroying America. It was made in the midst of McCarthyism, and, yes, some ideas are reflected, but it is far from simplistic like many of its friends. The film starts on this road but flips into a track where it criticizes the nation for acting this way. It is a great surprise to see a film a bit ahead of its time - a time that blacklisters would've probably hated.

This film works far better than its cousins for other reasons though. The acting by Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush as our leads is pretty alright and the effects are superb. '50s sci-fi seemed never to really care about acting save you get a Robert Wise or other controlled, smart director to helm the action. But Carlson and Rush make the stakes known, let us into their characters, and get the proper emotions needed to make the film work.

It was here in 1953 when Universal took its gothic tales of the 19th century and built some space-age stories instead and with nothing bad coming out of it. It's a wonderful little film and a refreshing blast to the face after all those pitiful, godawful monster movie sequels.

The War of the Worlds (Byron Haskin, 1953) 4/10

The residents of a small town in the hills have their lives upended after the Martians who land in the mountains turn out to be far from friendly. Out of the 1953 Classic Sci-Fi/Fantasy Quintuple Feature I watched ("The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T," "Invaders from Mars," "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms," "It Came from Outer Space," and this) I was pretty floored to find out that this film is the least of them all. It almost touches on being what I would label a bad film.

If it weren't for the awesome color and excellent effects, this film would be truly terrible. The beams, colors, flashes, and everything else the tech wizards behind the film did to make the Martians unsettling works. The tiny ships and their inhabitants don't seem frightening at first, but, after that first encounter, things escalate quickly and the stakes skyrocket.

But how can we possibly care when the story and acting aren't that good? Never mind the blatant McCarthyist points this film is standing behind (sorry, H. G.), "The War of the Worlds" flirts with amateurish filmmaking. Despite the lights and effects on the Martians being pretty cool, the annoying red filter over the entire film is terribly unexciting and more groan-inducing than anything else. Couple that with the film awful dialogue, and you've got a pretty terrible movie. Another person here pointed it out, but there's a scene where the humans are planning a sneak attack, and, over a massive loudspeaker, we hear, "Four minutes 'til bomb time!" It's moments like these that throw me completely out of films. And the filmmaker's biggest and first challenge in any film is to maintain suspension of disbelief.

I often complain about constant remakes and reboots and requels and sequels and prequels and other Hollywood bullshit, but, honestly, I think the Spielberg remake is better. Even if Tom Cruise is bland and his son running off into the woods to magically come back at the end if atrocious, we get creepy-ass Tim Robbins to make things entertaining. All I could think of during the basement attack sequence here was how much better it was in the 2005 version.

"The War of the Worlds" is bad. I so, so wish it weren't. There's just way too much going wrong with this film. Maybe if someone other than Byron Haskin directed it (say, Robert Wise or Anthony Mann or Henry Hathaway or, as I always say, Howard Hawks), we'd get somewhere. Unfortunately, we're stuck with this.

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (Zack Snyder, 2016) 1/10

Gotham's own cowled vigilante decides to take matters into his own hands after he believes Superman to be too powerful. This movie is absolutely atrocious. "Batman v. Superman" is riddled with problems. And even saying it that way feels too nice.

For one, Zack Snyder is the driving force behind this film's failure. Everyone seems to say, "At least Snyder has a distinctive visual style," but I'm going to argue that he doesn't have one at all. He runs all his shots through the same bronzed, chromed, or dingy filters. It isn't a distinctive style when it isn't pleasant to look at. Maybe Snyder would be best off directing black-and-white features. Regardless, he's probably the worst director out there still getting big, consistent work (Michael Bay made "Pain & Gain," so he's out of consideration for another year or so).

Also, coupling off the way the film looks, "Batman v. Superman" has absolutely no transitions. We're given big scene after big scene with not even as much as a simple establishing shot between scenes. One scene, we're watching Batman have yet another tired, boring flashback sequence (we get it; he's haunted - move on), and, next thing we know, we're onto something completely tonally different with no segue. Snyder's filmmaking theory is hollow, shallow, and milquetoast at best.

And I know DC is going for more dark, gritty realism (a "normal" world with superheroes in it) to contrast with Marvel's more comical fare, but it just isn't working with Snyder. If they were to can Snyder and do everything they could to sign George Miller onto the franchise, they'd be getting somewhere. But, instead, we get a movie where Superman's grotesque sneers look harlequin and like Vincent Price at the end of "House of Wax." Henry Cavill gets the same distortion in his face that an angry child has. And his Superman is characterized as no more than this. He flies away in a pout multiple times. Also, how does he speed off like a bullet and Lois Lane, standing, quite literally, next to him doesn't have her hair move or get messed up at all.

Also, this film is a soft remake of Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" in which, surprise, the climax involves a fight with Superman. The thing, though, is that the film's more interesting shots are lifted directly from the graphic novel (the gun's barrel breaking Martha Wayne's necklace, most notably). This just further proves to me that Snyder relies far too much on storyboards and can't make a film without obvious visual aid.

As for Batfleck, Ben Affleck is pretty wishywashy. He doesn't look like Bruce Wayne, he doesn't feel like Bruce Wayne, and the Batman he plays is hilariously awful. The voice tech used to change his voice in the suit made the drive-in I saw this at erupt with laughter.

And, my God, the lines they make him deliver are just beyond insipid. "Do you bleed?!... you will." What kind of silly bullshit is this movie peddling?

Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is positively atrocious too. It's like Snyder just told him to play Mark Zuckerberg with long hair and an even bigger god complex. By film's end , when his head is shaved, seeing him like he's typically depicted feels like nothing other than fan service.

The scene where Batman stands above Superman about to stab him with the Kryptonite spear and suddenly deciding not to because they both have mothers named Martha is some of the worst filmmaking I've seen. "WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME?!?!?!?!??!?!??!?!?" isn't even one of the hammiest lines delivered.

And how about those tiny previews for "Cyborg," "The Flash," "Wonder Woman," and "Aquaman" we get in the movie itself? That doesn't feel cheap and stupid at all...

The film's biggest crime (other than killing Jimmy Olsen for no goddamn reason other than because this universe is so dark and gritty, guys) is the fact that it completely wastes its cast. Amy Adams isn't even good here. That doesn't happen. Laurence Fishburne seems amateurish, Diane Lane is instructed to just be weepy the whole time, and even Gal Godot (who is the most impressive person in this cast) is told to look statuesque and be all exotic and shit. And then we get, maybe, three minutes of her in action.

And, holy hell, that final action sequence. What a massive waste. I knew Doomsday would make an appearance because the trailermakers were stupid enough to reveal that big twist. But Doomsday is super cool. He's tough to beat. And yet his introduction is awful. He's introduced as a lowercase "D" doomsday. He's given no reason to exist other than "I'm Lex Luthor, and I'm crazy for knowledge and power!" And what the hell is he supposed to look like? Look, I know Snyder is trying to deviate from the text and make his own "creative" world (and I mean "creative" in the way I also talk about "creative parents" who give their children ridiculously stupid names or spellings to basically force their child to be different). Doomsday is a totally ripped, Hulk-type figure in "The Death of Superman," so why did Snyder and the creative team feel the need to make him a snot-covered blob monster with teeth?

I lost count of how many times my wife and I said, "This movie is so fucking awful." This is seriously the worst movie I've seen in a long, long time. I am not trying to be sensationalist and give it this rating to get noticed. I truly think this movie is the absolute worst. This is an epic, spectacular level of failure. This is the kind of movie you see that makes you wish movies never existed.

The Bigamist (Ida Lupino, 1953) 5/10

A woman discovers her husband has another family in another city. "The Bigamist" would be a lot better if the title philanderer weren't so unbelievably dull. You'd think for someone who is able to get two different women to fall in love with him and marry him, he'd be remotely smart, handsome, or witty. Sadly, Edmond O'Brien, usually a solid actor, doesn't exude any of this with his characterization.

The women of the film are alright. Joan Fontaine's okay and Ida Lupino is good as usual, but these roles and performances lack what make their more notable performances so much more worthwhile. The level of ferocity Lupino is noted for is missing and Fontaine seems to be slumming it being sweet and sad. This film is missing a heavy dose of camp. If we could get a "Baby Jane" showdown between these two, we'd be cooking up something excellent.

I'm really sad that this isn't better. Ida Lupino was the one major female director in Hollywood in the '50s, and she deserves to be remembered for this. Sadly, she won't be because the films aren't all that great. Maybe she was handed the projects nobody really wanted like they did with Jean Negulesco, and I make that comparison because, when handed good material (like "Johnny Belinda"), Negulesco and, assumedly, Lupino could be great.

But "The Bigamist" is a bore. It isn't too bad. Some of the conversations are fairly absorbing and Lupino was never not radiant, but it's pretty barebones and shrugworthy.

REWATCH: The Hitch-hiker (Ida Lupino, 1953) 7/10

Two carefree travelers pick up a psychopathic hitch-hiker hellbent on killing them if they don't do exactly as he wants. Director Ida Lupino's tense, gripping B-noir is mostly goofy and a bit formulaic by today's standards. We've seen dozens, if not hundreds, of movies just like this especially with home invasion horror having been through its boom in the past ten years. Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy, two character actors I've come to really like, do solid work as our frightened captives. However, it's the already-terrifying-looking William Talman as the titular psycho who really makes the film worth seeing.

And I think the most impressive thing is that, while he does fall into basic character tropes, Talman gives us a mostly complex characterization of his hitchhiker. There are some quieter scenes where he does some real damage and really, really gets under our skin. He convinces us enough that he isn't just crazy because that's how he is and the plot says so. Kudos to this movie for avoiding that.

The film is pretty aimless at times, though, and even drags a little bit despite its short running time. Its "based on a true story" play-up is mostly used to good grindhouse effect, and it's also interesting how closely they modeled Talman's Emmett Myers after the real Billy Cook, even down to the deformed eyelid.

"The Hitch-hiker" is good, fun B-level pulp with some great shots by Lupino and an excellent villainous turn by Talman.

M. Hulot's Holiday (Jacques Tati, 1953) 8/10

Monsieur Hulot finds his way to a beachside resort to vacation while unexpectedly and good-naturedly causing havoc and chaos. Jacques Tati's first foray into the world of M. Hulot is also his first great film. I think the thing I admire most about the Hulot trilogy, which I have finished with this viewing, is that Hulot is the most incidental character in the film. He's simply the catalyst for chaos. Everything funny happens in the background and through subtle sound gags. Of all the films I've seen, the Hulot films have to rank in the top ten for the most pleasant-sounding films.

We get to swim, suntan, play tennis, and watch fireworks with Hulot and each provides excellent pratfall after excellent pratfall. Tati makes such visually rich films. They're warm and inviting much like the setting of this film. And they're rich in content too. I love seeing Hulot's disregard for the bourgeois lifestyle and their pretensions. "Duck Amuck" aside, I think the Hulot films also qualify as some of the best anarchistic films.

Tati is a genius, and "M. Hulot's Holiday" is great. It's an excellent introduction into the style and content he would later perfect with "Play Time" which is his greatest achievement. Hulot is one of cinema's towering comedic achievements and the world needs to recognize that.

The President's Lady (Henry Levin, 1953) 4/10

The story of Andrew Jackson and his courtship of Rachel Robards up through the scandal pondering the legality of their marriage. "The President's Lady" is not good. Granted, it's a pretty looking films with nice sets and costumes and the cinematography is undeniably good, but it lacks any type of punch or point. It comes from a highly Republican time in our country's history where the conservatives were idols and anyone else was labeled as a pinko. And Jackson is one of the very worst Presidents we've had in terms of human rights.

No, this movie doesn't do anything that wasn't already done in "The Gorgeous Hussy," though it's done slightly better here. But that's mostly due to Susan Hayward who does alright in an overdramatic role. A lot of shots and direction try to paint her as Scarlett O'Hara, but it doesn't come off as well. Hayward does a really good job playing opposite Charlton Heston who is pretty terrible as Jackson. Heston's wooden façade doesn't really work until the Jackson character is old by the end of the film. He's not charismatic and he can't hit what Hayward sets up for him.

"The President's Lady" is a dud. Without a beautiful exterior and Susan Hayward, the film would be tripe.

Niagara (Henry Hathaway, 1953) 7/10

A couple honeymooning at Niagara Falls slowly discover something dangerous between their sexy cabin neighbor and her older husband. This film is delicious. "Niagara" is one of those rare color films that are distinctively film noir. It's also a fairly female-driven noir which lends for some more unique angles than we're used to.

Marilyn Monroe may be the film's star, and she's rather good, but it's Jean Peters, the actress who refused to become a sex symbol though the studios pushed for it, who walks away with the biggest accolades. Peters gets the film's most emotional, intriguing arc. She seems to be playing a very similar role to what Barbara Bel Geddes played in "Vertigo" but better. The men in the film are pretty forgettable with a haggard Joseph Cotten doing some okay work.

The film's unbearable intensity is its biggest landmark though. From the final scene to the faux kissing after Peters goes through the wooden railing to a nervous Monroe tries to tie up some loose ends and the chase up to the bell tower, "Niagara" remains intense and smart thanks to everyman director Henry Hathaway who is usually reliable for a solid noir flick. The film is a splash and holds up really well. It's a shame it's simply remembered as a Monroe flick nowadays because it's a really good thriller in its own right.

Él (Luis Buñuel, 1953) 8/10

After a whirlwind romance, a woman discovers her wealthy husband is a psychotic, possessive, jealous maniac. Luis Buñuel, one of the world's foremost wits, trades in, without abandoning, wit for fear in 1953's "Él." The comparisons to "Vertigo" have been frequently noted and for good reason. Buñuel dives into paranoia and possession with his trademark surrealism for a crazed, staggering work of fiction.

Much of the film's success rides on the tremendous performance by Arturo de Córdova who skillfully balances mania, rage, and sadness with ease. de Córdova struts through the film fully aware that he owns it. He's engrossing and magnetic. He dares you to look away from the screen.

What does stop the film from being very great or even a masterpiece is the unexciting performance by Delia Garcés. If she played terrified even half as well as de Córdova plays terrifying, we'd be looking at one of the director's absolute greatest works. Instead, we are still left with a great film with a huge "what if?" attached.

The film's settings are great. The bell tower sequence is eerie and nerve-wracking as it should be, but de Córdova's main mansion is elegant and toe-curling as you'd expect a modern-day Thornfield or Wuthering Heights to be portrayed.

"Él" is a great film. The American title, "This Strange Passion," doesn't do it justice; the simple "He" or "Him" is more terrifying. It's a shocking, risky film that pays off in kind. de Córdova's villain is one of cinema's best.

[Reza]

Gods of Egypt (Alex Proyas, 2016) 6/10

This is actually quite a lot of fun - provided you can switch your brain off - with the writers going into overdrive mixing a number of genres - "The Thief of Bagdad" meets the biblical epic meets any number of films set in ancient Egypt with a spoonful of greek mythology mixed in with Science Fiction and presented in epic (and bad) CGI grandeur. During the coronation of a new ruler (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) in Egypt, his evil Uncle (Gerard Butler) sweeps in, blinds him and kills his own brother the old king (Bryan Brown). It takes the youthful ingenuity of a thief (Brenton Thwaites) for the real ruler to recapture his kingdom. Slap dash nonsense with some of the cast hilariously camp - Geoffrey Rush as a bald god and Rufus Sewell as an architect. There is even an homage to "Barbarella" with one of the female gods wearing huge feather wings. Hilariously bad film is a visual feast - the elaborate sets and the loud effects as the humans keep turning into gods who look like that old chestnut "Predator" with a touch of "Alien". Butler, as the evil villain, is the best part of the film.

[Reza]

The Man Between (Carol Reed, 1953) 8/10

An attempt by Reed to capture the atmosphere of "The Third Man", a film set in Vienna and centering on the mysterious Harry Lime played by Orson Welles as a shadowy figure. Here the city is post-war Berlin with it's bombed out buildings and snow covered rubble-strewn streets. This time round the director doesn't quite capture the magic of his previous film but does manage to create a similar atmosphere - Desmond Dickinson's marvelous cinematography with the camera creating shadows and tilted imagery and the haunting score by John Addison which captures the bleakness of the city. A young naive girl (Claire Bloom) arrives from London on holiday to stay with her brother and his new German wife (Hildegarde Neff). While on an excursion into the Russian controlled East side of the city she meets and befriends the mysteriously shadowy Iwo (James Mason) who has a dark past. The plot involves racketeers, blackmail, a kidnapping and an escape that ends in tragedy. Both Mason (speaking with a German accent), as the charming and sardonic crook, and Neff as his jaded former wife are superb. There is also strong chemistry between Mason and Bloom who fell in love with each other during the shoot and is evident in all their scenes with each other.

[Reza]

Jules et Jim (Francois Truffaut, 1962) 10/10

Heart-warming film made with remarkable energy by 29 year-old Truffaut as it covers twenty years in the lives of two friends - the quiet and conservative Austrian Jules (Oskar Werner) and the adventurous extrovert Jim (Henry Serre) - and the ménage á trois they share with the free spirited Catherine (Jeanne Moreau) who is a "force of nature". The film belongs to Moreau who creates one of cinema's most charming characters who loves both men but remains steadfastly independant throughout the ultimately doomed but fun filled relationship. Extremely influential film of the French New Wave which also played a hand in changing the course of Hollywood cinema. Sharply allegorical, the film starts with light hearted gaiety and ends in tragedy as the lives of the three characters mirror the state of things around. All hope that arrives at the end of the first World War is eventually dashed with the Nazis burning books leading upto the catastrophe in the future. Superbly acted, directed, scored (by Georges Delerue), photographed (by the great Raoul Coutaed) and edited (by Claudine Bouché), this is one of the great classics of French cinema. A must-see.

[Reza]

Tristana (Luis Buñuel, 1970) 9/10

Wicked black comedy as Buñuel once again takes apart sexual double standards of the Spanish patriarchal society with side jabs at religion. An innocent young girl, Tristana (Catherine Deneuve), comes to live with her suave but impoverished nobleman benefactor (Fernando Rey) after her mother (who was the man's mistress) dies. He is a notorious ladies man, old enough to be her father and soon seduces her into becoming his mistress. Overbearingly possessive he does not allow her to leave the house. Soon she begins sneaking out, meets a young painter (Franco Nero) and runs off with him. She returns after two years ill with a malignant tumor on her leg and moves back in with the old man - her father/lover - who nurses her after her leg is amputated. The story is the journey of a young girl who is seduced into maturity and coldly seeks revenge. It is also the story of a lecherous old man who finds that roles in life can suddenly reverse. Both Rey and Deneuve (unfortunately dubbed) superbly play out their game of chess as the victim coldly and surely turns into the victor. Tristana is not Buñuel's best but this quiet little intimate drama is certainly amongst his top five.

[Reza]

Ma mére / My Mother (Christophe Honoré, 2004) 8/10

This is not a film for the faint of heart. Is it mere Euro trash or a desperate scream for attention most of us crave secretly? A sexually graphic tale about the initiation of a young teenager (Louis Garrel), straight out of Catholic school, into a life of depraved sexual proclivities by his mother (Isabelle Huppert). A hedonist, alcoholic and into sex games, the woman leads her depressed young son onto a path of no return as the boy gets deeper and deeper into a world of utter deparavity as the film explores the world of sadomasochism, love, family dysfunction and ends with incest. By the time the sudden and abrasive ending appears (paging Oedipus) our senses have already been assaulted by scenes of masturbation, full frontal urination, rimming, whippings, boot licking and public fornication. What must have seemed like the lowest depths of human behaviour in 1962 (as it's based on a book by Georges Battaile from that year) it seems pretty tame today keeping in mind the scarred psychology of the characters. The sex scenes are almost clinical in nature devoid of any love or feeling. Huppert is an extremely brave actress who takes on challenging and very difficult characters to play. Her natural hauteur, elegance and poise hide a vulnerability beneath the surface of her often fearless characters. Garrel compliments her every step of the way playing a deeply troubled soul desperate for his mother's love which when he almost receives results in yet another reprehensible act. Weird and yes, pretentious, the film nevertheless is a fascinating peek into human psychology.

[Reza]

Vincere (Marco Bellocchio, 2009) 8/10

"Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned". And she most certainly creates a storm for young Mussolini (Filippo Timi) who falls in lust with Ida Dalser (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) during his early firebrand socialist days when he meets the idealistic woman at a rally. They connect in bed passionately, get married and have a son. When he returns from the war he abandons his wife and son and gets married to his mistress. Ida does not take this change in status kindly, to say the least. Grandly operatic film - sumptuously designed and photographed - is more fascinating as a history of Italy during that time than it is of the anguish Ida goes through in trying to re-connect with Mussolini in order for him to publicly acknowledge his son. She ends up in an asylum after being repeatedly rebuffed and her son in an orphanage. The second half of the film centering on Ida's obsession does not include Mussolini who is throughout then shown in newsreels as he ages. These little known facts of Il Duce's life, which were suppressed for years, show him in a different perspective. The film offers no explanation why Ida was abandoned which makes it hard to understand the man. The story is one of obsession (Ida's) and madness (the path Italy followed when Il Duce made an alliance with the equally power mad Hitler. The film is a tour-de-force for Mezzogiorno who creates a fully lucid flesh and blood character who cannot fathom why she fell from grace. It is also a story about the madness perpetuated by one man on not only his family but also upon the whole nation.