list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Postman Always Rings Twice on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/The_Postman_Always_Rings_Twice/27161/default.aspx Title: The Postman Always Rings Twice
Year: 1946
Director: Tay Garnett
Plot: James M. Cain's novel received its first authorized screen treatment in this MGM production. Drifter Frank Chambers (John Garfield) takes a job at a roadhouse run by slovenly but likeable Nick Smith (Cecil Kellaway). Nick's sexy young wife Cora (Lana Turner) takes an immediate liking to Frank, but he senses that she's trouble and he keeps his distance--for a while, anyway. Inevitably succumbing to Cora's tawdry charms, Frank enters into her scheme to murder Nick and claim the old boy's insurance money. Not long after committing the foul deed, Frank and Cora are arrested. Thanks to the conniving of slimy attorney Arthur Keats (Hume Cronyn), the illicit lovers are able to beat the murder rap--but, as the film's title symbolically indicates, they eventually pay for their misdeeds in an unexpected manner. Fans of the James M. Cain original--not to mention Cain himself--were aghast at the changes made in the novel by screenwriters Harry Ruskin and Niven Busch; many of the alterations were made to conform with censorship standards of the era, while others simply existed to massage the egos of the stars. Even so, the 1946 version of The Postman Always Rings Twice is infinitely more satisfying than the no-holds-barred 1981 remake, directed by Bob Rafelson with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 24
Number of Lists: 16
Number of blog posts: 6
Number of discussion threads: 3
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:54:45 GMTThe Postman Always Rings Twice1946Tay GarnettJames M. Cain's novel received its first authorized screen treatment in this MGM production. Drifter Frank Chambers (<a href="/players/P___187968/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Garfield</a>) takes a job at a roadhouse run by slovenly but likeable Nick Smith (<a href="/players/P____37418/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Cecil Kellaway</a>). Nick's sexy young wife Cora (<a href="/players/P____72175/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Lana Turner</a>) takes an immediate liking to Frank, but he senses that she's trouble and he keeps his distance--for a while, anyway. Inevitably succumbing to Cora's tawdry charms, Frank enters into her scheme to murder Nick and claim the old boy's insurance money. Not long after committing the foul deed, Frank and Cora are arrested. Thanks to the conniving of slimy attorney Arthur Keats (<a href="/players/P____15864/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Hume Cronyn</a>), the illicit lovers are able to beat the murder rap--but, as the film's title symbolically indicates, they eventually pay for their misdeeds in an unexpected manner. Fans of the James M. Cain original--not to mention Cain himself--were aghast at the changes made in the novel by screenwriters <a href="/players/P___109313/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Harry Ruskin</a> and <a href="/players/P____83677/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Niven Busch</a>; many of the alterations were made to conform with censorship standards of the era, while others simply existed to massage the egos of the stars. Even so, the 1946 version of The Postman Always Rings Twice is infinitely more satisfying than the no-holds-barred 1981 remake, directed by <a href="/players/P___107395/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Bob Rafelson</a> with <a href="/players/P___104455/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jack Nicholson</a> and <a href="/players/P____40447/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jessica Lange</a>. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide24Tag Target (>10)16633http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t36872t0pby.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Postman_Always_Rings_Twice/27161/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2009/5/11/42234.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 5/11/2009 2:15:25 PM
Body: The John Garfield Story This documentary can be found on the special features of the DVD for The Postman Always Rings Twice. It features a history and biography of the actor John Garfield as well as many insights and praises from directors and actors who I don't think really had anything to do with him. Anyways, I wasn't overly impressed with Garfield in The Postman, and the clips of him from other movies weren't especially enticing either. So overall this feature wasn't too exciting to me. Maybe if you are a John Garfield fan you will dig it though. Rating: 5/10
]]>Mon, 11 May 2009 18:15:25 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog5/11/2009 2:15:25 PMThe John Garfield Story This documentary can be found on the special features of the DVD for The Postman Always Rings Twice. It features a history and biography of the actor John Garfield as well as many insights and praises from directors and actors who I don't think really had anything to do with him. Anyways, I wasn't overly impressed with Garfield in The Postman, and the clips of him from other movies weren't especially enticing either. So overall this feature wasn't too exciting to me. Maybe if you are a John Garfield fan you will dig it though. Rating: 5/10 http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2009/5/11/42228.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 5/11/2009 12:29:31 PM
Body: This blog entry is part of my "movie year countdown round #2". Read more about that here. The Postman Always Rings Twice The name is well known in the film noir-genre. But the film has nothing to do with the actual title except for a little metaphor that is unleashed right at the end of the film, a metaphor that is apparently never even mentioned in the original novel and probably could have been better for the situation. But the name is memorable and now iconic, so I won't argue with it too much. The film is just a little short of two hours but feels pretty long and sprawling. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes a tedious way. Actually I found the film to be pretty tedious for most of the beginning. Lana Turner was more annoying than seductive to me at first, but something about her allured me more and more as it went. However, as soon as the courtroom drama began, I was much more involved. This is probably largely due to actor Hume Cronyn who suddenly appears and steals the show in my opinion. Too bad I just wasn't roped into John Garfield's performance too much, despite the fact that this is the first film I've seen with the famous actor. Rating: 7/10
]]>Mon, 11 May 2009 16:29:31 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog5/11/2009 12:29:31 PMThis blog entry is part of my "movie year countdown round #2". Read more about that here. The Postman Always Rings Twice The name is well known in the film noir-genre. But the film has nothing to do with the actual title except for a little metaphor that is unleashed right at the end of the film, a metaphor that is apparently never even mentioned in the original novel and probably could have been better for the situation. But the name is memorable and now iconic, so I won't argue with it too much. The film is just a little short of two hours but feels pretty long and sprawling. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes a tedious way. Actually I found the film to be pretty tedious for most of the beginning. Lana Turner was more annoying than seductive to me at first, but something about her allured me more and more as it went. However, as soon as the courtroom drama began, I was much more involved. This is probably largely due to actor Hume Cronyn who suddenly appears and steals the show in my opinion. Too bad I just wasn't roped into John Garfield's performance too much, despite the fact that this is the first film I've seen with the famous actor. Rating: 7/10 http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/27/40694.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/27/2009 6:01:36 PM
Body: One of the most popular sex scenes of all time is the kitchen scene from the 1981 version of The Postman Always Rings Twice. But many people find the more implicit parts of the 1946 version to be sexier. These people include the earlier film’s female lead, Lana Turner, who wrote in her autobiography, “[The makers of the 1981 film] didn’t have to worry about the censors. I’d had to project a rather intense sexual presence, but always with my clothes on. I was amused to read that [NY Times film critic] Vincent Canby considered the remake a pale, rather sexless imitation of my version.” Yes, a film with neither nudity nor simulated lovemaking can be quite sexy, likely sexier than an explicit remake, for innuendo and other teasing maneuvers around either the Hays Code or the MPAA ratings board’s restrictions are far more tantalizing than any bare and balls-out displays of graphic sex common in movies today. Though many classic implications of sex on the big screen were rather obvious and quick, giving the audience a nudge but hardly a rise (think the Eisensteinian metaphors of a train entering a tunnel in North by Northwest or fireworks exploding in To Catch a Thief), loads of films turned up the heat through the use of careful camerawork, daring dialogue and more subtly suggestive actions. Sometimes such sexy moments of tension and/or playfulness are definite forms of foreplay and serve as lead-ins to actual sex acts, on or off screen. But not always. Everyone has his or her own ideas of what’s sexy, so feel free to disagree with our choices and/or suggest your own (I can guess what the first suggestion will be). Consider our list simply a starting point for discussion. “‘Makin’ Whoopee’ scene,” from The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) Basically, this famous scene, in which Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) sings “Makin’ Whoopee” while wriggling around atop a piano, is a slightly classier version of Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” music video. Just as loads of metal heads dreamed they were David Coverdale’s Jaguar, a few years later tons of moviegoers wished they could have been that piano. “Bogie gets wet,” from The Big Sleep (1946) Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) and the unnamed bookseller (Dorothy Malone) may actually get it on offscreen following this flirtatious exchange, but even if their little rye-drinking party is purely an innocent moment between two strangers waiting out a rainstorm, there’s no denying the sexual energy going on between them. While it may be hard for a guy to understand the appeal of the quite blunt and rude Marlowe (are the glasses really that big a turn-off, Bogie?), Malone is very sexy when communicating her eagerness for whatever, even before she complies with the eyewear request and then voluntarily lets down her hair. Just watch her reaction when he says, “I’d a lot rather get wet in here.” “Airplane scene,” from Chungking Express (1994) As far as suggestive imagery goes, the way Cop 663 (Tony Leung) plays with that toy airplane around the half-clothed stewardess (Valerie Chow) is only slightly subtler than the aforementioned montages from North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief, but Wong Kar Wai is much more sensual in the way he films his symbolic object. Certainly there is more direct sexiness to be found without Eisensteinian cutaways, anyway, and the additional innuendo provided by the airline safety instructions and the stewardess’ spilling of her beer gives the scene a delectable feeling of reciprocation. “Kiss scene on the beach,” from From Here to Eternity (1953) This scene is a bit of an obvious choice, and in a way it barely counts because the whole thing involves an explicit form of intimacy between two lovers (Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr) that can hardly be considered completely non-sexual. But the reason we’re including it is because it’s one of the greatest and most unmistakable substitutes for an actual, outright sex scene ever put on film. That’s why so many films have imitated it so faithfully, even in times when it’s been more favorable and more acceptable to recreate the scene without the bathing suits. “Gable takes off his shirt,” from It Happened One Night (1934) Unlike Bogie’s come on, the appeal of Gable’s undressing is completely understandable, to either sex. And it’s not just clear in the way Ellie (Claudette Colbert) stares and then rushes off to her side of the room all hot and bothered. Male audiences also recognized the sexiness of the scene, evidenced in the film’s infamous influence on the (misfortunate) undershirt business. There’s plenty of sexual tension going on in the rest of the “walls of Jericho” sequence, and Colbert’s behind-the-sheet undressing is also quite sexy (as is her iconic hitchhiking display in another scene), but considering male stripping in cinema is rarely so inviting, we have to go with this narrowed-down choice. “The phone scene,” from It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Were you aware that such a seemingly family-friendly director as Frank Capra gave us so many sexy scenes? There’s not much in It’s a Wonderful Life that’s as arousing as those mentioned moments from It Happened One Night, but one of the all-time best shots depicting sexual tension is in this holiday favorite. If George (James Stewart) and Mary (Donna Reed) hadn’t finally kissed at the end of this scene, audiences would probably have just burst in their seats. “‘Moonglow’ dance,” from Picnic (1955) Beginning with Kim Novak’s sultry wiggle down the steps, this is one of the sexiest dances in cinema, and that’s compared to hundreds of more explicit numbers throughout film history. Even without the graphic double crotch shot, which is used to frame Susan Strasberg (though surely you’re not actually focusing on her, right?), the scene is as clearly a substitute for sex as the beach scene from From Here to Eternity. “Jane changes clothes in silhouette,” from Tarzan and His Mate (1934) It wasn’t the first time a silhouetted stripping scene was used in a film. But we just couldn’t include the moment from the “Petting in the Park” number from Gold Diggers of 1933, because the voyeuristic kid makes it just a little too creepy. Besides, the idea of a nude woman silhouetted against a tent wall is a more iconic image, one that’s been constantly redone both erotically and comically. A later scene in the film, in which Jane (Maureen O’Sullivan, though replaced at this moment by Olympic swimmer Josephine McKim) goes skinny-dipping with Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller), is also quite a sexy non-sex scene. “Lusty eating scene,” from Tom Jones (1963) Did anyone else see the recent special episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations about the concept of food porn? Or, has anyone else felt a little dirty watching Padma Lakshmi bite into an apple during Top Chef promos? Well maybe not all cinephiles are also foodies, but for those that are, the feast of food and foreplay in Tom Jones is certainly relatable. Watching Tom (Albert Finney) and Mrs. Waters (Joyce Redman) may not directly turn you on, but if you understand the erotic power of food, you should at least be able to appreciate the sexual energy here. “Returning stolen goods,” from Trouble in Paradise (1932) Far more than Frank Capra, Ernst Lubitsch was responsible for many of the sexiest films of the ‘30s and ‘40s, but it’s arguably Trouble in Paradise that tops them all. Using his signature “Lubitsch touch,” he had a way of getting around censors by only carefully alluding to censorable things, all through the trust in the audience’s ability to read between the lines and imagine what’s happening behind closed doors. His sexiest scene, however, is more blatant than all that; two master criminals (Miriam Hopkins and Herbert Marshall) fall in love while returning the items they’ve pickpocketed off each other. Decades later, people will see a similar sexiness in a scene from Mr. and Mrs. Smith, clearly derivative of this scene, in which Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt pat each other down for weapons while dancing. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:01:36 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/27/2009 6:01:36 PMOne of the most popular sex scenes of all time is the kitchen scene from the 1981 version of The Postman Always Rings Twice. But many people find the more implicit parts of the 1946 version to be sexier. These people include the earlier film’s female lead, Lana Turner, who wrote in her autobiography, “[The makers of the 1981 film] didn’t have to worry about the censors. I’d had to project a rather intense sexual presence, but always with my clothes on. I was amused to read that [NY Times film critic] Vincent Canby considered the remake a pale, rather sexless imitation of my version.” Yes, a film with neither nudity nor simulated lovemaking can be quite sexy, likely sexier than an explicit remake, for innuendo and other teasing maneuvers around either the Hays Code or the MPAA ratings board’s restrictions are far more tantalizing than any bare and balls-out displays of graphic sex common in movies today. Though many classic implications of sex on the big screen were rather obvious and quick, giving the audience a nudge but hardly a rise (think the Eisensteinian metaphors of a train entering a tunnel in North by Northwest or fireworks exploding in To Catch a Thief), loads of films turned up the heat through the use of careful camerawork, daring dialogue and more subtly suggestive actions. Sometimes such sexy moments of tension and/or playfulness are definite forms of foreplay and serve as lead-ins to actual sex acts, on or off screen. But not always. Everyone has his or her own ideas of what’s sexy, so feel free to disagree with our choices and/or suggest your own (I can guess what the first suggestion will be). Consider our list simply a starting point for discussion. “‘Makin’ Whoopee’ scene,” from The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) Basically, this famous scene, in which Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) sings “Makin’ Whoopee” while wriggling around atop a piano, is a slightly classier version of Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” music video. Just as loads of metal heads dreamed they were David Coverdale’s Jaguar, a few years later tons of moviegoers wished they could have been that piano. “Bogie gets wet,” from The Big Sleep (1946) Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) and the unnamed bookseller (Dorothy Malone) may actually get it on offscreen following this flirtatious exchange, but even if their little rye-drinking party is purely an innocent moment between two strangers waiting out a rainstorm, there’s no denying the sexual energy going on between them. While it may be hard for a guy to understand the appeal of the quite blunt and rude Marlowe (are the glasses really that big a turn-off, Bogie?), Malone is very sexy when communicating her eagerness for whatever, even before she complies with the eyewear request and then voluntarily lets down her hair. Just watch her reaction when he says, “I’d a lot rather get wet in here.” “Airplane scene,” from Chungking Express (1994) As far as suggestive imagery goes, the way Cop 663 (Tony Leung) plays with that toy airplane around the half-clothed stewardess (Valerie Chow) is only slightly subtler than the aforementioned montages from North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief, but Wong Kar Wai is much more sensual in the way he films his symbolic object. Certainly there is more direct sexiness to be found without Eisensteinian cutaways, anyway, and the additional innuendo provided by the airline safety instructions and the stewardess’ spilling of her beer gives the scene a delectable feeling of reciprocation. “Kiss scene on the beach,” from From Here to Eternity (1953) This scene is a bit of an obvious choice, and in a way it barely counts because the whole thing involves an explicit form of intimacy between two lovers (Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr) that can hardly be considered completely non-sexual. But the reason we’re including it is because it’s one of the greatest and most unmistakable substitutes for an actual, outright sex scene ever put on film. That’s why so many films have imitated it so faithfully, even in times when it’s been more favorable and more acceptable to recreate the scene without the bathing suits. “Gable takes off his shirt,” from It Happened One Night (1934) Unlike Bogie’s come on, the appeal of Gable’s undressing is completely understandable, to either sex. And it’s not just clear in the way Ellie (Claudette Colbert) stares and then rushes off to her side of the room all hot and bothered. Male audiences also recognized the sexiness of the scene, evidenced in the film’s infamous influence on the (misfortunate) undershirt business. There’s plenty of sexual tension going on in the rest of the “walls of Jericho” sequence, and Colbert’s behind-the-sheet undressing is also quite sexy (as is her iconic hitchhiking display in another scene), but considering male stripping in cinema is rarely so inviting, we have to go with this narrowed-down choice. “The phone scene,” from It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Were you aware that such a seemingly family-friendly director as Frank Capra gave us so many sexy scenes? There’s not much in It’s a Wonderful Life that’s as arousing as those mentioned moments from It Happened One Night, but one of the all-time best shots depicting sexual tension is in this holiday favorite. If George (James Stewart) and Mary (Donna Reed) hadn’t finally kissed at the end of this scene, audiences would probably have just burst in their seats. “‘Moonglow’ dance,” from Picnic (1955) Beginning with Kim Novak’s sultry wiggle down the steps, this is one of the sexiest dances in cinema, and that’s compared to hundreds of more explicit numbers throughout film history. Even without the graphic double crotch shot, which is used to frame Susan Strasberg (though surely you’re not actually focusing on her, right?), the scene is as clearly a substitute for sex as the beach scene from From Here to Eternity. “Jane changes clothes in silhouette,” from Tarzan and His Mate (1934) It wasn’t the first time a silhouetted stripping scene was used in a film. But we just couldn’t include the moment from the “Petting in the Park” number from Gold Diggers of 1933, because the voyeuristic kid makes it just a little too creepy. Besides, the idea of a nude woman silhouetted against a tent wall is a more iconic image, one that’s been constantly redone both erotically and comically. A later scene in the film, in which Jane (Maureen O’Sullivan, though replaced at this moment by Olympic swimmer Josephine McKim) goes skinny-dipping with Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller), is also quite a sexy non-sex scene. “Lusty eating scene,” from Tom Jones (1963) Did anyone else see the recent special episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations about the concept of food porn? Or, has anyone else felt a little dirty watching Padma Lakshmi bite into an apple during Top Chef promos? Well maybe not all cinephiles are also foodies, but for those that are, the feast of food and foreplay in Tom Jones is certainly relatable. Watching Tom (Albert Finney) and Mrs. Waters (Joyce Redman) may not directly turn you on, but if you understand the erotic power of food, you should at least be able to appreciate the sexual energy here. “Returning stolen goods,” from Trouble in Paradise (1932) Far more than Frank Capra, Ernst Lubitsch was responsible for many of the sexiest films of the ‘30s and ‘40s, but it’s arguably Trouble in Paradise that tops them all. Using his signature “Lubitsch touch,” he had a way of getting around censors by only carefully alluding to censorable things, all through the trust in the audience’s ability to read between the lines and imagine what’s happening behind closed doors. His sexiest scene, however, is more blatant than all that; two master criminals (Miriam Hopkins and Herbert Marshall) fall in love while returning the items they’ve pickpocketed off each other. Decades later, people will see a similar sexiness in a scene from Mr. and Mrs. Smith, clearly derivative of this scene, in which Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt pat each other down for weapons while dancing. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2007/11/19/21772.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 11/19/2007 11:10:22 AM
Body: This is a list for Round 2 of my movie year countdown viewing project as first described here. If by any strange chance whoever is reading this is actually following along you may notice that I'm still less than two thirds of the way through my original one. Well I'm starting this new one because as much as I love old movies it can get a little tedious watching just older movies. So I'm going to be blending my watching of the two lists together. Still focusing on the original one, but every once in a while sliding in the next entry from this new list.Again these new movies are limited to full length movies that are available on Netflix. And for this new round instead of picking a movie from every year, I will be picking a movie from every two years. For example the first movie must have come out during 2006 or 2007. The second movie must have come out in 2004 or 2005. The next in 2002 or 2003. You see.The list is not finished yet, but here is what I have decided so far. I will update this post later with the new flicks.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. Children of Men (2006)2. The New World (2005)3. Mou gaan dou (Infernal Affairs) (2002)4. Riri Shushu no subete (All About Lily Chou-Chou) (2001)5. Party Monster (1998)6. Hard Eight (1996)7. Smoke (1995)8. Jennifer Eight (1992)9. The Fisher King (1991)10. Tetsuo (Tetsuo, the Iron Man) (1989)11. Angel Heart (1987)12. Runaway Train (1985)13. Burden of Dreams (1982)14. The Big Red One (1980)15. Stalker (1979)16. Network (1976)17. Angst essen Seele auf (Ali: Fear Eats the Soul) (1974)18. The Wicker Man (1973)19. Land des Schweigens und der Dunkelheit (Land of Silence and Darkness) (1971)20. Z (1969)21. In Cold Blood (1967)22. Suna no onna (Woman in the Dunes) (1964)23. The Intruder (1962)24. Jungfrukällan (The Virgin Spring) (1960)25. Pickpocket (1959)26. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)27. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)28. Shane (1953)29. Winchester '73 (1950)30. The Big Clock (1948)31. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)32. The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France (1944)33. Hi Diddle Diddle (1943)34. The Philadelphia Story (1940)35. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)36. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)37. Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)38. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)39. Zemlya (Earth) (1930)40. Die Büchse der Pandora (Pandora's Box) (1929)41. The Unknown (1927)42. Seven Chances (1925)43. Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler - Ein Bild der Zeit (Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler) (1922)44. The Kid (1921)45. Male and Female (1919)46. Umirayushchii Lebed (The Dying Swan) (1917)47. The Birth of a Nation (1915)
]]>Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:10:22 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog11/19/2007 11:10:22 AMThis is a list for Round 2 of my movie year countdown viewing project as first described here. If by any strange chance whoever is reading this is actually following along you may notice that I&#39;m still less than two thirds of the way through my original one. Well I&#39;m starting this new one because as much as I love old movies it can get a little tedious watching just older movies. So I&#39;m going to be blending my watching of the two lists together. Still focusing on the original one, but every once in a while sliding in the next entry from this new list.Again these new movies are limited to full length movies that are available on Netflix. And for this new round instead of picking a movie from every year, I will be picking a movie from every two years. For example the first movie must have come out during 2006 or 2007. The second movie must have come out in 2004 or 2005. The next in 2002 or 2003. You see.The list is not finished yet, but here is what I have decided so far. I will update this post later with the new flicks.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. Children of Men (2006)2. The New World (2005)3. Mou gaan dou (Infernal Affairs) (2002)4. Riri Shushu no subete (All About Lily Chou-Chou) (2001)5. Party Monster (1998)6. Hard Eight (1996)7. Smoke (1995)8. Jennifer Eight (1992)9. The Fisher King (1991)10. Tetsuo (Tetsuo, the Iron Man) (1989)11. Angel Heart (1987)12. Runaway Train (1985)13. Burden of Dreams (1982)14. The Big Red One (1980)15. Stalker (1979)16. Network (1976)17. Angst essen Seele auf (Ali: Fear Eats the Soul) (1974)18. The Wicker Man (1973)19. Land des Schweigens und der Dunkelheit (Land of Silence and Darkness) (1971)20. Z (1969)21. In Cold Blood (1967)22. Suna no onna (Woman in the Dunes) (1964)23. The Intruder (1962)24. Jungfruk&auml;llan (The Virgin Spring) (1960)25. Pickpocket (1959)26. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)27. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)28. Shane (1953)29. Winchester &#39;73 (1950)30. The Big Clock (1948)31. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)32. The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France (1944)33. Hi Diddle Diddle (1943)34. The Philadelphia Story (1940)35. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)36. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)37. Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)38. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)39. Zemlya (Earth) (1930)40. Die B&uuml;chse der Pandora (Pandora&#39;s Box) (1929)41. The Unknown (1927)42. Seven Chances (1925)43. Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler - Ein Bild der Zeit (Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler) (1922)44. The Kid (1921)45. Male and Female (1919)46. Umirayushchii Lebed (The Dying Swan) (1917)47. The Birth of a Nation (1915) http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Actresses_in_Classic_Film_Noir/190/9119/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Jymkata
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 5/21/2007 6:34:35 PM
Body: Wow, great topic, since the women really make film noir sexy and mysterious 1. I loooove Gloria Grahame in everything so I guess I have to cheat and say that I would put three of her noir performances in a tie- tough and sexy Debby Marsh in The Big Heat, scheming Irene Neves in Sudden Fear, and complicated Laurel Grey in In a Lonely Place2. I think Joan Crawford gets a bad rap because of her personal life, but I think she makes every movie she's in better. I'm going to cheat again and list two favorites, as Myra Hudson in Sudden Fear and as the indomitable Mildred Pierce3. I agree with you Jim that Jane Greer's entrance in Out of the Past is one of the most memorable, maybe only rivaled by Lana Turner's in The Postman Always Rings Twice. Jane's performance makes that movie all the more mysterious and menacing. 4. Gene Tierney is a great noir actress as well. She is the haunting prescence in one of my all-time favs., Laura and she's great in the noirs Whirlpool and Where The Sidewalk Ends as well as the noirish Leave her to Heaven, 5. If you are talking about single performances it would be hard to beat the portrayal of a vicious femme fatale that Ann Savage gives in Detour. You don't root for Vera and she isn't glamorous, but she catches Tom Neal in her web and leads him to his destruction. Maybe Peggy Cummings in Gun Crazy comes close. Lauren Bacall in Dark Passage and Key Largo, Veronica Lake in This Gun for Hire, Joan Bennett in Woman in the Window, and Barbra Stanwyck in Double Indemnity are my alternates.
]]>Mon, 21 May 2007 22:34:35 GMTJymkataTop 55/21/2007 6:34:35 PMWow, great topic, since the women really make film noir sexy and mysterious 1. I loooove Gloria Grahame in everything so I guess I have to cheat and say that I would put three of her noir performances in a tie- tough and sexy Debby Marsh in The Big Heat, scheming Irene Neves in Sudden Fear, and complicated Laurel Grey in In a Lonely Place2. I think Joan Crawford gets a bad rap because of her personal life, but I think she makes every movie she&#39;s in better. I&#39;m going to cheat again and list two favorites, as Myra Hudson in Sudden Fear and as the indomitable Mildred Pierce3. I agree with you Jim that Jane Greer&#39;s entrance in Out of the Past is one of the most memorable, maybe only rivaled by Lana Turner&#39;s in The Postman Always Rings Twice. Jane&#39;s performance makes that movie all the more mysterious and menacing. 4. Gene Tierney is a great noir actress as well. She is the haunting prescence in one of my all-time favs., Laura and she&#39;s great in the noirs Whirlpool and Where The Sidewalk Ends as well as the noirish Leave her to Heaven, 5. If you are talking about single performances it would be hard to beat the portrayal of a vicious femme fatale that Ann Savage gives in Detour. You don&#39;t root for Vera and she isn&#39;t glamorous, but she catches Tom Neal in her web and leads him to his destruction. Maybe Peggy Cummings in Gun Crazy comes close. Lauren Bacall in Dark Passage and Key Largo, Veronica Lake in This Gun for Hire, Joan Bennett in Woman in the Window, and Barbra Stanwyck in Double Indemnity are my alternates. http://www.spout.com/blogs/jimbell/archive/2007/3/22/6438.aspx Post By: JimBell
Post To: JimBell Blog
Post Date: 3/22/2007 7:17:00 PM
Body: The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)—Most people pop in this video as a film noir, or see it in a film series called something like “Classics of Film Noir.” Then arguments rage about whether the film is truly classic or fails to measure up to Double Indemnity and others (see for example the IMDb site). But these are secondary considerations. The primary question is “Is this a good movie?” or, somewhat differently, “Is it worth watching?” Although I think the answers are yes, I readily admit that there are two broad reasons someone might not think this a good movie. First, it was made a half century ago, and some viewers will not be able to make the leap to allow the pace, camera work, and, particularly, the acting to work its magic. This is a common problem, highlighted when reading literature. The first time I encountered Chaucer’s 600-year old poetry I felt I was running in quicksand: The Wife of Bath begins by mentioning her five husbands, and then turns to the Bible:Herkne eek, lo, which a sharp word for the nones,Biside a welle, Jhesus, God and man,Spak in repreeve of the Samaritan: . . .I was lost. By the end of the summer, Chaucer was my second favourite writer. It took a lot of work learning a new version of English and learning about life in the 1300s. When someone says that Postman is too old fashioned for them to get into, I empathize. While that person may have trouble, lots of other folks—like me—find it easy to leap to a Californian roadside diner in the 1940s. Some viewers will have trouble with Postman for the same reason we all occasionally have trouble getting into movies—they do not accept the basic premise. People find it easier to accept premises from their day and age. For example, “Everyone is corrupt, killing is the way to deal with things, and graphic violence is endlessly entertaining.” Thus almost no one criticizes the underlying assumptions of last year’s “best” film, The Departed. But accepting the basic premise of older films is often more difficult. Postman asks us to believe that a male and female can experience such a strong animal attraction to each other that it will survive insults, fighting, separation, murder, and anything else. Some viewers—e.g., maybe some of those who have not felt such a powerful attraction—will find this implausible or obnoxious or boring. Similarly, viewers who cannot tap into the 1940s film noir theme of fatalism will find they have trouble tapping into Postman. The film works because the plot is so well constructed. This should not come as a surprise, for the author of the novel, James M. Cain, also supplied the superb Double Indemnity and Mildred Pierce, and because the two screenwriters were veterans who knew what they were doing—Harry Ruskin had been writing regularly since 1930, and Niven Busch had been nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay in 1938. As soon as Frank Chambers (John Garfield) walks into the diner and lays eyes on Cora Smith (Lana Turner), he is smitten; she slams the door on him. But he is a good-looking, young guy who wants her, in contrast to her pudgy, old husband who takes her for granted. She falls for him. He wants her, and she wants him and a good life. They run away, but she quickly realizes that they have each other but little hope of a good life, so they return. After running did not work, Cora suggests an idea Frank had mentioned casually: killing old Frank Smith (Cecil Kellaway). Despite their differences, Frank is crazy for Cora, and Cora wants Frank as well as a good life. They are very clear about confirming their love for each other before entering into murder. Will they get away with electrocuting Nick in the bath tub? Even though the Production Code apparently stated that “no sympathies shall be aligned with those committing a crime,” we have mixed feeling about this situation. On the one hand, murder is a reprehensible “solution,” and Nick is an okay guy who does not deserve to die. On the other hand, Cora married him to keep the hordes of suitors at bay, she hoped the love would develop, but it never did, and she thinks it the biggest mistake of her life. Frank, who has drifted from one thing to another, seems to have found someone who, at least in his terms, is the real thing. We’re left wishing that Cora and Frank were smart enough to think of an alternative but hoping that if they do commit the murder, they get away with it. They botch the murder attempt, Nick lives, and Frank leaves. But Frank frequents a market where he knows Cora might show up. Nick shows up and insists that he come back to the diner. Cora is more than miffed when she sees Frank. Now what? Nick announces that he is selling the business and that he and Cora are moving to a small town in northern Canada to take care of his invalid sister, while Nick will manage the diner for the new owner. Cora objects, and she and Frank hatch a plot to have Nick drive off a cliff drunk. It works. But the aftermath of Nick’s murder is the opposite of what Cora and Frank expected. As James M. Cain said about his book, although it shows that love and murder can go together, it shows that no two people can successfully share the terrible secret of a murder. Cora and Frank are driven apart—unexpectedly but, at the same time, inevitably. Although the hatred and suspicion is palpable, they work to patch things up. Will Frank pass Cora’s test of love? They return to the beach where they were happiest, swim out so far that she cannot make it back, and he gallantly saves her life. Driving home, they kiss, Frank loses control of the car, and she dies. Ironically, Frank is convicted of her murder. My point is not to retell the story but to show how from scene to scene we are kept wondering either or both: Will Frank and Cora get together? and Will they get away with murder? It is not helpful to look at The Postman Always Rings Twice as a classic film noir. It can lead to misunderstanding the movie and misevaluating its worth. Postman actually has few of the characteristics we associate with classic noir, but it has one which it develops so powerfully that we forget how much unlike a classic film noir the movie actually is. Unlike many noirs, Postman does not emphasize the burden of the past. Not surprisingly, there are none of the ubiquitous flashbacks showing events influencing the protagonists’ current behaviour. Nor does the movie feature a truth seeker searching for the answer amid the absurdity, chance, and corruption of the world. Yes, the DA is after the legal conviction, but he is mainly off screen, and, as he says near the end, he simply knew the truth all along. Nor is there a sense of the protagonists being hunted. No one is after Frank, and no one is after Cora, until a minor plot twist near the end threatens them briefly with blackmail. Nor does the action take place at night in the mean streets of the city. It largely happens in the country sun with the wide open road running passed the front door. Even a lot of the camera work is not particularly film noir. Some of it is. The classic shot when Frank and Cora meet is excellent subjective camera work (a film noir staple). Frank/we see a lip stick container roll across the diner floor, we look along the floor, up a long set up shapely legs, to a good looking woman applying make up in the doorway. But many shots which could have used noir lighting did not. For example, when Cora and Frank meet in the small room off the courtroom and Cora angrily gives her confession, we could have had subdued lighting or harsh light streaming through the window casting sharp-edged shadows everywhere. But no, it is shot in average light, just about the most standard way you could imagine to shoot the scene. The set design is not cluttered like the protagonist’s messy desk in Double Indemnity—papers everywhere, two cigarettes spilled out of a pack, maybe the bowl of a pipe sticking out of the shadows. Instead the set design is minimalist—clean table, clear walls, ordinary window—I believe to focus all our attention on the raw emotional conflict between Cora and Frank. And now I can hear howls of derision, but Cora is not a classic femme fatale. A classic femme fatale is a) sexy, and b) crafty. She employs these attributes to use a man who is dumber, more naive or less focused and determined than she is. While Cora is sexy, she does not coldly manipulate Frank. She and Frank fall in love!--at least what they would call love and what the movie tag line calls love: “Their love was a flame that destroyed!” As someone wisely noticed, Cora and Frank are not cold and manipulating but rather passionate flesh and blood, and none too smart. You may be thinking that I cannot possibly have my head screwed on straight, for everybody—and I mean everybody—sites Postman as a classic noir. So I’ll make one final and indirect argument. Although the people who made Postman were very talented film makers, they were not from the German expressionist tradition that produced so much classic film noir. Billy Wilder (from the Austro-Hungarian Empire) gave us Sunset Boulevard; Edgar Ulmer (Austro-Hungarian Empire) produced a string of movies with the classic noir look; Robert Siodmak (Germany) directed Criss Cross, The Killers, and others. In contrast, here is where the director and production team for Postman were born: California, California, California, Ohio, New York, Kansas, Ireland but raised in the US, and Illinois. And a talented team it was. I intended to list their Oscar nominations, but I don’t place that much faith in the Academy. For those who do, Edwin B. Willis, Set Designer, won 8 Academy Awards; Cedric Gibbons, Art Director, was nominated for, and won more, Academy Awards than any other art director in Hollywood history. But none of this is to say that any of the production team had any penchant for film noir. The major reason that knowledgable people see Postman as a film noir is because the classic noir theme of fatalism is ubiquitous and powerful. Frank states early on in a voice over, “Right then I should have walked out of that place. But she had me licked, and she knew it.” That’s Frank’s interpretation that she knew it, but there is no doubt his testosterone had him hooked. Lana Turner and John Garfield have chemistry. If you have trouble making the leap to the 1940s, or if you have trouble accepting the fatalistic premise of Postman, fine. But if you denigrate the movie because it does not live up to a list of film noir characteristics, you are erroneously imposing a set of criteria on the film which will erode the power of a movie well-plotted, well-acted, and well-made.Jim Bell
]]>Thu, 22 Mar 2007 23:17:00 GMTJimBellJimBell Blog3/22/2007 7:17:00 PMThe Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)&mdash;Most people pop in this video as a film noir, or see it in a film series called something like &ldquo;Classics of Film Noir.&rdquo; Then arguments rage about whether the film is truly classic or fails to measure up to Double Indemnity and others (see for example the IMDb site). But these are secondary considerations. The primary question is &ldquo;Is this a good movie?&rdquo; or, somewhat differently, &ldquo;Is it worth watching?&rdquo; Although I think the answers are yes, I readily admit that there are two broad reasons someone might not think this a good movie. First, it was made a half century ago, and some viewers will not be able to make the leap to allow the pace, camera work, and, particularly, the acting to work its magic. This is a common problem, highlighted when reading literature. The first time I encountered Chaucer&rsquo;s 600-year old poetry I felt I was running in quicksand: The Wife of Bath begins by mentioning her five husbands, and then turns to the Bible:Herkne eek, lo, which a sharp word for the nones,Biside a welle, Jhesus, God and man,Spak in repreeve of the Samaritan: . . .I was lost. By the end of the summer, Chaucer was my second favourite writer. It took a lot of work learning a new version of English and learning about life in the 1300s. When someone says that Postman is too old fashioned for them to get into, I empathize. While that person may have trouble, lots of other folks&mdash;like me&mdash;find it easy to leap to a Californian roadside diner in the 1940s. Some viewers will have trouble with Postman for the same reason we all occasionally have trouble getting into movies&mdash;they do not accept the basic premise. People find it easier to accept premises from their day and age. For example, &ldquo;Everyone is corrupt, killing is the way to deal with things, and graphic violence is endlessly entertaining.&rdquo; Thus almost no one criticizes the underlying assumptions of last year&rsquo;s &ldquo;best&rdquo; film, The Departed. But accepting the basic premise of older films is often more difficult. Postman asks us to believe that a male and female can experience such a strong animal attraction to each other that it will survive insults, fighting, separation, murder, and anything else. Some viewers&mdash;e.g., maybe some of those who have not felt such a powerful attraction&mdash;will find this implausible or obnoxious or boring. Similarly, viewers who cannot tap into the 1940s film noir theme of fatalism will find they have trouble tapping into Postman. The film works because the plot is so well constructed. This should not come as a surprise, for the author of the novel, James M. Cain, also supplied the superb Double Indemnity and Mildred Pierce, and because the two screenwriters were veterans who knew what they were doing&mdash;Harry Ruskin had been writing regularly since 1930, and Niven Busch had been nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay in 1938. As soon as Frank Chambers (John Garfield) walks into the diner and lays eyes on Cora Smith (Lana Turner), he is smitten; she slams the door on him. But he is a good-looking, young guy who wants her, in contrast to her pudgy, old husband who takes her for granted. She falls for him. He wants her, and she wants him and a good life. They run away, but she quickly realizes that they have each other but little hope of a good life, so they return. After running did not work, Cora suggests an idea Frank had mentioned casually: killing old Frank Smith (Cecil Kellaway). Despite their differences, Frank is crazy for Cora, and Cora wants Frank as well as a good life. They are very clear about confirming their love for each other before entering into murder. Will they get away with electrocuting Nick in the bath tub? Even though the Production Code apparently stated that &ldquo;no sympathies shall be aligned with those committing a crime,&rdquo; we have mixed feeling about this situation. On the one hand, murder is a reprehensible &ldquo;solution,&rdquo; and Nick is an okay guy who does not deserve to die. On the other hand, Cora married him to keep the hordes of suitors at bay, she hoped the love would develop, but it never did, and she thinks it the biggest mistake of her life. Frank, who has drifted from one thing to another, seems to have found someone who, at least in his terms, is the real thing. We&rsquo;re left wishing that Cora and Frank were smart enough to think of an alternative but hoping that if they do commit the murder, they get away with it. They botch the murder attempt, Nick lives, and Frank leaves. But Frank frequents a market where he knows Cora might show up. Nick shows up and insists that he come back to the diner. Cora is more than miffed when she sees Frank. Now what? Nick announces that he is selling the business and that he and Cora are moving to a small town in northern Canada to take care of his invalid sister, while Nick will manage the diner for the new owner. Cora objects, and she and Frank hatch a plot to have Nick drive off a cliff drunk. It works. But the aftermath of Nick&rsquo;s murder is the opposite of what Cora and Frank expected. As James M. Cain said about his book, although it shows that love and murder can go together, it shows that no two people can successfully share the terrible secret of a murder. Cora and Frank are driven apart&mdash;unexpectedly but, at the same time, inevitably. Although the hatred and suspicion is palpable, they work to patch things up. Will Frank pass Cora&rsquo;s test of love? They return to the beach where they were happiest, swim out so far that she cannot make it back, and he gallantly saves her life. Driving home, they kiss, Frank loses control of the car, and she dies. Ironically, Frank is convicted of her murder. My point is not to retell the story but to show how from scene to scene we are kept wondering either or both: Will Frank and Cora get together? and Will they get away with murder? It is not helpful to look at The Postman Always Rings Twice as a classic film noir. It can lead to misunderstanding the movie and misevaluating its worth. Postman actually has few of the characteristics we associate with classic noir, but it has one which it develops so powerfully that we forget how much unlike a classic film noir the movie actually is. Unlike many noirs, Postman does not emphasize the burden of the past. Not surprisingly, there are none of the ubiquitous flashbacks showing events influencing the protagonists&rsquo; current behaviour. Nor does the movie feature a truth seeker searching for the answer amid the absurdity, chance, and corruption of the world. Yes, the DA is after the legal conviction, but he is mainly off screen, and, as he says near the end, he simply knew the truth all along. Nor is there a sense of the protagonists being hunted. No one is after Frank, and no one is after Cora, until a minor plot twist near the end threatens them briefly with blackmail. Nor does the action take place at night in the mean streets of the city. It largely happens in the country sun with the wide open road running passed the front door. Even a lot of the camera work is not particularly film noir. Some of it is. The classic shot when Frank and Cora meet is excellent subjective camera work (a film noir staple). Frank/we see a lip stick container roll across the diner floor, we look along the floor, up a long set up shapely legs, to a good looking woman applying make up in the doorway. But many shots which could have used noir lighting did not. For example, when Cora and Frank meet in the small room off the courtroom and Cora angrily gives her confession, we could have had subdued lighting or harsh light streaming through the window casting sharp-edged shadows everywhere. But no, it is shot in average light, just about the most standard way you could imagine to shoot the scene. The set design is not cluttered like the protagonist&rsquo;s messy desk in Double Indemnity&mdash;papers everywhere, two cigarettes spilled out of a pack, maybe the bowl of a pipe sticking out of the shadows. Instead the set design is minimalist&mdash;clean table, clear walls, ordinary window&mdash;I believe to focus all our attention on the raw emotional conflict between Cora and Frank. And now I can hear howls of derision, but Cora is not a classic femme fatale. A classic femme fatale is a) sexy, and b) crafty. She employs these attributes to use a man who is dumber, more naive or less focused and determined than she is. While Cora is sexy, she does not coldly manipulate Frank. She and Frank fall in love!--at least what they would call love and what the movie tag line calls love: &ldquo;Their love was a flame that destroyed!&rdquo; As someone wisely noticed, Cora and Frank are not cold and manipulating but rather passionate flesh and blood, and none too smart. You may be thinking that I cannot possibly have my head screwed on straight, for everybody&mdash;and I mean everybody&mdash;sites Postman as a classic noir. So I&rsquo;ll make one final and indirect argument. Although the people who made Postman were very talented film makers, they were not from the German expressionist tradition that produced so much classic film noir. Billy Wilder (from the Austro-Hungarian Empire) gave us Sunset Boulevard; Edgar Ulmer (Austro-Hungarian Empire) produced a string of movies with the classic noir look; Robert Siodmak (Germany) directed Criss Cross, The Killers, and others. In contrast, here is where the director and production team for Postman were born: California, California, California, Ohio, New York, Kansas, Ireland but raised in the US, and Illinois. And a talented team it was. I intended to list their Oscar nominations, but I don&rsquo;t place that much faith in the Academy. For those who do, Edwin B. Willis, Set Designer, won 8 Academy Awards; Cedric Gibbons, Art Director, was nominated for, and won more, Academy Awards than any other art director in Hollywood history. But none of this is to say that any of the production team had any penchant for film noir. The major reason that knowledgable people see Postman as a film noir is because the classic noir theme of fatalism is ubiquitous and powerful. Frank states early on in a voice over, &ldquo;Right then I should have walked out of that place. But she had me licked, and she knew it.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s Frank&rsquo;s interpretation that she knew it, but there is no doubt his testosterone had him hooked. Lana Turner and John Garfield have chemistry. If you have trouble making the leap to the 1940s, or if you have trouble accepting the fatalistic premise of Postman, fine. But if you denigrate the movie because it does not live up to a list of film noir characteristics, you are erroneously imposing a set of criteria on the film which will erode the power of a movie well-plotted, well-acted, and well-made.Jim Bell http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2007/2/17/5581.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 2/17/2007 11:57:00 AM
Body: Here’s the dilemma. I have a list of well over three thousand movies I want to see saved on IMDB. I have a subscription to Netflix and recently every time I return a DVD it has been an extremely arduous task to make the decision as to which movie I should see next. In an effort to narrow down my choices and make the process of choosing slightly less overwhelming I have devised a system, almost a bit of a game for me. Here’s how it goes.For my first film selection, I have narrowed the options down to only films that were released in the year 2006. Then after I have watched that movie, my next selection would have to be a film released in 2005. Then I would see a film from 2004, then 2003, etc. The process of deciding is still laborious, but actually quite a bit more exciting. (I'm going by IMDB as my source for release years)I have already been making a list and have also already begun watching the films. I decided this might be a good time to start fooling around with this spoutblog I have until now left unutilized. So I’ll try to start writing a little blurb or so about each movie I watch in this process.My only limitation here is of course movies that are available on Netflix. Which sadly excludes several I know are available on DVD, and have been longing to see for a long time, but Netflix just doesn’t seem to have available. It’d sort of annoying how they do list quite a few movies that that you can put in your queue under “saved”, yet they obviously do not have available. I have countless movies in that unavailable but saved queue, and I’m not sure that a single one has ever become available. What’s the point I wonder.But if anyone has any recommendations, I'll take that into consideration. THANK YOU!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------New addition to this post:Today is Tuesday March 13, and I have completed a preliminary list of all of the movie I will be watching. Unfortunately many of them were not available on Netflix. I will hunt those down some day. I'm don't doubt that as I make my way through the list I will make a few more changes depending on my mood and other factors, but for now, here it is:1. Art School Confidential (2006)2. The Comedians of Comedy (2005)3. The Passion of the Christ (2004)4. Ruang rak noi nid mahasan (Last Life in the Universe) (2003)5. Im toten Winkel - Hitlers Sekretärin (Blind Spot. Hitler's Secretary) (2002)6. El Espinazo del diablo (The Devil's Backbone) (2001)7. Werckmeister harmóniák (Werckmeister Harmonies) (2000)8. The Virgin Suicides (1999)9. Buffalo '66 (1998)10. In the Company of Men (1997)11. Hard Core Logo (1996)12. Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)13. Hoop Dreams (1994)14. Short Cuts (1993)15. In the Soup (1992)16. Surviving Desire (1991)17. Misery (1990)18. Der Siebente Kontinent (The Seventh Continent) (1989)19. Topio stin omichli (Landscape in the Mist) (1988)20. Evil Dead II (1987)21. Ying hung boon sik (1986)22. Sans toit ni loi (Vagabond) (1985)23. Sixteen Candles (1984)24. Videodrome (1983)25. Chan Is Missing (1982)26. Coup de torchon (1981)27. The Ninth Configuration (1980)28. Hardcore (1979)29. Halloween (1978)30. Pumping Iron (1977)31. Logan's Run (1976)32. Tommy (1975)33. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)34. The Exorcist (1973)35. Kozure Ôkami: Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru (Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance) (1972)36. Get Carter (1971)37. Il Conformista (The Conformist) (1970)38. Hsia nu (A Touch of Zen) (1969)39. Fando y Lis (1968)40. Dutchman (1967)41. Kenka erejii (Fighting Elegy) (1966)42. Rekopis znaleziony w Saragossie (The Saragossa Manuscript) (1965)43. Sei donne per l'assassino (Blood and Black Lace) (1964)44. The Great Escape (1963)45. Cape Fear (1962)46. Yojimbo (1961)47. Plein soleil (Purple Noon) (1960)48. Some Like It Hot (1959)49. Mon oncle (1958)50. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)51. Biruma no tategoto (The Burmese Harp) (1956)52. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)53. Gojira (Godzilla) (1954)54. Ugetsu monogatari (1953)55. Ikiru (1952)56. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)57. D.O.A. (1950)58. White Heat (1949)59. Rope (1948)60. Born to Kill (1947)61. Black Narcissus (1946)62. And Then There Were None (1945)63. The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)64. Le Corbeau (1943)65. Cat People (1942)66. The Wolf Man (1941)67. Road to Singapore (1940)68. Gone with the Wind (1939)69. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)70. Drôle de drame ou L'étrange aventure de Docteur Molyneux (1937)71. Flash Gordon (1936/I)72. Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will) (1935)73. The Thin Man (1934)74. The Invisible Man (1933)75. Trouble in Paradise (1932)76. City Lights (1931)77. Der Blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) (1930)78. Chelovek s kino-apparatom (The Man with a Movie Camera) (1929)79. La Chute de la maison Usher (The Fall of the House of Usher) (1928)80. The King of Kings (1927)81. Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed (The Adventures of Prince Achmed) (1926)82. Stachka (Strike) (1925)83. The Thief of Bagdad (1924)84. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)85. Häxan (1922)86. Seven Years Bad Luck (1921)87. Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam (1920)88. Blind Husbands (1919)
]]>Sat, 17 Feb 2007 16:57:00 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog2/17/2007 11:57:00 AMHere&rsquo;s the dilemma. I have a list of well over three thousand movies I want to see saved on IMDB. I have a subscription to Netflix and recently every time I return a DVD it has been an extremely arduous task to make the decision as to which movie I should see next. In an effort to narrow down my choices and make the process of choosing slightly less overwhelming I have devised a system, almost a bit of a game for me. Here&rsquo;s how it goes.For my first film selection, I have narrowed the options down to only films that were released in the year 2006. Then after I have watched that movie, my next selection would have to be a film released in 2005. Then I would see a film from 2004, then 2003, etc. The process of deciding is still laborious, but actually quite a bit more exciting. (I&#39;m going by IMDB as my source for release years)I have already been making a list and have also already begun watching the films. I decided this might be a good time to start fooling around with this spoutblog I have until now left unutilized. So I&rsquo;ll try to start writing a little blurb or so about each movie I watch in this process.My only limitation here is of course movies that are available on Netflix. Which sadly excludes several I know are available on DVD, and have been longing to see for a long time, but Netflix just doesn&rsquo;t seem to have available. It&rsquo;d sort of annoying how they do list quite a few movies that that you can put in your queue under &ldquo;saved&rdquo;, yet they obviously do not have available. I have countless movies in that unavailable but saved queue, and I&rsquo;m not sure that a single one has ever become available. What&rsquo;s the point I wonder.But if anyone has any recommendations, I&#39;ll take that into consideration. THANK YOU!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------New addition to this post:Today is Tuesday March 13, and I have completed a preliminary list of all of the movie I will be watching. Unfortunately many of them were not available on Netflix. I will hunt those down some day. I&#39;m don&#39;t doubt that as I make my way through the list I will make a few more changes depending on my mood and other factors, but for now, here it is:1. Art School Confidential (2006)2. The Comedians of Comedy (2005)3. The Passion of the Christ (2004)4. Ruang rak noi nid mahasan (Last Life in the Universe) (2003)5. Im toten Winkel - Hitlers Sekret&auml;rin (Blind Spot. Hitler&#39;s Secretary) (2002)6. El Espinazo del diablo (The Devil&#39;s Backbone) (2001)7. Werckmeister harm&oacute;ni&aacute;k (Werckmeister Harmonies) (2000)8. The Virgin Suicides (1999)9. Buffalo &#39;66 (1998)10. In the Company of Men (1997)11. Hard Core Logo (1996)12. Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)13. Hoop Dreams (1994)14. Short Cuts (1993)15. In the Soup (1992)16. Surviving Desire (1991)17. Misery (1990)18. Der Siebente Kontinent (The Seventh Continent) (1989)19. Topio stin omichli (Landscape in the Mist) (1988)20. Evil Dead II (1987)21. Ying hung boon sik (1986)22. Sans toit ni loi (Vagabond) (1985)23. Sixteen Candles (1984)24. Videodrome (1983)25. Chan Is Missing (1982)26. Coup de torchon (1981)27. The Ninth Configuration (1980)28. Hardcore (1979)29. Halloween (1978)30. Pumping Iron (1977)31. Logan&#39;s Run (1976)32. Tommy (1975)33. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)34. The Exorcist (1973)35. Kozure &Ocirc;kami: Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru (Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance) (1972)36. Get Carter (1971)37. Il Conformista (The Conformist) (1970)38. Hsia nu (A Touch of Zen) (1969)39. Fando y Lis (1968)40. Dutchman (1967)41. Kenka erejii (Fighting Elegy) (1966)42. Rekopis znaleziony w Saragossie (The Saragossa Manuscript) (1965)43. Sei donne per l&#39;assassino (Blood and Black Lace) (1964)44. The Great Escape (1963)45. Cape Fear (1962)46. Yojimbo (1961)47. Plein soleil (Purple Noon) (1960)48. Some Like It Hot (1959)49. Mon oncle (1958)50. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)51. Biruma no tategoto (The Burmese Harp) (1956)52. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)53. Gojira (Godzilla) (1954)54. Ugetsu monogatari (1953)55. Ikiru (1952)56. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)57. D.O.A. (1950)58. White Heat (1949)59. Rope (1948)60. Born to Kill (1947)61. Black Narcissus (1946)62. And Then There Were None (1945)63. The Miracle of Morgan&#39;s Creek (1944)64. Le Corbeau (1943)65. Cat People (1942)66. The Wolf Man (1941)67. Road to Singapore (1940)68. Gone with the Wind (1939)69. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)70. Dr&ocirc;le de drame ou L&#39;&eacute;trange aventure de Docteur Molyneux (1937)71. Flash Gordon (1936/I)72. Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will) (1935)73. The Thin Man (1934)74. The Invisible Man (1933)75. Trouble in Paradise (1932)76. City Lights (1931)77. Der Blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) (1930)78. Chelovek s kino-apparatom (The Man with a Movie Camera) (1929)79. La Chute de la maison Usher (The Fall of the House of Usher) (1928)80. The King of Kings (1927)81. Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed (The Adventures of Prince Achmed) (1926)82. Stachka (Strike) (1925)83. The Thief of Bagdad (1924)84. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)85. H&auml;xan (1922)86. Seven Years Bad Luck (1921)87. Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam (1920)88. Blind Husbands (1919) http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_Classic_Noir/190/3928/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Jymkata
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 11/30/2006 8:24:51 PM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"] As much as I have LOVED pretty much every classic film noir I've seen, I'm surprised that I've seen so few. But here's my top 5. It's pretty much more than half of all of them I've seen. 1. Out of the Past, 1947. 2. Pickup on South Street, 1953. 3. The Killing, 1956. 4. The Big Sleep, 1946. 5. Strangers on a Train, 1951. If you'd have let it go to 1958, I would have put Touch of Evil up there for sure! Here's a couple I'm hoping to see. Anyone want to recommend any of them?D.O.A., 1949.The Big Clock, 1948.The Postman Always Rings Twice, 1946.In a Lonely Place, 1950.The Lost Weekend, 1945.This Gun for Hire, 1942. [/quote] Rizzo- In my opinion This Gun for Hire is a masterpiece - midget-sized Alan Ladd makes a very tough noir anti-hero. I would also highly recommend The Big Clock (decently remade as No Way Out in the 80's) and D.O.A. (horribly remade in the 80's), but I would caution that I only have one problem with D.O.A. (early in the film there is a sound effect that becomes an annoyingly unsuccessful attempt at humor) . I also love The Postman Always Rings Twice (dissapointingly remade in the 80's - see a pattern?) and In a Lonely Place. The Lost Weekend is a precursor to addiction films like Requium for a Dream and it is well made, but I don't get excited about the subject matter.
]]>Fri, 01 Dec 2006 01:24:51 GMTJymkataTop 511/30/2006 8:24:51 PM[quote user="Risselada"] As much as I have LOVED pretty much every classic film noir I've seen, I'm surprised that I've seen so few. But here's my top 5. It's pretty much more than half of all of them I've seen. 1. Out of the Past, 1947. 2. Pickup on South Street, 1953. 3. The Killing, 1956. 4. The Big Sleep, 1946. 5. Strangers on a Train, 1951. If you'd have let it go to 1958, I would have put Touch of Evil up there for sure! Here's a couple I'm hoping to see. Anyone want to recommend any of them?D.O.A., 1949.The Big Clock, 1948.The Postman Always Rings Twice, 1946.In a Lonely Place, 1950.The Lost Weekend, 1945.This Gun for Hire, 1942. [/quote] Rizzo- In my opinion This Gun for Hire is a masterpiece - midget-sized Alan Ladd makes a very tough noir anti-hero. I would also highly recommend The Big Clock (decently remade as No Way Out in the 80's) and D.O.A. (horribly remade in the 80's), but I would caution that I only have one problem with D.O.A. (early in the film there is a sound effect that becomes an annoyingly unsuccessful attempt at humor) . I also love The Postman Always Rings Twice (dissapointingly remade in the 80's - see a pattern?) and In a Lonely Place. The Lost Weekend is a precursor to addiction films like Requium for a Dream and it is well made, but I don't get excited about the subject matter. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_Classic_Noir/190/3569/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 11/6/2006 2:51:56 PM
Body: As much as I have LOVED pretty much every classic film noir I've seen, I'm surprised that I've seen so few. But here's my top 5. It's pretty much more than half of all of them I've seen. 1. Out of the Past, 1947. 2. Pickup on South Street, 1953. 3. The Killing, 1956. 4. The Big Sleep, 1946. 5. Strangers on a Train, 1951. If you'd have let it go to 1958, I would have put Touch of Evil up there for sure! Here's a couple I'm hoping to see. Anyone want to recommend any of them?D.O.A., 1949.The Big Clock, 1948.The Postman Always Rings Twice, 1946.In a Lonely Place, 1950.The Lost Weekend, 1945.This Gun for Hire, 1942.
]]>Mon, 06 Nov 2006 19:51:56 GMTRisseladaTop 511/6/2006 2:51:56 PMAs much as I have LOVED pretty much every classic film noir I've seen, I'm surprised that I've seen so few. But here's my top 5. It's pretty much more than half of all of them I've seen. 1. Out of the Past, 1947. 2. Pickup on South Street, 1953. 3. The Killing, 1956. 4. The Big Sleep, 1946. 5. Strangers on a Train, 1951. If you'd have let it go to 1958, I would have put Touch of Evil up there for sure! Here's a couple I'm hoping to see. Anyone want to recommend any of them?D.O.A., 1949.The Big Clock, 1948.The Postman Always Rings Twice, 1946.In a Lonely Place, 1950.The Lost Weekend, 1945.This Gun for Hire, 1942. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Great/MemberTagFilms.aspxGreat
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