Thought I'd give a couple of pre-code movies a try. Pretty goofy! Million Dollar Legs Directed by Edward F. Cline • 1932 • United States Starring Jack Oakie, W. C. Fields, Andy Clyde One of the wildest and funniest films of the pre-Code era, this outlandish satire—produced to capitalize on the buzz generated by the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics—is an excursion into pure Dada delirium. W. C. Fields is the president of Klopstokia, a small kingdom with a dwindling treasury that decides to concentrate on its Olympic team in an effort to raise money. What ensues is a freewheeling, nonstop barrage of absurdist sight gags and surrealist non sequiturs that remains utterly unique in Hollywood history.
Check out the Sweet Marijuana number! Murder at the Vanities Directed by Mitchell Leisen • 1934 • United States Starring Carl Brisson, Victor McLaglen, Jack Oakie A grisly murder, nearly nude chorines, and a razzle-dazzle ode to marijuana all feature in this outrageous musical mystery, one of the most jaw-dropping examples of what Hollywood could get away with before the enforcement of the Production Code. When a murder is committed backstage at the long-running Broadway revue “Earl Carroll's Vanities,” it’s up to dimwitted detective Bill Murdock (Victor McLaglen) to crack the case, in between a parade of lavish production numbers stylishly staged by director Mitchell Leisen. In addition to the notorious “Sweet Marijuana” number, there’s also a showstopping appearance from Duke Ellington and his orchestra.
Sign o the Times. I only got into the album a few years ago and had never seen the film. Looked great except for U Got the Look which looked awful. Fun show. Detour - fun short b movie noir, looking forward to hitting some of the extras next
Over the years it has taken me three tries to get this film, but finally did. Just brilliant! Red Desert Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni • 1964 • Italy Starring Monica Vitti, Richard Harris Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1960s panoramas of contemporary alienation were decade-defining artistic events, and RED DESERT, his first color film, is perhaps his most epochal. This provocative look at the spiritual desolation of the technological age—about a disaffected woman, brilliantly portrayed by Antonioni muse Monica Vitti, wandering through a bleak industrial landscape beset by power plants and environmental toxins, and tentatively flirting with her husband’s coworker, played by Richard Harris—continues to keep viewers spellbound. With one startling, painterly composition after another—of abandoned fishing cottages, electrical towers, looming docked ships—RED DESERT creates a nearly apocalyptic image of its time, and confirms Antonioni as cinema’s preeminent poet of the modern age.
I have been watching a few Sterling Hayden films. Some are great and some not so much. This was entertaining. He has some great dialogue in this. Also features a young Charles Bronson. Other films I have enjoyed from this collection are the classics The Killing and Asphalt Jungle. I find him to be both a great and a terrible actor. Terror In A Texas Town was the latter. Anyone else watch any of his films featured right now? Crime Wave Directed by André De Toth • 1953 • United States Starring Sterling Hayden, Gene Nelson, Phyllis Kirk Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson) has tried to stay away from crime since he was released from prison: he’s newly married and has a decent job. But when his former cellmate escapes from the penitentiary along with two other hardened criminals, Lacey risks his own parole and helps the three hide from the police out of fear of what they might do to his wife (Phyllis Kirk). Now the escaped cons pressure Lacey to help them in a robbery, but have they gone too far? And how far will dogged detective Lieutenant Sims (Sterling Hayden) go to hunt the gang down?
I watched most of what you mention as well… crime wave was a real little gem, I think his accent in Terror in a Texas Town threw him, but I loved the ending. Asphalt Jungle was terrific, I am not sure how I missed it over the years.. I also enjoyed his portrayal in The Admiral Hoskins Story, solid flick. The clunker for me was the melodrama flick Crime of Passion with Barbara Stanwyck, who I usually love, but she laid it on too thick for me… overall a great collection of films.
I agree. I started Crime of Passion but baled on it. I watched Killers Kiss instead since I had just watched The Killing. I don’t know how I ever missed this early Kubrick film. I loved it. The story and acting may be weak but the photography makes up for any shortcomings. I definitely think it should be more highly regarded. Looks like they are pulling all of the Sterling Hayden films in April. I’m not sure I will get around to watching anymore. I really enjoyed that collection.
I was home sick yesterday, so I finally watched Orson Welles' final feature as a director, The Immortal Story. I enjoyed it. Many will find it too vague and slow. It is especially intriguing as the only feature he shot in color. Shalom, y'all! L. Bangs
Skimmed through Wattstax for the music segments. I respect the vision of the film makers, but find myself wishing there was bonus concert footage available a la the Monterey Pop collection. It seemed just as the music segments got going, another cut-away. The end of the film with Rufus Thomas exhorting the crowd into a dance party and the dramatic entrance of Isaac Hayes at his peak are climactic. Very happy this film was restored and and added to the Criterion Collection. Appreciate the documentary footage of the fashion sense of the audience, the street scenes of LA. Richard Pryor is a treasure, of course. Reportedly filmed in a bar post-concert. The barber shop & diner scenes I appreciate historically, but don't need to see repeatedly. I thought there was something familiar about the guy with the Fu Manchu mustache who kept popping up in the interview cut-aways: Interspersed between the musical performances is documentary footage of the residents of Watts going about their daily lives, local businesses, as well as interview segments with Black Los Angelians. Rather than being fully candid, these segments feature actors discussing predetermined topics. Among these actors is Ted Lange, later one of the stars of the TV series The Love Boat.
I have a question for the group as I explore the old favorites and new possibilities in the Music Film collection. I stream from an Amazon Fire Stick, HDMI to AVR. The audio is stereo only, 48k. Does the Criterion Channel stream in any form of 5.1 for anybody on any device, or is this the best we can do?
I really enjoyed this. Excellent cinematography, especially if you love trains! La bête humaine Directed by Jean Renoir • 1938 • France Starring Jean Gabin, Simone Simon, Julien Carette Based on the classic Emile Zola novel, Jean Renoir’s LA BÊTE HUMAINE was one of the legendary director’s greatest popular successes, and earned star Jean Gabin a permanent place in the hearts of his countrymen. Part poetic realism, part film noir, the film is a hard-boiled and suspenseful journey into the tormented psyche of a workingman.
I watched a few of the adventures in moviegoing with Ethan hawke with a bunch of movies I hadn’t heard of but sound like future watching. Also watched Ministry of fear. I used to own it but hadnt seen it in a long time. Fritz Lang, Graham Greene story, Ray Milland, a memorable seance scene, looks great on paper but not amazing. That said it was a fun Friday night long week after a few drinks kind of film.
One of the shorts under the "Short Films by Faith and John Hubley" with Dizzy Gillespie was fun. I know of the Hubleys because their daughter Georgia plays drums for Yo La Tengo. So I just clicked through and that one caught my eye. Short and fun. I saw the box for "Spot light on Obsession" which was a nice TCM style intro for the film, which I'd never heard of. Fun Friday night film, a little noir, a little dark comedy. The Spotlight is fun because like TCM they tell you where you might recognize some of these character actors from, including the American lead, who 25 years later would play Uncle Owen in Star Wars. Lots of specks throughout, I've been so spoiled with the high quality of most of the movies on the channel, but yeah, recommended for noir fans. The future Uncle Owen:
I have been working my way through all of the available Jean-Pierre Melville titles … Le doulos, Le samourai, Magnet of Doom, Le silence de la mer … absolutely wonderful so far
I watched Melville's Bob le Flambeur today on TCM. Apparently the lead actor was quite a character in real life, a lackey for the Nazis among other things. The young femme fatale was a real beauty, surprised she didn't become more well known.
I am waiting for Bob le Flambeur to arrive from Kino Lorber … I watched the Criterion blu ray of Army of Shadows last night … highly recommended.
This movie is insane! And occasionally psychotic. Thanks for the post, which sent me to watch it. I was disappointed by the fairly flat and non-trippy “Sweet Marijuana” number, but the Duke Ellington and his Orchestra “Ebony Rhapsody” sequence is fantastic. Musically it’s got to be one of the great hot jazz on film moments of the 1930’s, and the scenario in which the black virtuosos of Duke’s band burst through the back of the stage and then rout and sent the members of a classical orchestra scattering in disarray while swinging up a storm, surrounded by a frenzy of dancing by black and white chorines, is truly wild Pre-Code excitement.
I watched Red Desert for the first time a few weeks ago. I was stunned by the beauty of it. Monica Viti’s portrayal of a woman on the edge of sanity was harrowing. I’m committed to watching all of Antonionis oeuvre now.
I had not seen this in a long time and it was striking to see how much this influenced The Godfather films. An excellent way to spend three hours. Rocco and His Brothers Directed by Luchino Visconti • 1960 • Italy Starring Alain Delon, Annie Girardot, Renato Salvatori Looking for opportunity, five brothers move north with their mother to Milan. There, Simone and Rocco find fame, in the boxing ring, and love, in the same woman. Jealousy mounts, blood is shed, and a striving family faces self-destruction in this incisive, sensuous, emotionally bruising masterwork from director Luchino Visconti. With an operatic Nino Rota score and Giuseppe Rotunno’s glimmering, on-location cinematography, ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS “represents the artistic apotheosis of Italian neorealism,” says A.O. Scott of the “New York Times.” Drawing from Dostoevsky and Thomas Mann, Visconti arranges his signature themes—modernity, class tension, familial discord—across an epic canvas that directly influenced later Italian-American sagas by Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese.
Is there a way to see your viewing history in the app or online? I can’t find one. Trying to keep track of how much I watch the channel and see if I’m using it enough or should pause
