Movies - Take Two. Action!

[GuitarGeek]

North By Northwest Alfred Hitchcock classic with Cary Grant getting mistaken as a spy. It has the classic ending at Mount Rushmore. Supposedly Herrmann created three distinct melodies in the soundtrack to go along with the film--something sort of romantic for those interludes, one more action-y, and another for the tension at the end.

I saw this a couple years ago, for the first time. Great picture. According to Ben Mankiewicz, Hitchcock started out with the idea for the Mount Rushmore ending, then turned to his screenwriter and said "OK, I need you to get me to Mount Rushmore", so the rest of the movie was predicated on that finale.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

NxNW... phenomenal film!

[GuitarGeek]

Eyes Of A Stranger: What happens when you cross a Rear Window with a little bit of Tommy? You get this picture, directed by Ken Weiderhorn, in 1981. Wikipedia describes it as a "slasher film", but that's not really fair, as there's relative little gore in this picture (but I'll get to that in a minute). This is actually a fairly decent thriller.

Lauren Tewes (some of you may be old enough to remember her as Julie on The Love Boat) plays a TV news anchor who comes to suspect one of her neighbors in her apartment building is a serial killer. Not only do they lift the "illegally searching the suspect's apartment" scene fro Rear Window, but the actor playing the killer even kinda resembles the killer in Rear Window. That's not a spoiler, the director didn't exactly go out of his way to hide the killer's identity.

Now you're probably wondering, how the frell does Tommy come into this? Well, in her feature film debut, Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Tewes' younger sister, Tracey, who was abducted (and presumably molested) by a sleazebag when she in a schoolgirl, resulting in her being rendered deaf, dumb and blind. But as with Tommy, we're told in a flashback that Tracey's condition seems to be pathological, as the doctors insist there's no brain damage, and no damage to the nerves involved in the senses in question. Fortunately for us, she doesn't spend the entire movie standing in front of a mirror or playing pinball, she actually is pretty active. And without giving away the ending, I will say she does figure prominently in the climax.

Now, about that slasher picture business. Director Wiederhorn had, a few years earlier, made a very good horror flick called Shock Waves, about murderous zombie Nazis terrorizing Peter Cushing, John Carradine, Luke Halpin, and Brooke Adams. So, on the audio commentary of the DVD on that picture, Wiederhorn talks about how the business of making horror movies changed with the advent of Halloween, Friday The 13th, etc. He brings up Eyes Of The Stranger, saying that while the film was in production, Friday The 13th came out, and it did so well, that the studio came to him, and asked to make some changes to the film. Originally, the killer was planned to strangle his victims (and indeed, there is a scene where he does this), but the studio (or producers or whomever) wanted the killer to use a knife.

So, Tom Savini was brought into to do "special makeup effects" (as he's billed in the closing credits). Now, Wikipedia reports there's an edited version of this movie floating around with "many of Tom Savini's gore effects were cut out or edited". One assumes this was done so the movie could play on broadcast and basic cable TV outlets (I watched too many movies as a teenager where there these very obvious edits where something that was deemed "too extreme" for the high sheriffs who get to dictate such things).

I assume the version I DVR'd from TCM is the unedited version, but it didn't have much actual gore in it. One guy gets decapitated (which we see, imaginatively, reflected in a fish tank) and two people get their throats slit. Well, there's also something that happens in the last reel, but I don't want to give that away. The rest of the killing is bloodless or happens off screen. If this was indeed the uncut version, then as I said, it's not really fair to call this a slasher picture. Also, most of the tropes associated with slasher films (e.g. teenagers being slaughtered after having sex, etc) aren't present.

A few side notes:

1. Early in the film, Shock Waves is playing on a TV while one of the victims waits to be slaughtered.

2. There's a scene where the killer surprises one of the victims by leaping forth from the back seat of the car and pulling her over the driver's seat. I wonder if this where they got the idea to have Tawny Kitaen do the same thing to David Coverdale at the end of Whitesnake's Here I Go Again video.

3. The movies playing a theater in one scene are Dawn Of The Dead and Being There. You have to wonder if the director didn't drive all over Miami looking for a movie theater with the right movie posters displayed outside.

On the one hand, it's kind of a "by the numbers" Hitchcock knock off. But I thought it mostly worked. And Jennifer Jason Leigh does a pretty good job of playing someone who is apparently deaf and blind.

[moecurlythanu]

Well, in her feature film debut, Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Tewes' younger sister, Tracey, who was abducted (and presumably molested) by a sleazebag when she in a schoolgirl, resulting in her being rendered deaf, dumb and blind. But as with Tommy, we're told in a flashback that Tracey's condition seems to be pathological, as the doctors insist there's no brain damage, and no damage to the nerves involved in the senses in question. Fortunately for us, she doesn't spend the entire movie standing in front of a mirror or playing pinball, she actually is pretty active. And without giving away the ending, I will say she does figure prominently in the climax.

I wouldn't mind figuring prominently in a climax with Jennifer Jason Leigh.

[nosebone]

Went to a midnight showing of Endgame on Saturday.

1. three hours long
2. Jam packed , so pay attention
3. Beautiful to look at
4. Emotional, humorous and well acted
5. Mandatory viewing for MU fans
6. The Ultimate blockbuster that deserves the title!

[hippypants]

The Grifters comes from a noir crime novel by Jim Thompson, and is about three con artist, a mother and son, and his girlfriend. There's a large part of the film that deals with the mom, scamming funds from the track/ horse races, which I don't know much about that scene, but it's just a scam on her gangster boss. Sort of a slow film, but fairly interesting.

Night and the City is a better film, which was another noir, but I found more engaging starring Richard Widmark as the conman. He befriends a noted wrestler, and plans a scheme using him and his son. Everything falls thru and he's left as a target.

[dropforge]

Went to a midnight showing of Endgame on Saturday.

1. three hours long
2. Jam packed , so pay attention
3. Beautiful to look at
4. Emotional, humorous and well acted
5. Mandatory viewing for MU fans
6. The Ultimate blockbuster that deserves the title!

Too bad Ruffalo as Hulk sucks.

[Scott Bails]

Too bad Ruffalo as Hulk sucks.

I thought Ed Norton nailed it.

[dropforge]

I thought Ed Norton nailed it.

If only he had stayed on. His big (green) head got in the way.

[aith01]

I thought Ed Norton nailed it.

Ed Norton was fine, but never really sold Banner as a scientist for me. I love Ruffalo in the role though.

Also, I was glad to see them do the Professor Hulk version in a movie finally.

[dropforge]

Ed Norton was fine, but never really sold Banner as a scientist for me. I love Ruffalo in the role though.

He was okay in the first Avengers, but it's been downhill since. I think he's ad-libbing too much. He needs to tone it down and stick to his lines.

[Jerjo]

Ruffalo is more believable as Banner IMHO. Plus, he's of only average height and build so when he's standing among the rest (especially Hemsworth) he does indeed look like a "puny human".

[aith01]

He was okay in the first Avengers, but it's been downhill since. I think he's ad-libbing too much. He needs to tone it down and stick to his lines.

To tone what down exactly? Why don't you like him?

[Jerjo]

From what I understand, the improvising is usually done by Downey. Anyway, I HAVE to see the new one and to get some resolution. But I need to stream the new Ant Man first.

[Staun]

The Grifters comes from a noir crime novel by Jim Thompson, and is about three con artist, a mother and son, and his girlfriend. There's a large part of the film that deals with the mom, scamming funds from the track/ horse races, which I don't know much about that scene, but it's just a scam on her gangster boss. Sort of a slow film, but fairly interesting.

Night and the City is a better film, which was another noir, but I found more engaging starring Richard Widmark as the conman. He befriends a noted wrestler, and plans a scheme using him and his son. Everything falls thru and he's left as a target.

Widmark never made too many bad films. The movie, Death of a Gunfighter, with Lena Horn was a land mark. Rest of the cast here was excellent. Also, No Way Out with Sidney Poitier, was so raw, you could get sore just from watching it. White hot emotion. A great actor.

[progeezer]

Even though it was made in 1947, Widmark's portrayal of psychopath Tommy Udo in Kiss Of Death (NOT the Nick Cage later horrid version) remains as creepy, eerie & chilling than all the psychos that came later. It was the first film he ever made and he was so convincing that he was nominated for best supporting actor in his film debut.

[moecurlythanu]

But I need to stream the new Ant Man first.

If you've seen Infinity War, do you need to see any of the Ant Mans before seeing End Game?

[dropforge]

From what I understand, the improvising is usually done by Downey. Anyway, I HAVE to see the new one and to get some resolution. But I need to stream the new Ant Man first.

Watch Ragnarok. There's a ton of improv in that one. At one point, Ruffalo even asked Waititi, "How are we getting away with this?"

[dropforge]

To tone what down exactly? Why don't you like him?

He treats the role like a joke. It's obvious. All he does is make pained faces when he tries to be "serious," then shifts into goofball mode.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

If you've seen Infinity War, do you need to see any of the Ant Mans before seeing End Game?

Ant Man & The Wasp was tons of fun (my 8 year old daughter loves that one) and the ending does lock to Infinity War and Endgame

I'm waiting until the crowds die down to go see Endgame

[aith01]

Watch Ragnarok. There's a ton of improv in that one. At one point, Ruffalo even asked Waititi, "How are we getting away with this?"

That was largely due to the director, Taika Waititi, making it improv-heavy. And it was great, IMO.

He treats the role like a joke. It's obvious. All he does is make pained faces when he tries to be "serious," then shifts into goofball mode.

I don't agree with this at all, but oh well.

[aith01]

Ant Man & The Wasp was tons of fun (my 8 year old daughter loves that one) and the ending does lock to Infinity War and Endgame

I loved Ant Man & The Wasp as well, and the ending does indeed dovetail into Endgame so I agree it's worth watching.

[dropforge]

That was largely due to the director, Taika Waititi, making it improv-heavy.

At one point, Ruffalo even asked Waititi, "How are we getting away with this?"

[aith01]

I was saying it was because of Waititi, it's not something that Ruffalo has done in every movie.

[dropforge]

Once again, "Ruffalo even asked Waititi…"