http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/movieblog/ en heidi@stennieville.com Copyright 2005 2005-04-18T01:33:33+00:00 http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/la_grande_illusion_1937/ http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/la_grande_illusion_1937/#When:00:33:33Z IMDB Jean Renoir’s timeless study of of war, with great performances from all, but especially so from Jean Gabin and Erich von Stroheim.  I wish I’d kept it in the Tivo for a while, I would have liked to watch it again and get a better perspective on it.  A very moving and very real portrait of war, which neither vilifies the enemy nor glorifies the heroes, but humanizes all. TCM 2005-04-18T00:33:33+00:00 http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/high_wall_1947/ http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/high_wall_1947/#When:15:54:47Z IMDB Based on a radio play that aired on CBS’s series Suspense, High Wall stars Robert Taylor as an ex-flier with some brain damage who is accused of the murder of his ex-wife.  I’ve heard the radio version, which is quite different and has a much better ending.  I could tell in the first ten minutes or so how this movie was going to play out, even how it was going to differ from the Suspense episode.  I might have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t already heard the radio version. TCM 2005-04-17T15:54:47+00:00 http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/velvet_goldmine_1998/ http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/velvet_goldmine_1998/#When:21:42:30Z IMDB What an odd little movie.  It borrows bits and pieces from all kinds of different movies, including Citizen Kane, Grace of My Heart and Moulin Rouge!, not to mention several music videos, and yet manages to remain pretty unique.  Unfortunately, it’s only about as deep as a music video—by the end of the movie I didn’t feel like I knew any of the characters very well, or by extension, cared much about them.  It looks very slick, and there are some nice scenes, but ultimately it’s pretty empty. DVD 2005-04-16T21:42:30+00:00 http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/dig_2004/ http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/dig_2004/#When:16:58:32Z IMDB DiG! was highly recommended to me by my good friend Bet, who really loved it.  And though I am always trepidatious when approaching a movie that a friend REALLY REALLY liked, and that they REALLY REALLY recommended to me—not so much because I don’t think they know what I like, especially in this case, but because I’m afraid if I don’t REALLY REALLY like it too, that I’ll have to make up some excuse.  Or give it a dishonest four star rating so they don’t know that I didn’t like it all that much, like Bet did when she watched Shane. But anyway, DiG!.  My trepidations were unfounded; I loved this movie.  I was afraid that since I wasn’t familiar with the two bands, The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre, that I wouldn’t care too much about their story, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.  Instead it made me want to go out and buy their albums.  I really can’t add much to what Bet wrote about this movie back in January.  Really a fascinating portrait of two struggling independent bands who will never get their shot at a Behind the Music special.  Anton Newcombe has that tortured unhinged genius thing going on, and Courtney Taylor’s condescending narration adds a whole great level to the documentary—at first I thought he’d be bad choice for the narrator, being a part of the story, but it ended up adding a great dimension to the story. I’ll probably watch it again this weekend before it goes back to Netflix. DVD 2005-04-16T16:58:32+00:00 http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/star_wars_episode_v_the_empire_strikes_back_1980/ http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/star_wars_episode_v_the_empire_strikes_back_1980/#When:02:45:50Z IMDB On the big screen at the Egyptian Theater, my friend Scotty Dude and I sat up in the balcony with all the geeks and their light sabers—truly the only way to really experience a Star Wars film.  The enthusiastic audience applauded at the LucasFilms logo, Han and Leia’s kiss, Leia and Luke’s kiss (ew!), and hissed at Darth Vader’s first appearance.  Empire Strikes Back is my favorite of the three (haven’t seen the prequels yet, and don’t really intend to), it’s got all the good stuff in it.  A great time at the movies. 2005-04-16T02:45:50+00:00 http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/harry_potter_and_the_prisoner_of_azkaban_2004/ http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/harry_potter_and_the_prisoner_of_azkaban_2004/#When:02:24:10Z IMDB This may be my favorite entry in the Harry Potter movie series so far, although the first one was a great treat.  It would be easy to accuse the Harry Potter films of stunt casting, with such British luminaries as Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Dawn French, John Cleese and Robbie Coltrane popping up at regular intervals.  But I enjoy all of those actors so much, and in particular it was a delight to see Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman and David Thewlis doing a scene together.  Great fun.  I’m looking forward to the fourth installment. DVD 2005-04-14T02:24:10+00:00 http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/free_and_easy_1930/ http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/free_and_easy_1930/#When:01:00:35Z IMDB Depressing.  A pathetic waste of Buster Keaton’s estimable talents.  Humorless, plotless mess that feels twice its 90-minute length.  Watching this made me sad at first, then pissed off at MGM for their mishandling of Keaton’s career, then pissed off at Keaton for letting them.  The scene with Keaton dressed as a clown marionette getting jerked around was a pretty apt metaphor. TCM 2005-04-13T01:00:35+00:00 http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/angels_with_dirty_faces_1938/ http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/angels_with_dirty_faces_1938/#When:21:08:13Z IMDB With the DVR finally empty and the Netflix movies all sealed and ready to go back, and the cable on the fritz, I really had no choice today but to start finally going through my Warner Bros. Gangster box set at long last.  A few months ago I watched Public Enemy with the commentary on, but other than that I haven’t even touched the set yet.  Today I settled in with this one, one of my favorites, with Cagney at the top of his game as Rocky Sullivan.  I didn’t listen to the commentary, but I did watch the short films included.  The Technicolor one is, well, rotten.  But it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the main feature. DVD 2005-04-10T21:08:13+00:00 http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/all_or_nothing_2002/ http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/all_or_nothing_2002/#When:18:08:35Z IMDB Mike Leigh’s extraordinary film about ordinary people echoes his previous Secrets and Lies.  The characters in Leigh’s films are always so utterly human that I always tend to forget I’m watching a movie.  It’s like eavesdropping on people’s lives, sharing their miseries and, once in a great while, their joys. DVD 2005-04-10T18:08:35+00:00 http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/miracle_2004/ http://www.stennieville.com/OLD/index.php/site/miracle_2004/#When:06:00:23Z IMDB This turned out to be an interesting companion piece to Reds, as it captures the political climate that the US was in when Beatty’s film was made (come to think of it, it’s surprising he was able to make it back then).  I remember the 1980 Winter Olympic games, and I remember when the United States beat the Soviet Union.  It really was a magic moment in sports, with so much more riding on it than just a simple David vs. Goliath.  I still get goosebumps when I hear Al Michaels say “Do you believe in miracles?  YES!”  In fact, I got them just now typing it. Kurt Russell really impressed me in this.  I’ve seen him in a couple of movies and he’s never struck me as an actor with much depth to him, but he’s really good as Herb Brooks, he completely disappears inside the character—he was a lot better than I expected him to be. DVD 2005-04-10T06:00:23+00:00