Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

Trouble with a capital "T"

06-23-17

The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)

Les demoiselles de Rochefort (original title)
Director: Jacques Demy
Writer: Jacques Demy
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Fran�oise Dorl�ac, George Charkas, Gene Kelly
Genre: Musical
Language: French

About: Two musically inclined sisters dream of leaving their small town in Rochefort, France for fame, romance and the big city.

Review: I enjoyed it! Visually sweet with color splashes that coordinate with each scene. My raspberry beret is off to the art director! I just loved the look of this film, even the buildings received a Monet make over.

My favorite movie color was the deep turquoise, it's everywhere. My favorite set, the cafe where mom served French Fries with a cheery dissipation, despite having lost the love of her life because she didn't like his last name....oui, that's fickle

Catherine Deveau....woohoo! hey it rhymes. Does she have screen presences or what! I hardly noticed her twin sister when Catherine was in the scene, sorry but it's true. Though my favorite girl in the film wasn't even young, it was the twin's mom. I can't remember her name, but she was so lively and lit up the screen. I really liked her and cared more for her storyline than anyone else.

And I see Bernado actually survived the knife fight and moved to France, where he lost his artificial tan and learned to be dubbed. The guy get's around

I noticed him right away as I had just seen him in West Side Story. He's real good here, and a smooth dancer too. It was neat seeing Gene Kelley but he was a bit underused in this film.

Oh, and I don't know why but the waitress in the cafe was interesting even though we never really get to know her, she seemed to have a story of her own.

Lots of fun lines in the movie, but the funniest part was when the gaiety turns dark with talk of carving up a murdered woman to stuff her in a box! Very cleaver of the director, or is that clever?

Just when the audience needs a break from all that squeaky clean fun, the movie introduces a killer at large. I liked that too. I liked everything about the movie.

Attachments

Click image for larger version

Name: the-young-girls-of-rochefort.jpg
Views: 462
Size: 213.7 KB
ID: 31836

Last edited by Citizen Rules; 06-24-17 at 12:44 AM.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

06-24-17

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Director: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer, Leon Ames, Marjorie Main
Genre: Musical

About: The Smith family who are looking forward to attending the World's Fair in St. Louis in 1904. However their dreams are interrupted when the father announces he's moving the family to New York.

Review: It's a classic all right! It's a heartwarming look back to the 'good ole days' of 1904, made for an audience who in 1944 was dealing with a horrific world war.

So no wonder this movie is pure escapism. And that's why the Halloween scene is there, it's fanciful, escapism. I thought it was funny in a macabre way. I mean what's cuter than little Margaret O'Brien saying she's 'killing people' on Halloween and then throwing a dummy in front of a trolley in hope of derailing it, ha! Naughty little brat! In some ways the best part is how Margaret O'Brien is completely the opposite of the oh so nice family. I mean she sings a sung about getting drunk! I Was Drunk Last Night.

Judy Garland is great of course, she sings her little heart out, pouring more emotion into her songs than is humanly possible. I loved The Trolley Song and how it was staged. The very cute duet of Judy and Margret doing the Under the Bamboo Tree, complete with a little dance number. And of course Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas which is one magnificently depressing song.

Vincent Minnelli always knows how to deck out the sets in rich color and detail. And the Victorian house and it's furnishings look authentic and lived in. Though I can't say I was a fan of Judy Garland's hair color, but I got a kick out of the scene with her and Lucile Bremer discussing their hair coloring. '

Marjorie Main the housekeeper is a gem, as was the dad, Leon Ames. The rest of the family was kind of a blur, but that's understandable... as this is Judy's and little Margret's picture.

Attachments

Click image for larger version

Name: Meet Me In St Louis 1944 (1).jpg
Views: 541
Size: 187.8 KB
ID: 32162

Click image for larger version

Name: Meet Me In St Louis 1944 (3).jpg
Views: 288
Size: 55.4 KB
ID: 32163

Last edited by Citizen Rules; 07-02-17 at 11:18 PM.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

06-24-17

Jaws (Spielberg, 1975)

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Peter Benchley (screenplay), Carl Gottlieb (screenplay)
Cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
Genre: Adventure, Thriller

A hungry shark feeds on human tidbits as New Englanders on Amity Island get ready for their big summer tourist season.

In 1975 Spielberg became a household name with his exciting thriller featuring a huge shark that scared the bejesus out of movie goers. And it gave us some of the most memorable scenes from a movie, and memorable dialogue too. Anybody remember, "you're gonna need a bigger boat!"

I watched this for the first time in 30 years and was impressed with the care that went into the staging of the scenes and the cinematography.

A good example of that is this famous scene from the beginning of the movie. Not only is the whole shark attack done frighteningly real with the girl being pulled under water only to pop up again screaming. But look at that buoy in the background. She's so close and that buoy gives us hope that she can reach it and climb to safety. It also gives scale and makes the scene look all the more real. The twilight setting with it's dark shadows makes the attack all the more potent.

The entire movie is constructed for maximum effect, that's why the three shark hunters go out on a small rickety old boat. Spielberg is a genius.

And the score? I don't even have to mention how amazing it is and how much the music adds to the tension.

From left to right: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss

I liked all three of the main cast and they're an odd mix, which also creates tension on the cramped quarters of the boat.

Roy Scheider is out of his element as he hates the water and is an outsider to the small island where he's come to be their local sheriff. Robert Shaw as the hard drinking, half crazed sea captain puts the meaning into colorful! But it's Richard Dreyfuss who's always been my favorite. Even when I saw this first run at the theater as a kid, it was the marine biologist played by Richard Dreyfuss who I could relate to. He's for many people a proxy on the shark hunt.

Oh and almost forgot to say after over 40 years the mechanical shark still looks real!

Attachments

Click image for larger version

Name: J17.jpg
Views: 389
Size: 257.4 KB
ID: 31859

Click image for larger version

Name: chrissie-shark-attack.jpg
Views: 369
Size: 152.7 KB
ID: 31860

Click image for larger version

Name: Untitled-1.jpg
Views: 352
Size: 324.8 KB
ID: 31861

Last edited by Citizen Rules; 06-25-17 at 07:47 PM.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

06-25-17

1 7 7 6 (1972)

Director: Peter H. Hunt
Writers: Peter Stone (book), Sherman Edwards (conception)
Cast: William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, Ken Howard
Genre: Drama, History, Musical

The Continental Congress covens in 1776 during America's Revolution to decide the fight of the new nation.

One of the most different and interesting musicals ever made. The story of the Declaration of Independence, set to music. It was intriguing to watch these diverse group of men from the original thirteen colonies, who've formed a congress to decide the fate of the future United States of America. I always liked history, and I have to say I got a good history lesson from this.

Somehow the dramatization of the first Congress and the difficulties it faced in trying to get all the delegates to unanimously agree to declare independence, was a powerful teaching tool. I felt like I was there in the room and privy to history in the making.

I found the fight over the passage about slavery particular interesting, and the compromise that was ultimately made saddening... but not surprising as people thought-out the centuries have put their pocket books over morality.

Perhaps the strangest moment was a personal epiphany when I heard the song Momma Look Sharp...a song that sent shivers down my spine and gave me more emotional impact in a few minutes, than most movies can do in hours. Sung in the first person, by a dying soldier to his mother. Both the theme, the arrangement and the vocals really reminded me of the third part of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. I'm convinced that Freddie Mercury seen 1776 and was inspired by Momma Look Sharp.

And check this out...the silhouetted figure against a black background during Momma Look Sharp is very much like the opening video for Bohemian Rhapsody....OK, one last thing, at the end of Is Anybody There? There's a refrain song by John Adams that's also very reminiscent of the ending refrain of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Momma Look Sharp, video

Bohemian Rhapsody, video

The end part of: Is Anybody There, video

Oh, I almost forgot to mention how impressed I was with the streets of Philadelphia and the inside of Congressional Hall. We get so use to movie magic that it's easy to forget in these older movies that to make the locations look authentic 18th century they had to go to great effort. 1776 looks authentic!

There's lots of music, and lots of clever wit and charm in 1776.

Attachments

Click image for larger version

Name: 1776 movie (1).jpg
Views: 348
Size: 43.2 KB
ID: 31863

Click image for larger version

Name: 1776 movie (2).jpg
Views: 525
Size: 48.7 KB
ID: 31864

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

06-25-17

Swing Time (1936)

Director: George Stevens
Cast: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Romance

About: A stage performer (Fred Astaire) who likes to gamble, heads to New York City with nothing more than a dime in his pocket. He wants to raise $25 grand so he can marry his well-to-do fianc�e. But once in NYC he falls for a spirited, redhead who's an aspiring dancer (Ginger Rogers).

Review: Some high stepping dancing by Fred and Ginger

Fred Astaire danced with many different partners in his career, some maybe even better dancers than Ginger Rogers, but none of them had the spunky likability of Ginger. Fred and Ginger look right together. I can't even begin to image my journey into cinema with out them. They use to say that Fred Astaire gave the pair class, and Ginger Rogers gave them sex appeal. What a winning combination!

The story is simple, after all it's a rom-com musical and we can't expect the story to be too deep. But it's deeper than 21st century audiences might be aware of, as the movie is about a down and out guy who's just lucky enough at gambling to make it big...real big...with lots of money, a fancy car and even partners in a swanky night club. That's something those suffering through the depression could latch onto and dream about...and movies like Swing Time helped them escape their reality of poverty, if only for the duration of the movie.

There's some nice songs here especially The Way You Look Tonight, but what really makes the movie special are the dance numbers.

I loved them all, but especially fond of the high spirited and joyous opening number, Pick Yourself Up. I love the jump-twirls over the railings and back again on to the dance floor. A Fine Romance with it's setting in the snowy outdoors was charming. And the final dance number at the end, which starts off somber and then builds the emotions until the music and dance steps ignite into pure joy, Never Gonna Dance.

Attachments

Click image for larger version

Name: Swing Time 1936 (3).jpg
Views: 328
Size: 160.6 KB
ID: 31876

Click image for larger version

Name: Swing Time 1936 (4).jpg
Views: 345
Size: 161.3 KB
ID: 31877

Click image for larger version

Name: Swing Time 1936 (6).jpg
Views: 316
Size: 203.9 KB
ID: 31880

Last edited by Citizen Rules; 06-25-17 at 06:28 PM.

Captain Steel

"Lois, I never lie."

06-25-17

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

1 7 7 6 (1972)

Director: Peter H. Hunt
Writers: Peter Stone (book), Sherman Edwards (conception)
Cast: William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, Ken Howard
Genre: Drama, History, Musical

The Continental Congress covens in 1776 during America's Revolution to decide the fight of the new nation.

There's lots of music, and lots of clever wit and charm in 1776.

I love this movie.
First saw it as a child at Radio City Music Hall and it sparked my interest in Revolutionary War history. The hints at the Civil War which would follow 8 decades later are poignant. I usually have a beef with historical accuracy, but the liberties taken here (most for time restraints of fitting events into a movie) are minor, although the dramatic climax surrounding Judge Wilson's vote did not occur.

Also interesting is the fact that the character of John Adams here is actually an amalgam of John and his cousin Samuel (who doesn't appear in the movie), but many of the lines and even some song lyrics are taken directly from John Adams' writings and letters to and from his wife Abigail.

Never made the connection between Mama Look Sharp and Queen before - but yeah, I can see it!

Gideon58

Registered User

06-25-17

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

Jaws (Spielberg, 1975)

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Peter Benchley (screenplay), Carl Gottlieb (screenplay)
Cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
Genre: Adventure, Thriller

Enjoyed your review of this film, though I have never enjoyed it the way the rest of the world does...I think the opening scene with the girl in the water by herself is absoutely brilliant, but the rest of it...John Wiliams music does rock.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

06-25-17

Originally Posted by Captain Steel

I didn't know they showed movies at Radio City Music Hall, but I bet that's a really cool theater. Did you see it first run? This was one of the nominations in the Live Action Musical Hall of Fame and it did very well. It had three 1st place votes and came in second. People really liked it.

https://www.movieforums.com/communit...34#post1711734

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

06-25-17

Originally Posted by Gideon58

I'm going to watch the 2nd and 3rd sequels. I'm not sure if I've ever seen them or not? Who knows if I will like them?

Captain Steel

"Lois, I never lie."

06-25-17

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

Don't know if it was a first run viewing since it came out in '72 - that would have put me at around 2nd grade age. But I do remember going into NYC (it was usually with my mom and a group my aunt belonged to) and seeing a few movies and / or shows at Radio City. So showing movies there in the 70's was a regular thing.

Captain Steel

"Lois, I never lie."

06-25-17

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

I'm going to watch the 2nd and 3rd sequels. I'm not sure if I've ever seen them or not? Who knows if I will like them?

I've never seen a single Jaws sequel, but only heard that they get progressively worse to the point of being completely ridiculous (becoming analogous to the sillier Japanese giant monster movies of the 60's).

Captain Steel

"Lois, I never lie."

06-25-17

A little known fact that 1776 got right was that the Founding Fathers would often spontaneously break into song, accompanied by an unseen orchestra (which some theorize was kept in a back room of Constitution Hall) and members of Congress would somehow know all the lines to choruses that coincided with their ongoing activities, so they could all sing flawlessly together. Historians theorize this ability was some form of new American osmosis. Entire debates were carried out in song and congressional stewards would work the window shades to set the mood of the operatic exchanges with dramatic changes in lighting!

SilentVamp

Save the Texas Prairie Chicken

06-25-17

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

1 7 7 6

4 out of 5 and it still ended up second to last.

If only I'd nominated a film with more women like you said would've preferred.

__________________
I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity - Edgar Allan Poe

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

06-25-17

Godspell (1973)

Director: David Greene
Writers: David Greene, John-Michael Tebelak
Cast: Victor Garber, Lynne Thigpen, Katie Hanley

OMG! what did I just watch

Wow...that was painful and not in any good way

I've never seen a bigger bunch of dimwitted kooks, parading around, making faces and acting like Sesame Street rejects. Even worse was the unfunny attempt at clowning around for the camera, Ugh...and those silly voices they did

It was like a hippie commune where the inmates had escaped for the day, to go hopping and skipping around a strangely empty New York City. Which brings me to the silver lining

OMG the scenes of NYC were amazing. This is like a time machine back to the early 70s. The groovy face painted kooks...err I mean kids, do go to some very impressive spots in the city. The camera shot of NYC from the top of the Twin Towers was amazing...Equally impressive was the scene done on the old abandoned waterfront wharf...Love the cinematography in this movie

....Just look at this camera shot below...amazing.

And the whole movie is like that. Loved the bridge arch scene when the camera shows us the bridge's arches lined up and receding into the background, then pans down to show us our ragamuffin friends frolicking on the grass.

Captain Steel

"Lois, I never lie."

06-26-17

I've still never seen Godspell - but that dude with the Superman "S" on his shirt and the mime makeup always gave me the creeps (just from still shots). He reminds me of a bizarre short-lived comic book character called "Brother Power the Geek."

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

06-26-17

Originally Posted by Captain Steel

Ha, he does look like him! When did that comic book come out?

(the dude with the clown make up and Superman shirt is Jesus...or at least he claims to be

)

Captain Steel

"Lois, I never lie."

06-26-17

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

Ha, he does look like him! When did that comic book come out?

(the dude with the clown make up and Superman shirt is Jesus...or at least he claims to be

)

1968!
It was in direct response to the hippie movement - about a Frankenstein-like mannequin brought to life by electricity who seemed to adopt the hippie culture.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_Power_the_Geek

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

06-26-17

That's wild! Totally funny what he says in that single panel

I thought it might be from the hippie days.

re93animator

ibebangin

06-26-17

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

I'm going to watch the 2nd and 3rd sequels. I'm not sure if I've ever seen them or not? Who knows if I will like them?

It's hard for me to be objective since I watched each one on an almost weekly basis when I was a kid, but I think the 2nd is decent. 3 and 4 both have unintended comic relief and fun settings, but they're dumb & hokey monster movies at heart. Without the nostalgia factor, I doubt they'd have much if any appeal. Watch only if you like cheesefests.

__________________

Citizen Rules