This film has so much cheese, you could feed an entire city. The jokes are stale, the acting is about what a troup of high school sophmores could muster, and the stage design falls right in line with the rest. I could continue in this vein for a hundred pages and not exhaust how terrible I found this film. Now, I understand that it has a cult status, but it's reputation is lost on me. Life is short. Too short to watch garbage like this. I'm glad Mr. Corman made it in two days for a couple of grand. I'm glad his partner wrote the script in the same amount of time. I'm glad almost no thought for artistry went into it. All of that shows.
Reviews
19 Reviews
Uncut Gems
(2019)
Great Movie, Unpleasant Characters
15 November 2020
This movie exemplifies why I left NY for good 40 years ago - despicable people rubbing up against despicable people, with no higher purpose in life than to come out ahead. The movie does a magnificent job in rendering this vain struggle in all it's ugly detail focused in on the main protagonist. Sandler's jewel dealer is so lost, his only happiness comes from the next score. People, family, friends are just phantoms in this lucid dream that have to be bribed, cajoled and vanquished on the way to the goal. Sadly, he is not even open to a different way of thinking, since the blinders he has on restricts the world down to such a tiny frame he is incapable of even noticing anyone or anything else even exists.
The Day Mars Invaded Earth
(1962)
Very effective and very creepy.
14 June 2020
This movie is just so creepy. There is nothing particularly 'unworldly' or 'Martian' about what they are experiencing. It's more like a haunting or a reality shifting. Reminds me of another film from the same era, _The Haunting._ Like that film, there is a psychologization of the horror - it all seems to be taking place within the mind of each character rather than an external reality, and you are never quite sure where the menace resides - within or without. I found it to be very effective. Also, the fact that they filmed it at Greystone Mansion a known haunted house. I don't know if the producers did this to extract better performances, or it just was a practical consideration, but it just adds to the overall creepiness and uncanniness....
Caught in the Rain
(1914)
Great Early One-Reeler
17 June 2019
Chaplin really starts breaking out in this directorial debut for Keystone, and one sees glimmers of the greatness already in this 1914 short. Worth seeing for the comedy bits especially at the beginning, with his physical comedy on stairs, park benches, etc. Apparently, Chaplin was made of rubber. You'll be scratching your head wondering how he did those stunts, they seem pretty dangerous.
Captain Marvel
(2019)
Oy Vey...
9 March 2019
Another perfectly fine movie franchise shot to hell by political correctness creeping into the script. Not to mention, a phoned in lead role, wooden script and lousy action sequences. Don't see it unless you are a sado masochist. It felt like my eyes were being crucified...
The Room
(2003)
Will Restore Your Faith in Good Filmmaking
5 December 2017
Many of the public lack a proper appreciation for the artistry that goes into films. They take 'the movies' for granted: just another part of popular culture. 'The Room' can restore that appreciation, not from any virtues which it possesses, but from the lack thereof. In short, The Room is an object lesson in what results from a production lacking artistry. This includes the performances, the script, the photography, the editing, the soundtrack....All these elements lack artistry in this film, and the results are so sadistic, that one will never lack an appreciation for good filmmaking ever again after seeing this movie. Some have described it as a traffic accident. I don't think this really does it justice. You might recall an accident in upstate NY a few years back. It involved an intoxicated mother carrying 5 or 6 children that collided head on with a vehicle with a father and his son riding in it, in which everyone but one child in the mother's car was killed. You catch my drift....After watching The Room, I don't think anyone could ever again be under the impression that good films just happen, or that making films is easy, or that little effort is required. 'The Room' will forever remain a testament to what the art of film sans 'art' is: and for that we owe the producers a debt of gratitude.
The Last Man on Earth
(1964)
Under-appreciated Inspiration for Night of the Living Dead
6 April 2017
The single greatest takeaway from this film is how similar the zombies are to the ones in Night of the Living Dead. In fact, they are the same zombies! I have seen a couple of 'Making of' and documentaries about NOTLD, and never heard mention it's predecessor.
As far as the movie itself is concerned, it's pretty good for a Vincent Price vehicle, and some of the writing is quite good in it. The story hews closely to the book original, so I've heard, and the ending is profound and disturbing.
This is definitely one of the better films of it's genre, despite being low budget and black and white. I recommend it, especially for those who enjoy this genre of film.
As far as the movie itself is concerned, it's pretty good for a Vincent Price vehicle, and some of the writing is quite good in it. The story hews closely to the book original, so I've heard, and the ending is profound and disturbing.
This is definitely one of the better films of it's genre, despite being low budget and black and white. I recommend it, especially for those who enjoy this genre of film.
Moonlight
(I) (2016)
A Sharply Drawn and Engaging Tale of Struggle and Redemption - Not to be Missed
6 March 2017
This coming of age tale explores a segment of the population - inner city black gay teens - rarely visited on screen. For that reason alone it is worth checking out, but what really draws the viewer in are the riveting and subtle performances from the main actors, and the authentic, gratifying script written partially autobiographically.
This is a script that eschews all Hollywood and melodrama, and focuses in on the characters' humanity and decency. Every situation is presented naturally and in all its messy complexity, then the characters are given a wide berth to struggle toward a resolution, with wide latitude for making mistakes, taking detours, even dead ends as they slowly realize their place in the world. Along the way they learn to forgive themselves as well as the people in their lives who have been such a hindrance to them.
This is an extremely rewarding film to savor and watch again and again for the great performances, stunning visuals and emotionally resonant story.
This is a script that eschews all Hollywood and melodrama, and focuses in on the characters' humanity and decency. Every situation is presented naturally and in all its messy complexity, then the characters are given a wide berth to struggle toward a resolution, with wide latitude for making mistakes, taking detours, even dead ends as they slowly realize their place in the world. Along the way they learn to forgive themselves as well as the people in their lives who have been such a hindrance to them.
This is an extremely rewarding film to savor and watch again and again for the great performances, stunning visuals and emotionally resonant story.
All About Eve
(1950)
Everything You've Heard is True
10 August 2015
In the small, self-selected universe of 'films that I have seen,' there exists the much smaller set of 'films that have blown me away' upon initial viewing. I refer to movies that have opened up a separate room in my consciousness, where they remain as lodestones.
All About Eve is so excellently written and performed, that one almost has a sense that one is watching a reality show, but a reality show with really smart and artistically gifted stars. In black and white. From a bygone era.
The authenticity of the dialog, the natural acting styles, the subtle characterizations remind one of how rare such qualities are in the dramatic arts, especially Hollywood films. How amazing it is that films of this quality got made, and still do. How fortunate we are as the public that our lives are enriched by such movies. Yet, how unfortunate that they are the exception rather than the rule.
My one quibble is a finale which I think was unnecessary. It has the feeling of being tacked on, almost like the producers felt that the main character had to face a kind of moral reckoning. Nevertheless, for 95% of it's length, 'Eve' is a priceless and exquisite journey.
All About Eve is so excellently written and performed, that one almost has a sense that one is watching a reality show, but a reality show with really smart and artistically gifted stars. In black and white. From a bygone era.
The authenticity of the dialog, the natural acting styles, the subtle characterizations remind one of how rare such qualities are in the dramatic arts, especially Hollywood films. How amazing it is that films of this quality got made, and still do. How fortunate we are as the public that our lives are enriched by such movies. Yet, how unfortunate that they are the exception rather than the rule.
My one quibble is a finale which I think was unnecessary. It has the feeling of being tacked on, almost like the producers felt that the main character had to face a kind of moral reckoning. Nevertheless, for 95% of it's length, 'Eve' is a priceless and exquisite journey.
The Song of Bernadette
(1943)
I Guess WWII Made Everyone Reverent for a While....
9 August 2015
One of the greatest films of the golden era of Hollywood was a religiously themed film about the private revelations of the Blessed Virgin to Bernadette Soubirou, an illiterate peasant girl from the town of Lourdes in the year 1858. It made a star of Jennifer Jones, and won her the Oscar that year. The film was nominated for Best Picture as well as 10 other Oscars, and won for best score (Alfred Newman) and cinematography as well. One of the intriguing things about the movie is how it came to be made. The writer, Franz Werfel was living in Germany with his wife, Alma (the widow of the great composer Gustav Mahler) when they had to escape to France to escape the Nazi terror. Settling near Lourdes in the south of France in the shadow of the Pyrenees, they became acquainted with the 'miraculous' spring of Lourdes, where the Catholic faithful had been coming for nearly a hundred years.
Inspired by the faith and hospitality of the French peasantry who flocked to the shrine, Werfel vowed to God to write about them if He saved the couple from annihilation. Though a Jew, Werfel was impressed by the humility and goodness of the people among whom he had settled.
Escaping finally to America, and settling in California, he set to work in 1942 writing The Song of Bernadette. Upon publication, it was immediately recognized by David O. Selznick of 20th Century Fox as a great property, and was purchased for the rights to adapt it to the screen.
One of the singular things about the film is how closely it hues to the book, which was an historically accurate novelization of the phenomenon of Lourdes. It presents in stark terms the disbelief of the political, religious and scientific leaders of the day, and the grief they caused Bernadette Soubirou and her family. Further, it presents Bernadette's visions without explanation or judgment, and leaves it to the viewer to make his own mind up about them.
Made in 1943, at the height of WWII, when the world was in turmoil such as it had never been before, and faith in God was severely put to the test, few films have been as appropriate to their time and place as this was. It is one of the greatest films of all time. It has recently been digitally restored on DVD, with commentary and other extras.
Inspired by the faith and hospitality of the French peasantry who flocked to the shrine, Werfel vowed to God to write about them if He saved the couple from annihilation. Though a Jew, Werfel was impressed by the humility and goodness of the people among whom he had settled.
Escaping finally to America, and settling in California, he set to work in 1942 writing The Song of Bernadette. Upon publication, it was immediately recognized by David O. Selznick of 20th Century Fox as a great property, and was purchased for the rights to adapt it to the screen.
One of the singular things about the film is how closely it hues to the book, which was an historically accurate novelization of the phenomenon of Lourdes. It presents in stark terms the disbelief of the political, religious and scientific leaders of the day, and the grief they caused Bernadette Soubirou and her family. Further, it presents Bernadette's visions without explanation or judgment, and leaves it to the viewer to make his own mind up about them.
Made in 1943, at the height of WWII, when the world was in turmoil such as it had never been before, and faith in God was severely put to the test, few films have been as appropriate to their time and place as this was. It is one of the greatest films of all time. It has recently been digitally restored on DVD, with commentary and other extras.
Eyes Without a Face
(1960)
Just Brilliant
21 July 2014
A reworking of the classic Hawthorne tale, The Birthmark - or something close to it - Eyes Without a Face - is ultimately about the soul-sapping effect of turning human life into a subject of scientific ambition and control. In the end, it is this which provides the true horror behind the horror of the allegorical fable: the way the cold, harsh clinician's light disfigures the true beauty of human life, which is poetic in its essence, not scientific. This renders the film still relevant (even more so) today, than when it was made, at the end of the 50's, and gives the film a universal appeal beyond the sub-genre into which it is lumped.
Beautifully and touchingly acted by the lead personnel, and given the full treatment by the scenarists, the film is a tour de force in the Gothic horror vein, but with a healthy modern skepticism of the claims of science thrown into the mix, and a forceful advocacy for the romantic and poetic view of humanity as against the scientific.
The film concludes with a symbolic apotheosis that is as moving as any scene I've seen on screen. IMHO, the movie ranks amongst the greatest of it's genre or any genre: see it and tremble.
Beautifully and touchingly acted by the lead personnel, and given the full treatment by the scenarists, the film is a tour de force in the Gothic horror vein, but with a healthy modern skepticism of the claims of science thrown into the mix, and a forceful advocacy for the romantic and poetic view of humanity as against the scientific.
The film concludes with a symbolic apotheosis that is as moving as any scene I've seen on screen. IMHO, the movie ranks amongst the greatest of it's genre or any genre: see it and tremble.
Dune
(1984)
Can Someone Tell Me What the Heck this is About?
8 August 2012
3 stars, simply because David Lynch attached his name to it. Otherwise, I'd have given it 1 star. I am a pretty intelligent guy. I am well read in both the classics and contemporary literature, although I had not read the Frank Herbert book. I enjoy science fiction. For the life of me, I had no idea what was going on. I couldn't keep the characters straight, who was in league with who, who had a plot against who. It was just a stew of confusion. I turned it off after an hour or so; I simply lost interest, having no bloody idea what everyone was talking about.
I know Lynch has the distinction of making films that some people have a hard time getting a handle on. However, this movie doesn't have the visual beauty and evocative mood of Lynch's best work. I mean, not only is the plot indecipherable, in spite of voice overs that seem to go on forever, the costumes and special effects resemble a high school production of Star Wars. I haven't seen a movie I enjoyed less since trying to sit through Jason and the Argonauts. Blech!
I know Lynch has the distinction of making films that some people have a hard time getting a handle on. However, this movie doesn't have the visual beauty and evocative mood of Lynch's best work. I mean, not only is the plot indecipherable, in spite of voice overs that seem to go on forever, the costumes and special effects resemble a high school production of Star Wars. I haven't seen a movie I enjoyed less since trying to sit through Jason and the Argonauts. Blech!
The Haunting
(1963)
Creeped Me Out
5 April 2012
Warning: Spoilers
There is an unmistakable creepiness about Robert Wise's film. The horror genre which goes back to the '20's and before has always had an element of the psychological. This element began to be highlighted in the the horror films of the 50's and 60's, and is exquisitely represented in The Haunting.
The Haunting is a psychological study of a woman losing her mind under the influence of a charming older man who has convinced her of the reality of ghosts. It is a very similar theme to the Henry James novelette, A Turn of the Screw, in which a young governess begins to become unhinged after coming to believe through a series of accidents that her young charges are making contact with the ghost world.
In both instances, their gullibility leads them to doubt their own senses, and to ultimately reveal a disturbing death wish at the center of all their clamoring. It was James' genius that he was able to compose such a story at the opening of the century, before Freud.
There is a lot of sexual tension in the movie. There is the flirtatious dalliance between Theo and the young male skeptic/companion. There is the crush that Julie Harris character has on the character of the paranormal investigator. Lastly, there is the unspoken attraction between the two female leads.
All of this sexual energy is linked to the dark sexual secrets of the house's doomed forebears, which makes the 'haunting' a personal self-revealing as well as a force which proves just enough to drive the Harris character over the edge.
All this psychological terror is heightened by the stifling, ornate design of the sets, long shadows and low lighting to achieve a kind of claustrophobic psychological space. Julie Harris' character is coming apart under the strain, just as the house seems to be physically coming apart around her at the end of the film, as she runs frantically from room to room.
This is a film to watch at night, preferably after a couple or three brandies or substance of your choice. Then sit back, and let the movie get into your head. You will never forget it! :)
The Haunting is a psychological study of a woman losing her mind under the influence of a charming older man who has convinced her of the reality of ghosts. It is a very similar theme to the Henry James novelette, A Turn of the Screw, in which a young governess begins to become unhinged after coming to believe through a series of accidents that her young charges are making contact with the ghost world.
In both instances, their gullibility leads them to doubt their own senses, and to ultimately reveal a disturbing death wish at the center of all their clamoring. It was James' genius that he was able to compose such a story at the opening of the century, before Freud.
There is a lot of sexual tension in the movie. There is the flirtatious dalliance between Theo and the young male skeptic/companion. There is the crush that Julie Harris character has on the character of the paranormal investigator. Lastly, there is the unspoken attraction between the two female leads.
All of this sexual energy is linked to the dark sexual secrets of the house's doomed forebears, which makes the 'haunting' a personal self-revealing as well as a force which proves just enough to drive the Harris character over the edge.
All this psychological terror is heightened by the stifling, ornate design of the sets, long shadows and low lighting to achieve a kind of claustrophobic psychological space. Julie Harris' character is coming apart under the strain, just as the house seems to be physically coming apart around her at the end of the film, as she runs frantically from room to room.
This is a film to watch at night, preferably after a couple or three brandies or substance of your choice. Then sit back, and let the movie get into your head. You will never forget it! :)
City Lights
(1931)
Not His Best, but Redeemed by Many Great Moments
15 August 2011
It may be the haze of all the intervening years, but I don't think Chaplin made anything but 'Classics' from 1916-1936. You can pretty much watch anything from these couple of decades and see, if not an entire classic, at least frequent moments of brilliance. Such was the man's genius.
Of this oeuvre, some items stand out as especially worthy of praise: all the full length features in this period, for example, are worth seeing today. Most live on in the work of other directors, cinematographers and actors who were influenced by these films. In fact it could rightly be said that Chaplin lives on in innumerable moments on screen and in the attitude he brought to the project of making films - raising it from a novelty to it's status as art today. No filmmaker did more to advance the art of film.
City Lights is certainly one of his masterpieces. It resembles his other features from the 30's (and throughout is career) in it's utterly distinctive look and feel. Due to the unique style of directing, his absolute control of all aspects of the production and the use of his collaborator/cinematographer, Rollie Totheroh, all Chaplin films have this 'look' that the film wears almost like a brand.
The most striking thing, to me, about CL, is the pure symmetry of the story. Everything is pared down to the double story of love story/infatuation and friendship/exploitation. The love story is predicated on deception, while the friendship is predicated on alcoholism. The parallel stories take place almost independently of each other. It is this lack of cohesion that to me at least makes it less of a great film than, say, Modern Times.
Nevertheless, there are many great moments in the film to admire. The two best scenes, IMO, are the boxing scene which is genuinely one of the most hilarious sequences ever filmed (if you want to know where Jackie Gleason, Lucille Ball and other masters of physical comedy got their chops, a good place to start is right here) and the final scene/fadeout.
The ending is beyond genius, almost as if God had AD'd this scene for Chaplin, it is so profoundly moving. That said, a great ending, even one as great as graces City Lights, does still not resolve the issue of the un-meeting story lines which proceed along parallel tracks for the whole film.
It is still worth your time to watch this supremely gifted physical comedian at the top of his game, and even more so, IMO, in repeat viewings. No silent actor rewards the repeat watcher more than Chaplin, as his constant, offhand improvisations often escape first or second notice and only become apparent upon repeat viewings.
Of this oeuvre, some items stand out as especially worthy of praise: all the full length features in this period, for example, are worth seeing today. Most live on in the work of other directors, cinematographers and actors who were influenced by these films. In fact it could rightly be said that Chaplin lives on in innumerable moments on screen and in the attitude he brought to the project of making films - raising it from a novelty to it's status as art today. No filmmaker did more to advance the art of film.
City Lights is certainly one of his masterpieces. It resembles his other features from the 30's (and throughout is career) in it's utterly distinctive look and feel. Due to the unique style of directing, his absolute control of all aspects of the production and the use of his collaborator/cinematographer, Rollie Totheroh, all Chaplin films have this 'look' that the film wears almost like a brand.
The most striking thing, to me, about CL, is the pure symmetry of the story. Everything is pared down to the double story of love story/infatuation and friendship/exploitation. The love story is predicated on deception, while the friendship is predicated on alcoholism. The parallel stories take place almost independently of each other. It is this lack of cohesion that to me at least makes it less of a great film than, say, Modern Times.
Nevertheless, there are many great moments in the film to admire. The two best scenes, IMO, are the boxing scene which is genuinely one of the most hilarious sequences ever filmed (if you want to know where Jackie Gleason, Lucille Ball and other masters of physical comedy got their chops, a good place to start is right here) and the final scene/fadeout.
The ending is beyond genius, almost as if God had AD'd this scene for Chaplin, it is so profoundly moving. That said, a great ending, even one as great as graces City Lights, does still not resolve the issue of the un-meeting story lines which proceed along parallel tracks for the whole film.
It is still worth your time to watch this supremely gifted physical comedian at the top of his game, and even more so, IMO, in repeat viewings. No silent actor rewards the repeat watcher more than Chaplin, as his constant, offhand improvisations often escape first or second notice and only become apparent upon repeat viewings.
Bad Santa
(2003)
Just Not Funny
11 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
It appears that in the early 2000's, the idea caught on in Hollywood that debased and disgusting could be funny and sell tickets. It could, and it did. But around the time of Bad Santa, this kind of comedy shmaltz had just about jumped the shark. Bad Santa is BAD, and it's bad because it relies on bad taste for laughs, rather than being funny first, and distasteful second which all the best movies of this genre are.
Substance addiction, bladder dysfunction, et.al. are not inherently humorous, even when (or especially when) portrayed realistically. For the latter, you need to have some kind of ironic twist or clever angle. That a roomful of talented Hollywood bigwigs could fail to realize this is to me incomprehensible.
Be that as it may, take my good advice and go watch something else. Trust me! Terry
Substance addiction, bladder dysfunction, et.al. are not inherently humorous, even when (or especially when) portrayed realistically. For the latter, you need to have some kind of ironic twist or clever angle. That a roomful of talented Hollywood bigwigs could fail to realize this is to me incomprehensible.
Be that as it may, take my good advice and go watch something else. Trust me! Terry
The Border
(1982)
Bombed at the Box Office
8 December 2010
I remember seeing this movie at a seedy downtown LA theater, the second film of a double bill that I almost walked out on before it began. I was glad I stayed. I don't remember what the feature film was, but I have never forgotten this movie.
Jack Nicholson plays a on-the-take border patrol cop trying to go straight, but surrounded by corruption on both sides of the fence. He finally has to choose between fitting in by being a dirt bag, and being true to himself and cutting his ties with his buddies and his family.
The border is not only a fence between two countries, it's a moral line between decency and indecency, between moral compromise and being a truly humane and compassionate person regardless of the consequences.
The acting is superb, and the the plot could not be more timely. So give this box office bomb a go soon! It's a real diamond in the rough.
Jack Nicholson plays a on-the-take border patrol cop trying to go straight, but surrounded by corruption on both sides of the fence. He finally has to choose between fitting in by being a dirt bag, and being true to himself and cutting his ties with his buddies and his family.
The border is not only a fence between two countries, it's a moral line between decency and indecency, between moral compromise and being a truly humane and compassionate person regardless of the consequences.
The acting is superb, and the the plot could not be more timely. So give this box office bomb a go soon! It's a real diamond in the rough.
A Countess from Hong Kong
(1967)
Not so bad...
9 August 2010
Well, *I'm* certainly not going to pan a Charlie Chaplin film. Like all his films, it's certainly worth viewing. While it doesn't completely gel as a whole, it is an artistic film - that is to say it is an expression of the artist's vision of life at a certain point in his life - for Chaplin, the final years. There is dialog about politics, about death, sex, love, art. These comments often fly by at the speed of lighthearted comedy, but it is worth the time to watch the film a second time to catch them all.
I found Brando's performance mesmerizing, though, again, did not gel with the film as a whole. Add to this the fact that he is acting with much inferior actors (Sophia Loren and Sydney Chaplin do not come to mind as great actors of Brando's caliber, as impressive as they may be).
My chief regret is that the film was not as funny as I'd hoped. The glaring exception was the scene with the bedridden British dowager, played to hilarious perfection by Margaret Rutherford.
I found Brando's performance mesmerizing, though, again, did not gel with the film as a whole. Add to this the fact that he is acting with much inferior actors (Sophia Loren and Sydney Chaplin do not come to mind as great actors of Brando's caliber, as impressive as they may be).
My chief regret is that the film was not as funny as I'd hoped. The glaring exception was the scene with the bedridden British dowager, played to hilarious perfection by Margaret Rutherford.
Symphony of Living
(1935)
A Film about Music
17 July 2010
There is a wonderful scene about halfway through the movie, when the denizens of three floors of an apartment building - a violin student, a trombone student, and a jazz clarinetist - are practicing the same tune simultaneously. It is funny and instantly recognizable from a modern perspective: the connectedness of all forms of music, whether it be classical or popular. Good music is good music.
This film is really about the magic of music and the musicians who make it. The scenes of the camaraderie of the fellow symphony musicians is a truthful depiction of the fellowship all musicians feel for each other.
The plot's unartful use of recognition and reunion scenes at the end of the movie don't detract too much from the enjoyment I got from the sympathetic portrayal of the brotherhood of musicians, and the power of that music to redeem lives. Highly recommended, especially if you are or know a musician.
This film is really about the magic of music and the musicians who make it. The scenes of the camaraderie of the fellow symphony musicians is a truthful depiction of the fellowship all musicians feel for each other.
The plot's unartful use of recognition and reunion scenes at the end of the movie don't detract too much from the enjoyment I got from the sympathetic portrayal of the brotherhood of musicians, and the power of that music to redeem lives. Highly recommended, especially if you are or know a musician.
Symphony of Six Million
(1932)
Overdone, but has it's moments
17 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This movie has a back story for me. I used to work in a North Hollywood, California bank in the mid '90's. I befriended a regular customer there, a frail elderly man named Lester Lee. One day, he mentioned that he used to be a child actor, and the next time brought in two VCR tapes with snippets of two films he had been in, Symphony of Six Million, and Symphony of Living.
I took them home and watched the brief scenes, trying to see a resemblance between the 12 or 13 year old boy on my TV and the elderly gentleman who came into the bank once a week to deposit his Social Security check.
I tried finding copies of these films, but was unsuccessful. The internet was not as helpful as it is today, and I was not able to find anyone who sold those 'forgotten' films.
I recently remembered my acquaintance with Mr. Lee, and looked online and found someone selling Symphony of Six Million. I ordered it and watched it over breakfast this morning.
The first thing I noticed was that the sound was low: with my TV at full volume, it was still sometimes difficult to make out some of the dialog. The background hiss was loud as well.
The plot touches a lot of points that could just as well be made today about many communities struggling to adapt. The message of SOSM is an all-American story, one that has been repeated over and over again throughout our history with a series of nationalities and cultures that came to our shores: Jews, Italians, Irish, Germans, Armenians, and others. These shared the same problems of adapting to a foreign culture, finding a place in that culture, and along the way suffering from the conflicts between success and loyalty to one's people, adaptation and the remembrance of one's roots.
That is what the movie is about: the costs of assimilation. My problem is not with the 'message' of the film. It's with the overly melodramatic shifts in the story, and the unrealistic, romantic portrayal of the medical profession. That said, there are some fine moments in the film, the climax being the confrontation between Irene Dunne's and Ricardo Cortez's characters in the latter's upscale medical office. I found myself tearing up, as I'm sure many film goers have over the years.
Overall, I would say the film is very worth watching, especially as it is largely forgotten today. And watch for Lester Lee, as the young Felix!
I took them home and watched the brief scenes, trying to see a resemblance between the 12 or 13 year old boy on my TV and the elderly gentleman who came into the bank once a week to deposit his Social Security check.
I tried finding copies of these films, but was unsuccessful. The internet was not as helpful as it is today, and I was not able to find anyone who sold those 'forgotten' films.
I recently remembered my acquaintance with Mr. Lee, and looked online and found someone selling Symphony of Six Million. I ordered it and watched it over breakfast this morning.
The first thing I noticed was that the sound was low: with my TV at full volume, it was still sometimes difficult to make out some of the dialog. The background hiss was loud as well.
The plot touches a lot of points that could just as well be made today about many communities struggling to adapt. The message of SOSM is an all-American story, one that has been repeated over and over again throughout our history with a series of nationalities and cultures that came to our shores: Jews, Italians, Irish, Germans, Armenians, and others. These shared the same problems of adapting to a foreign culture, finding a place in that culture, and along the way suffering from the conflicts between success and loyalty to one's people, adaptation and the remembrance of one's roots.
That is what the movie is about: the costs of assimilation. My problem is not with the 'message' of the film. It's with the overly melodramatic shifts in the story, and the unrealistic, romantic portrayal of the medical profession. That said, there are some fine moments in the film, the climax being the confrontation between Irene Dunne's and Ricardo Cortez's characters in the latter's upscale medical office. I found myself tearing up, as I'm sure many film goers have over the years.
Overall, I would say the film is very worth watching, especially as it is largely forgotten today. And watch for Lester Lee, as the young Felix!
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