The last of my Silent-Sale purchases: The Love of Jeanne Ney (1927). Directed by G.W. Pabst, who would later direct such classics as Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl (both 1929).
The plot is convoluted, making summarizing it difficult. Jeanne and her father are in Crimea. He gets killed by Bolsheviks. One of the Bolsheviks is Jeanne's lover, Andreas (he doesn't do the killing, but he was present for it). Jeanne goes to live in Paris with her uncle and his blind daughter. The uncle runs a detective agency. There is a jewel robbery. Meanwhile, a slick con man tries to seduce the blind daughter--so that he can get the uncle's money, at which point he will dispose of her. (We know this because he gets drunk in a bar and tells the barmaid that that is what he plans to do--he's not the sharpest pencil in the box!) The uncle has found the huge diamond from the jewel robbery but then gets killed and the diamond stolen again. Andreas (who came to Paris looking for Jeanne) gets framed for the crime. And, for the last 15 minutes, Jeanne finally gets something to do in the film as she works to clear the name of her lover.
The BluRay contains both the German cut and the American cut of the movie. The American cut is 20 minutes shorter. I think it was little cuts here and there (for example, near the end there is a scene where Jeanne gets assaulted--that is cut from the American print; I also think the death of the uncle was less graphic in the American print).
Oddly, the American print (by changing the wording of title cards) decided to change the relationship of the characters: Instead of Jeanne being the daughter of the guy killed by Bolsheviks, she is his ward. Her uncle is a "foster uncle." For some reason the American censors wanted to make it clear that she was not biologically a part of the family.
A decent film, but not nearly as good as Pandora's Box or Diary of a Lost Girl.
The Creature from the Black Lagoon was one of my favourite films. I particularly liked some of the swimming shots. Not of the Creature ..... the leading lady. From below. Wow!
I haven't seen the sequels ... are they as ... er ... interesting to a 79 year old adolescent?
Just asking.
I have been visiting my daughter in London, and we went to the pictures to see the recent “Sense and sensibility”. I was not impressed. What they have made is a romantic novel loosely based on Jane Austen’s book. They have even invented a duel between Colonel Brandon and Willoughby…. If you like the book, I would avoid. (And why could these girls, especially Marianne, never comb their hair? I know they were poor, but combs were not a luxury item.)
The Creature from the Black Lagoon was one of my favourite films. I particularly liked some of the swimming shots. Not of the Creature ..... the leading lady. From below. Wow!
I haven't seen the sequels ... are they as ... er ... interesting to a 79 year old adolescent?
Just asking.
lol! I’m not sure…
I still need to finish the second one and watch the third one.
@Cathscats, I know there’s a novel by the same publisher who did Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, called…
The Creature from the Black Lagoon was one of my favourite films. I particularly liked some of the swimming shots. Not of the Creature ..... the leading lady. From below. Wow!
I haven't seen the sequels ... are they as ... er ... interesting to a 79 year old adolescent?
Just asking.
Trivia: While the leading actress, on land, was Julie Adams, when swimming the part was played by a stuntwoman, Ginger Stanley. In the sequel ("Revenge of the Creature"), the lead actress--on land--was Lori Nelson. But in the water, it was...Ginger Stanley again! So, yes, you just might find that sequel equally intriguing!
Finally finishing Revenge of the Creature, and yes, the leasing lady is about to hop in the water, with what might even be the same famous white swimsuit. I saw this, paused it, and came to let you know. (Then got distracted by other threads, while my poor movie awaits.)
I will mention one thing I didn’t like earlier in the movie—the creature drags a live, real heron underwater. I don’t know if it was injured or worse (I hope not), and from googling around, no one else does either. This was in the days before “No animals were harmed,” etc.
Creature from the Black Lagoon is also a favourite at my place. Cheery son loves old horror films, particularly the Universal Monsters, we've already begun our Halloween watching. I'll have to chase him up to see what we might watch this week.
I finally got to watch 70 up and enjoyed it very much, many touching moments as the participants reflected on their lives to date. I thought the new director did an excellent job ad was pleased to hear in a panel conversation about the films, that the first year was spent digitising all the old material, very important for that to be preserved.
Otherwise on the British box I"m watching Marble Hall muders and Midsomer murders (that will keep me going for a very long time).
Mrs RR and I are watching 'Colossus, the Forbin Project'. Apropos current AI developments, it's even scarier than I remember. Have any other shipmates seen ithis old, but now very topical, film?
Creature from the Black Lagoon is also a favourite at my place. Cheery son loves old horror films, particularly the Universal Monsters, we've already begun our Halloween watching. I'll have to chase him up to see what we might watch this week.
I finally got to watch 70 up and enjoyed it very much, many touching moments as the participants reflected on their lives to date. I thought the new director did an excellent job ad was pleased to hear in a panel conversation about the films, that the first year was spent digitising all the old material, very important for that to be preserved.
Otherwise on the British box I"m watching Marble Hall muders and Midsomer murders (that will keep me going for a very long time).
And now—apart from the Abbott and Costello meet-ups (I’ve seen the first, but not sure I want to see the others other than the Mummy one)—all that remains for me is The Creature Walks Among Us. I might go for the big 80s franchises I’ve never really seen much of (Freddy Krueger, etc.). I do plan on seeing the Hammer films (again, in order). And I need to pick up the kaiju ones where I left off with Godzilla 1985…
I remember many, many years ago when we got our first black and white TV (around 1960?) the following Christmas the BBC ran a late night series of old black and white horror movies. The Christmas Night or Boxing night one was the original King Kong with Faye Wray. The whole family were sitting round the TV having a late supper watching it, and my brother was sitting on the floor in front of the TV with his mouth hanging open, absolutely transfixed when King Kong climbed up the Empire State building and was being strafed by the little biplanes!
OK I have just seen a YouTube advert for "The Magician's Nephew" - directed by Greta "Barbie" Gershwig - and due for release next February - and I do not know whether to be excited or terrified by this prospect -
OK I have just seen a YouTube advert for "The Magician's Nephew" - directed by Greta "Barbie" Gershwig - and due for release next February - and I do not know whether to be excited or terrified by this prospect -
Agreed. It’s an interesting music-video-style trailer but I don’t know how certain things will go (changing the basic setting on Earth by about fifty-sixty years, to the 1950s, which will mean the Pevensie children will be visiting Narnia in the 21st century (!), and I don’t know how Aslan’s being voiced by Meryl Streep will work out) in the actual movie.
I finally got round to watching Went The Day Well?, which I've been meaning to do for years - and gosh, it's brutal!
It was made as a propaganda film in 1942, and the soldiers were actual members of the Gloucestershire Regiment. The story, by Graham Greene, concerns an English village taken over by Nazi paratroopers in advance of an invasion attempt.
At first, the villagers take them at face value, as British soldiers, but when they realise what's really going on and start trying to get a message out to the next town, the Germans show no mercy, and several characters die.
The only actor I recognised was Thora Hird, as one of the Land Girls, but they all did a good job of contrasting the sleepy village with the realities of war.
Last night I went to a special showing of An American Werewolf in London at our local Castle. Hard to believe that the film is 45 years old! They went all out for atmosphere - there was a smoke machine, and wolf howls in the background as we were coming in.
They started off with Michael Jackson's Thriller to get us in the mood, and after that it was great fun spotting all the local locations - the Slaughtered Lamb is a house in a local village, and as the hapless hikers were trekking across the moors, Hay Bluff was visible in the background in a lot of shots (even though they're supposed to be in Yorkshire).
And when they were back in London, it looked as if they were doing the location shooting without closing off the locations, so the cars and buses and pedestrians were all ordinary people going about their business.
Last night I went to a special showing of An American Werewolf in London at our local Castle. Hard to believe that the film is 45 years old! They went all out for atmosphere - there was a smoke machine, and wolf howls in the background as we were coming in.
They started off with Michael Jackson's Thriller to get us in the mood, and after that it was great fun spotting all the local locations - the Slaughtered Lamb is a house in a local village, and as the hapless hikers were trekking across the moors, Hay Bluff was visible in the background in a lot of shots (even though they're supposed to be in Yorkshire).
And when they were back in London, it looked as if they were doing the location shooting without closing off the locations, so the cars and buses and pedestrians were all ordinary people going about their business.
Ah, an excellent film made memorable by a certain rather appealing actress in the shower .... they don't make 'em like that now!
The two films I've watched recently are The Magic Faraway Tree and Song Sung Blue. I found the first a bit tedious and not really sure that children, the intended audience, would be that keen either. Song Sung Blue I enjoyed. The story didn't go in quite the ways I expected, and though not a huge Diamond fan I enjoyed the songs too.
Last night I went to a special showing of An American Werewolf in London at our local Castle. Hard to believe that the film is 45 years old! They went all out for atmosphere - there was a smoke machine, and wolf howls in the background as we were coming in.
They started off with Michael Jackson's Thriller to get us in the mood, and after that it was great fun spotting all the local locations - the Slaughtered Lamb is a house in a local village, and as the hapless hikers were trekking across the moors, Hay Bluff was visible in the background in a lot of shots (even though they're supposed to be in Yorkshire).
And when they were back in London, it looked as if they were doing the location shooting without closing off the locations, so the cars and buses and pedestrians were all ordinary people going about their business.
Saw "10 things I hate about you" again, and it's held up quite well, very lively and funny. Main actors good, rather sad to see Heath Ledger, with his famous scene with the college band. The US produced some good teen films, e.g , Clueless, I don't know if they still are.
Also saw "The bride wore black", famous Truffaut film. I would say an acquired taste, anyway, we loved it, an icy Jeanne Moreau polishing off men in bizarre and implausible ways. Who needs plausible?
Also saw "The bride wore black", famous Truffaut film. I would say an acquired taste, anyway, we loved it, an icy Jeanne Moreau polishing off men in bizarre and implausible ways. Who needs plausible?
I also watched this. Wonderfully shot, but a very odd film. Difficult to empathise with any of the protagonists. I couldn't see any 'Hitchcock-type' homages, or mystery. Have I missed something?
I just saw Wildwood, the really amazing stop-motion animated fantasy set in a magical realm outside Portland, OR. It is visually stupendous and gorgeous. And in content, it's pretty good plot and charater-wise. All-in-all I really enjoyed it.
Comments
The plot is convoluted, making summarizing it difficult. Jeanne and her father are in Crimea. He gets killed by Bolsheviks. One of the Bolsheviks is Jeanne's lover, Andreas (he doesn't do the killing, but he was present for it). Jeanne goes to live in Paris with her uncle and his blind daughter. The uncle runs a detective agency. There is a jewel robbery. Meanwhile, a slick con man tries to seduce the blind daughter--so that he can get the uncle's money, at which point he will dispose of her. (We know this because he gets drunk in a bar and tells the barmaid that that is what he plans to do--he's not the sharpest pencil in the box!) The uncle has found the huge diamond from the jewel robbery but then gets killed and the diamond stolen again. Andreas (who came to Paris looking for Jeanne) gets framed for the crime. And, for the last 15 minutes, Jeanne finally gets something to do in the film as she works to clear the name of her lover.
The BluRay contains both the German cut and the American cut of the movie. The American cut is 20 minutes shorter. I think it was little cuts here and there (for example, near the end there is a scene where Jeanne gets assaulted--that is cut from the American print; I also think the death of the uncle was less graphic in the American print).
Oddly, the American print (by changing the wording of title cards) decided to change the relationship of the characters: Instead of Jeanne being the daughter of the guy killed by Bolsheviks, she is his ward. Her uncle is a "foster uncle." For some reason the American censors wanted to make it clear that she was not biologically a part of the family.
A decent film, but not nearly as good as Pandora's Box or Diary of a Lost Girl.
I haven't seen the sequels ... are they as ... er ... interesting to a 79 year old adolescent?
Just asking.
lol! I’m not sure…
I still need to finish the second one and watch the third one.
@Cathscats, I know there’s a novel by the same publisher who did Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, called…
https://youtu.be/_jZVE5uF24Q?is=PP9N1rjWwSxK0bNn
… Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, but other than the above book trailer, it’s not a movie thus far.
Trivia: While the leading actress, on land, was Julie Adams, when swimming the part was played by a stuntwoman, Ginger Stanley. In the sequel ("Revenge of the Creature"), the lead actress--on land--was Lori Nelson. But in the water, it was...Ginger Stanley again! So, yes, you just might find that sequel equally intriguing!
I will mention one thing I didn’t like earlier in the movie—the creature drags a live, real heron underwater. I don’t know if it was injured or worse (I hope not), and from googling around, no one else does either. This was in the days before “No animals were harmed,” etc.
I finally got to watch 70 up and enjoyed it very much, many touching moments as the participants reflected on their lives to date. I thought the new director did an excellent job ad was pleased to hear in a panel conversation about the films, that the first year was spent digitising all the old material, very important for that to be preserved.
Otherwise on the British box I"m watching Marble Hall muders and Midsomer murders (that will keep me going for a very long time).
And now—apart from the Abbott and Costello meet-ups (I’ve seen the first, but not sure I want to see the others other than the Mummy one)—all that remains for me is The Creature Walks Among Us. I might go for the big 80s franchises I’ve never really seen much of (Freddy Krueger, etc.). I do plan on seeing the Hammer films (again, in order). And I need to pick up the kaiju ones where I left off with Godzilla 1985…
https://youtu.be/VDiWXQc9SC8?is=lQCITO8KrnpsN3od
Agreed. It’s an interesting music-video-style trailer but I don’t know how certain things will go (changing the basic setting on Earth by about fifty-sixty years, to the 1950s, which will mean the Pevensie children will be visiting Narnia in the 21st century (!), and I don’t know how Aslan’s being voiced by Meryl Streep will work out) in the actual movie.
It was made as a propaganda film in 1942, and the soldiers were actual members of the Gloucestershire Regiment. The story, by Graham Greene, concerns an English village taken over by Nazi paratroopers in advance of an invasion attempt.
At first, the villagers take them at face value, as British soldiers, but when they realise what's really going on and start trying to get a message out to the next town, the Germans show no mercy, and several characters die.
The only actor I recognised was Thora Hird, as one of the Land Girls, but they all did a good job of contrasting the sleepy village with the realities of war.
They started off with Michael Jackson's Thriller to get us in the mood, and after that it was great fun spotting all the local locations - the Slaughtered Lamb is a house in a local village, and as the hapless hikers were trekking across the moors, Hay Bluff was visible in the background in a lot of shots (even though they're supposed to be in Yorkshire).
And when they were back in London, it looked as if they were doing the location shooting without closing off the locations, so the cars and buses and pedestrians were all ordinary people going about their business.
Ah, an excellent film made memorable by a certain rather appealing actress in the shower .... they don't make 'em like that now!
Do you get to see Lord Hereford's Knob?
A classic
Must not snigger.... muuuustttt noottt snniigggeerrrr....
Oh *bugger*!
I also watched this. Wonderfully shot, but a very odd film. Difficult to empathise with any of the protagonists. I couldn't see any 'Hitchcock-type' homages, or mystery. Have I missed something?