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I’m recommending The Foul King before it leaves at the end of the month. First starring role for Song Kang-ho and the wrestling scenes are superb. The other stuff is a drag but it’s well worth a watch.
I did watch The Ornithologist last night. I recall wanting to see this after dvdbeaver's review of the dvd a few years back (it never made it to blu-ray), so now seemed the right time given there's only about a week left to catch it. It's a pretty gorgeous film, though it spirals a bit beyond what I was expecting from CC's description in terms of what all happens during the course of the film. Give it a try, stick with it for a while...
Expiring from The Criterion Channel - Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)
After the sad news of George Segal's passing, I was in the mood to watch something of his. Since this is expiring from The Criterion Channel (but it's also available on Prime streaming), I decided it was the perfect choice.
George Segal and Jane Fonda play a husband and wife who turn to armed robbery after Segal loses his job. You can see why Segal was such a big star in the 1970s and one of the highlights of shows like The Goldbergs later in his career - he is effortlessly entertaining and charming. Jane Fonda is, of course, great too.
Some of the humor is outdated, but that's par for the course with older comedies.
DaBargainHunta's Decree: All in all, Fun with Dick and Jane is light, fun, and funny - an enjoyable satire. (Subtitles/Captions: Yes!)
Expiring from The Criterion Channel - The Foul King (2000)
The Foul King is about a young banker whose stern boss thinks nothing of using pro wrestling moves - headlocks and chokeholds - to keep him in line. I want to work at this bank!!!
From there, the main character goes to a wrestling school so he can learn how to defend himself against his boss. It both helps and hurts his cause that he's already a passionate wrestling fan. (Eagle-eyed viewers will notice wrestling references sprinkled throughout the film - I spotted a drawing of Hulk Hogan and Doink the Clown in the background of one scene.) He's given the character of The Foul King - a masked wrestler whose only "technique" is to cheat like hell and use a fork to slice and dice his opponents. The wrestling scenes are surprisingly credible for the most part, with only a couple of exaggerated exceptions for comedic or dramatic effect.
The Foul King ends up being a fun, funny, feel-good underdog "sports" movie about a bullied young man trying to stand up for himself and find his purpose in his life. I adored it.
DaBargainHunta's Decree: Between this and Save the Green Planet! (also expiring), South Korea has been responsible for two of the best movies I've seen in recent months.
Last edited by DaBargainHunta; 03-29-2021 at 02:34 AM.
Expiring from The Criterion Channel - Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)
After the sad news of George Segal's passing, I was in the mood to watch something of his. Since this is expiring from The Criterion Channel (but it's also available on Prime streaming), I decided it was the perfect choice.
George Segal and Jane Fonda play a husband and wife who turn to armed robbery after Segal loses his job. You can see why Segal was such a big star in the 1970s and one of the highlights of shows like The Goldbergs later in his career - he is effortlessly entertaining and charming. Jane Fonda is, of course, great too.
Some of the humor is outdated, but that's par for the course with older comedies.
DaBargainHunta's Decree: All in all, Fun with Dick and Jane is light, fun, and funny - an enjoyable satire. (Subtitles/Captions: Yes!)
You inspired me to give it a go as well before it leaves the channel, and after watching Fonda's California Suite and Cat Ballou, this fit in nicely, I can't say I liked the movie very much, it's rather flat, silly and I laughed only once, when Fonda stumbles during a fashion show creating a domino effect of catastrophe. But this was definitely the weakest Fonda film I watched on the channel.
In any case it was nice seeing Segal in his heyday. RIP. And Fonda is always good.
You inspired me to give it a go as well before it leaves the channel, and after watching Fonda's California Suite and Cat Ballou, this fit in nicely, I can't say I liked the movie very much, it's rather flat, silly and I laughed only once, when Fonda stumbles during a fashion show creating a domino effect of catastrophe. But this was definitely the weakest Fonda film I watched on the channel.
In any case it was nice seeing Segal in his heyday. RIP. And Fonda is always good.
It appears to be a very polarizing film. Some George Segal retrospective articles didn't include it at all and Ebert panned it, but others consider it one of their very favorites and it was even remade in 2005 with Jim Carrey and Tea Leone (which I haven't seen). I'm somewhere in the middle.
If you're looking for another expiring Fonda movie - a much better one - and willing to trust my tastes after being "burned" by Fun with Dick and Jane, I recommend Walk on the Wild Side if you haven't seen it already. It was on the Channel last year, and I watched then before it expired the first time around.
My mini-review below:
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta
Walk on the Wild Side (1962)
BARBARA STANWYCK AND JANE FONDA WERE IN THE SAME MOVIE? Why, yes they were! Expiring from The Criterion Channel, I wasn't even originally planning to watch Walk on the Wild Side - also starring Laurence Harvey and Capucine (who was also in Red Sun - which I watched last month before it expired) - but the casting so intrigued me that I couldn't resist. It is always incredible when two cinematic icons from different eras share the same screen, especially when you had no idea that could ever possibly be the case. What a delightful discovery. (For any wrestling fans reading this, it reminds me of a clip I saw the other day of Gordon Solie interviewing the future Triple H in WCW. Who knew they were around at the same time?)
The basic premise: Laurence Harvey meets Jane Fonda on the streets but really pines for his old flame, played by Capucine, who is now a sex worker at a New Orleans brothel run by Barbara Stanwyck. If that sentence alone isn't enough to sell you on the movie, nothing will.
Stanwyck and Fonda share only one or two scenes at most, but it's still a thrill seeing them together. Capucine is always lovely, and Laurence Harvey's easy charm is definitely something I will be seeking more of in the future (I knew of him mainly from the odd Tony Scott movie about his daughter, Domino, and the only thing I remember about that is the weird Beverly Hills 90210 reunion in it).
DaBargainHunta's Decree: Probably not the best movie any of them have ever done, but it's still a fun time. Bonus point for the weird decision to have Stanwyck's husband (played by Karl Swenson) without legs for absolutely no reason whatsoever. (Subtitles: Yes!)
It appears to be a very polarizing film. Some George Segal retrospectives didn't include it and Ebert panned it, but others consider it one of their very favorites and it was even remade in 2005 with Jim Carrey and Tea Leone (which I haven't seen). I'm somewhere in the middle.
If you're looking for another expiring Fonda movie (a much better one) and willing to trust my tastes, I recommend Walk on the Wild Side if you haven't seen it already.
My mini-review below:
Yeah, I actually put this one on my list since it looked intriguing and I never heard of it. But then I read some mediocre reviews which put me off the film (basically calling it a "soap opera"). But yeah, the cast is very intriguing. I'll see if I can find some time for it in the next two days....
Regarding Fun with Dick and Jane, I think some people ignore it because it's not very PC, but these kinds of things almost never bother me - I watch every movie in the context of the time it was made - I was just bored for too much of the running time.
Yeah, I actually put this one on my list since it looked intriguing and I never heard of it. But then I read some mediocre reviews which put me off the film (basically calling it a "soap opera"). But yeah, the cast is very intriguing. I'll see if I can find some time for it in the next two days....
I didn't think it was soap opera-ish, but I don't watch soap operas, so...
Is it the best movie Jane Fonda and/or Barbara Stanwyck have ever done? Nah. But it's fun.
Definitely hard to find time for everything though. I always end up leaving a few behind.
Still 10 minutes to go, but I've been watching one of the Korean films that is going away in a couple days, Kim Jee-woon's The Quiet Family. Enjoying it quite a bit. I ended up looking to see if this was available on blu-ray, but it only was for just a little while, a small Nova print run. Pretty much the only option to see this any time soon.
Now to go finish it. I'll have to check the other(s) out as well if time permits...
I didn't think it was soap opera-ish, but I don't watch soap operas, so...
Is it the best movie Jane Fonda and/or Barbara Stanwyck have ever done? Nah. But it's fun.
Definitely hard to find time for everything though. I always end up leaving a few behind.
Managed to catch it before it leaves! Overall I liked it. Some clunky, over dramatic dialogue, but the print looks stunning and I'm a big fan of Ann Baxter and I didn't know she was in it! (some fan...)
And yeah, it's really special seeing Jane Fonda and Barbara Stanwick in the same frame... two actor generations briefly touching each other.
But the highlight has to be that black, slinking cat. What an opening titles scene!
Edit: oh, one more thing, I thought it was interesting that it's a 60's movie taking place in the 30's. I don't recall many old films serving as period pieces for slightly older times, especially during the 60's. I have to say that other than the cars it didn't really feel to me like taking place in the 30's. I had to remind myself of that fact from time to time. But there is rarely any political or cultural commentary to give it a sense of place, and characters, especially the girls, don't dress very 30's to my eyes. I mean, it's fine, not a big deal, I just don't think it works as a period piece. Felt more 50's with that jazzy score.
Expiring from The Criterion Channel - The Morning After (1986) and Beware the Blob (1972)
The Morning After
My discussion with Lynos yesterday influenced my decision to watch this last night. Jane Fonda wakes up in a strange bed with no idea how she got there, and the person next to her has been stabbed to death with blood everywhere. That's the tantalizing opening to Sidney Lumet's The Morning After, which also stars Jeff Bridges and Raul Julia.
Jane Fonda's actions from that point on often seem completely illogical, so it's best to just go along for the ride (literally, later on, in Jeff Bridges' beat-up old '55 Chevy). Casual racism is presented as flirtatious meet-cute banter between her and Bridges - a stretch even for the coke-fueled '80s.
The use of color here is extraordinary, with backdrops and lighting presented in striking pastel shades. In reality, the decade never looked quite this color-coordinated, but a few snorts of white can apparently bring out the entire rainbow.
Jane Fonda was nominated for her 7th and final Academy Award for The Morning After, and by the end of it, her character is put through the wringer and it really is one hell of a complete performance.
DaBargainHunta's Decree: Overall, implausibilities aside, this is a great yarn. (Subtitles/Captions: Yes!)
Beware! The Blob
The first movie wasn't trying to be cheesy - it was innocent and earnest - but this little-known sequel purposely goes out of its way to be a schlock spoof. Remember when Jake "The Snake" crashed Macho Man's wedding by a sneaking a cobra into the reception, and Miss Elizabeth couldn't stop laughing when she was supposed to be crying? That's kind of what Gwynne Gilford's performance is like. It's some of the most dreadful acting I've ever seen.
Unlike the original The Blob, which was more tightly structured, this sequel is split up into a series of loose vignettes of the blob terrorizing various townspeople - starting with a questionable racist depiction of a black scientist drinking beer from a giant jar, continuing with a troop of boy scouts in the woods (led by Eight is Enough's Dick Van Patten), a barber shop (with more bad acting), inside a car and various other locales, before finally ending up inside a bowling alley.
This was directed by Dallas's Larry Hagman and is often referred to tongue-in-cheek as "The Movie J.R. Shot."
DaBargainHunta's Decree: Make no mistake about it, Beware! The Blob is a bad movie - but it's a "so bad it's good" blast to watch. (Subtitles/Captions: Yes!)
Last edited by DaBargainHunta; 03-30-2021 at 09:27 PM.
And yeah, it's really special seeing Jane Fonda and Barbara Stanwick in the same frame... two actor generations briefly touching each other.
Agreed. This was why I originally watched it. Wish we had gotten more scenes with the two of them, but what we did get was a treat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynos
Edit: oh, one more thing, I thought it was interesting that it's a 60's movie taking place in the 30's. I don't recall many old films serving as period pieces for slightly older times, especially during the 60's. I have to say that other than the cars it didn't really feel to me like taking place in the 30's. I had to remind myself of that fact from time to time. But there is rarely any political or cultural commentary to give it a sense of place, and characters, especially the girls, don't dress very 30's to my eyes. I mean, it's fine, not a big deal, I just don't think it works as a period piece. Felt more 50's with that jazzy score.
You're right that it's definitely not something that stands out about the movie, and not something I remembered at all until you brought it up. I am not sure why they bothered setting it in the '30s in the first place, unless the type of brothel Barbara Stanwyck ran was already uncommon by the '60s?
BTW, there's a theory that
[Show spoiler]Barbara Stanwyck's character is a lesbian in love with Capucine, and that's why Stanwyck was so possessive and overprotective. Keeping around a husband with no legs (and therefore presumably no sexual appeal in her eyes) adds to that.
I have no idea about any of that, but it's fun to think about.
[Show spoiler]Barbara Stanwyck's character is a lesbian in love with Capucine, and that's why Stanwyck was so possessive and overprotective. Keeping around a husband with no legs (and therefore presumably no sexual appeal in her eyes) adds to that.
I have no idea about any of that, but it's fun to think about.
You know what, I was just reading about the movie and it says
[Show spoiler]Stanwyck played the first openly (openly!) Lesbian character in a feature film. I have to tell ya, she didn't come across as a Lesbian to me. Perhaps I'm realllly naïve. Although I did wonder why she's holding so hard onto Capucine. My own explanation to myself was just that they're running some kind of racket and the girls are held there against their will.
Just my own interpretation since the movie doesn't give real motivations for her actions. (btw I don't think it's really a spoiler. :-) but I followed your lead).
You know what, I was just reading about the movie and it says
[Show spoiler]Stanwyck played the first openly (openly!) Lesbian character in a feature film. I have to tell ya, she didn't come across as a Lesbian to me. Perhaps I'm realllly naïve.
[Show spoiler]Me neither, so maybe I'm naive too. And "openly" is definitely used incorrectly there, because there was nothing "open" about it in the movie. "Open" means spelling it out, saying it, making it completely obvious, and that never happened. Case-in-point: Both of us would've "missed" the lesbian subtext (assuming it exists in the first place) if I didn't find that tidbit after seeing the movie.
[Show spoiler]Me neither, so maybe I'm naive too. And "openly" is definitely used incorrectly there, because there was nothing "open" about it in the movie. "Open" means spelling it out, saying it, making it completely obvious, and that never happened. Case-in-point: Both of us would've "missed" the lesbian subtext (assuming it exists in the first place) if I didn't find that tidbit after seeing the movie.
Expiring from The Criterion Channel - Nowhere to Hide (1999)
Nowhere to Hide is the third South Korean movie I've watched in recent months, after Save the Green Planet! and The Foul King - both of which were absolutely incredible. Does the streak continue here? Not exactly.
The beginning of the movie feels like a kid playing with the old computer in the school library and going nuts with the outdated video editing program. I almost turned it off several times. From there, we're presented with several different visual styles and even genres. The use of weather is stunning, with one particularly memorable fight scene taking place in violently pouring rain.
Incoherent and messy, with a story that's completely bare bones but still sometimes hard to follow, this definitely a case of more style than substance. Yet, I was almost always entertained - thanks in part to the main character Woo (Joong-Hoon Park), whose off-kilter charisma draws you in.
DaBargainHunta's Decree: Nowhere to Hide feels more like a music video or video game cutscene at times, so it's not something I can openly recommend, but I'm kind of glad I watched it.
TONIGHT? I never got around to The Optimists or Posse like I hoped. I'm probably not going to have time for either tonight. I may tackle something shorter - Kirikou and the Sorceress and/or He Who Gets Slapped - but I'll see how I feel.
Last edited by DaBargainHunta; 03-31-2021 at 06:04 PM.
I watched Nowhere To Hide also. Started it the other day but wasn't quite in the mood, or awake enough, one of those. But finished it up this time, thought it was interesting enough in a way, but lacking somehow. The Quiet Family was a lot better.
With Save The Green Planet!, I started it too the other day but in this case I didn't get back to it, not quite my taste. So after Nowhere To Hide I decided instead to watch When Tomorrow Comes as the last going away this month, well, last month now, film. Another film I started to watch (on TCM) a while back, but apparently didn't get back to it before it got deleted from my hd-dvr. Good film.
So, The Ornithologist, The Quiet Family and When Tomorrow Comes were my winners for the month.
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