Reviews

AKA "Woman in the Moon" This is a fun film about a journey to the dark side of the moon to see whether there is gold in them thar hills. It's one of those movies where you talk to the screen throughout, laughing about some of the ideas about space exploration. I was particularly taken with two of the astronauts' matching sweaters. At the same time, the conception of the rocket and rocket launch were eerily prescient.

The film also contains a nifty subplot about how international bankers will stop at nothing to gain control of the moon's gold. The chief thug employed by cartel is portrayed by Fritz Rasp who played the pharmacist's assistant in "Diary of a Lost Girl". He is rapidly becoming one of my very favorite screen badies.

Unfortunately, this movie runs almost 3 hours. Trimming an hour could only have improved it. I found myself editing in my head as the movie played on and on.

You can see this and other terrific rare and vintage movies on THE TREASURES FROM AMERICAN FILM ARCHIVES DVD. I highly recommend this 4 DVD set. The short film itself is a sad tale of a poor street urchin who takes fairy tales too seriously.

You can see this and other rare vintage films on the "Treasures from American Film Archives" DVD. This is a feature film, about 60 minutes, long. The highlights for me were the seven dwarves and the wicked witch. The film jumps around a little bit but is well worth seeing.

I liked this a lot, though I was surprised that Bernadette Peters was so much a grand diva in it. She sings well, though I could not understand the lyrics most of the time if I was not already familiar with the song. More than half of the numbers are by Stephen Sondheim. If you love Peters and/or Sondheim, you will probably enjoy this.

This film is available on DVD -- as part of the "Treasures from American Film Archives" collection released this year. The collection has lots of gems on its four disks but "The Battle of San Pietro" alone would make it worth the price.

I watched this 30-minute documentary of one of many battles in Italy shortly after having viewed "All Quiet on the Western Front" for the first time. I thought the Milestone film was brilliant but it was this Huston documentary that made me cry. I don't know whether it is the matter-of-fact narration (by the director), the sight of all those G.I.s, or the Italian children that got to me but the sum of it all was almost overwhelming. Very highly recommended. 10/10

For sure this is a beautiful and haunting movie. I can only echo the comments of other viewers who rate it a masterpiece. Those who are looking for action should stay away though. This is a fascinating look at life in rural India, but also has a lot to say about the human experience. All aspects of film-making are outstanding but, for me, the Ravi Shankir score made the film.

Jeux interdits is the story of a 5 or 6 year-old girl whose parents and dog are killed before her eyes as the family is trying to flee the fighting (World War II) in a refugee convoy. The girl is taken in by a peasant family and befriended by their young son. The children very movingly try to find a way to cope with death. Although the subject is serious, the film has many light moments provided by a cast of great character actors. Brigitte Fossey, who plays the heroine, is exquisite -- certainly the finest performance by a child-actor I have ever seen. The film hooked me from the opening credits and never let go. The scenes of the refugee convey on the bridge and the bombing are unforgettable, without being gory. The B&W cinematography is gorgeous throughout. Highly, highly recommended.

I was ready and willing for the magic and poetry to do its work on me based on the glowing reviews here and elsewhere. It just didn't happen for me. I thought that the film was choppy rather than impressionistic and it dragged at only 90 minutes. But my real problem was that I found Michel Simon's character and acting incredibly irritating.

"The Burmese Harp" is the story of a Japanese soldier who gets separated from his unit at the time of the Japanese surrender in Burma. The plot deals with his attempts to come to terms with the aftermath of the war as he journeys to rejoin his unit. The film has a powerful, if a little sentimental, anti-war message.

What makes this film unique is the beautiful music throughout. You will hear the most unusual and thrilling rendition of "Home Sweet Home" by a group of Japanese soldiers. There is other great choral singing, as well. The harp also plays a prominent part in the movie. In addition, there are some thrilling shots of the Burmese countryside and of Burmese Buddhist temples.

Well worth watching.

This movie dragged for me. Nevertheless, it was well worth seeing. I especially liked the acting, in particular by the old couple. The cinematography was interesting, although several shots were used repeatedly for some purpose I could not identify. In the end though, it brought a tear to my eye and I am not generally a crier at movies. For a grander, even more moving, Japanese classic about life in post-war Japan, I would highly recommend Kirosawa's Ikiru. 7.5/10

I just got through watching The Blue Angel (1930) for the second time in a month. When I was watching the beginning this time, I thought: oh, this isn't as powerful as I remembered. I even thought Jannings was overdoing it a little -- he couldn't be as good as I remembered. And then it absolutely knocked me for a loop all over again.

Bear in mind that I have a tape that cost $3.98. The film looked old and scratchy, the tape quality was bad, and the sound was poor. This is one of the very earliest sound movies and the sound technique was sometimes distracting. After the first 20 minutes, I couldn't have cared less about the technology. The images of this film are burned into my brain. The business at the very beginning with the dead bird and the sugar cube, the caricatures on the blackboards, Lola's reaction to the marriage proposal, the wedding party and, most of all, the entire last half hour of this film -- none of that left me in the three weeks since my first viewing and it lost none of its impact the second time around.

Emil Jannings was just absolutely wonderful. His face in the mirror toward the end is heartbreaking. He doesn't have to say a word. This was Dietrich's debut, and she is great too, but it is Jannings' picture.

Highly recommended. 10/10