Thanks! I try not to watch second-rate versions anymore, these days, just to see things before the Oscars or whatever - there's always plenty of great stuff to watch that can be watched under the right conditions and I'm generally quite patient, I don't mind waiting too much. :)
"All About Eve" is probably one I should see again too. As an adolescent, watching it on TV, I was underwhelmed (thought it was very well-acted and sharply-written but it didn't do much for me beyond that), but as an adult I might find more things to like about it. And I've been meaning to watch "Peyton Place" myself for a while, now. (I tend to be significantly less cynical than most viewers these days, so I might not find the things you mention corny or naive at all, although it's also possible I will, if they're also markedly dated - we'll see, when I get to it.) Among many other classics - therein lying the problem... :)
"Give me simple and direct! On a large scale! I fear sophistication and hipness are draining movies of some of their unique power."
Oh, yeah, couldn't agree more - as you might remember, I'm a big fan of the old emotional epic... :)
I do remember! And I'm so glad you and I are in sync about storytelling opportunities that moviemakers today may be missing out on. I'll be most interested in your reaction to "Peyton Place" if you catch it. Take care.
Absolutely! Great things to come, surely, from Colm Bairéad, assuming (and hoping) that the opportunities come... I would have seen "Close" by now, too, but I just haven't been able to find a good quality version anywhere - yet. I'm sure it will turn up, though, I'm not worried about it. (Needless to say, no chance of my local cinema showing it. Probably not even the larger theaters in Romania will, sadly.)
Happy viewings for you this year, as well! :) Looking forward to a lot of 2022 stuff I haven't had the time to check out before the Oscars, as well as many things (and rewatches) from other years.
Good luck on finding a crisp copy of "Close". Its cinematography is very fine, so you'll want to watch it in the best possible version. And, yes, I, too, have some catching up to do about 2022 movies, as well as older achievements, and re-watches, too. Can't count the number of times I've watched "All About Eve".
Also, available on Amazon Prime Video, I'm entranced by a 1957 studio "big" picture, "Peyton Place" (9 Oscar noms, 0 wins), based on a wildly popular novel, "daring" for its day. The movie certainly has missteps, but also some stunning, even moving, moments that I imagine seem corny or naive to most viewers today. But I love that straight-for-the-heart and/or the nerve-endings kind of moviemaking most people these days find too broad or simplistic. Give me simple and direct! On a large scale! I fear sophistication and hipness are draining movies of some of their unique power. Take care.
I loved the movie and I love the review. :) What a great year for the International category at the Oscars! And I haven't even seen all of the nominees yet... But the 3 I've seen are all high in my overall top 10 of the year so far. (This, "All Quiet on the Western Front" - which, after yesterday's rewatch, I can't rank lower than #2 and might become my new #1, on further reflection - and "Argentina, 1985".)
Claudiu, it's marvelous to hear from you here on MovieStruck. Thanks so much for your appreciation of my review of "The Quiet Girl", and I'm so glad you and I agree that this director has accomplished something exciting. I'm pleased to have you as an exacting reader and a gifted thinker about movies. Yes, what a great year for International. We both admire "All Quiet", and I need to follow up on your mention of "Argentina, 1985" and see it. I highly recommend "Close" and hope you get a chance to see it. Stay well, and happy movie watching!
Thanks! I try not to watch second-rate versions anymore, these days, just to see things before the Oscars or whatever - there's always plenty of great stuff to watch that can be watched under the right conditions and I'm generally quite patient, I don't mind waiting too much. :)
"All About Eve" is probably one I should see again too. As an adolescent, watching it on TV, I was underwhelmed (thought it was very well-acted and sharply-written but it didn't do much for me beyond that), but as an adult I might find more things to like about it. And I've been meaning to watch "Peyton Place" myself for a while, now. (I tend to be significantly less cynical than most viewers these days, so I might not find the things you mention corny or naive at all, although it's also possible I will, if they're also markedly dated - we'll see, when I get to it.) Among many other classics - therein lying the problem... :)
"Give me simple and direct! On a large scale! I fear sophistication and hipness are draining movies of some of their unique power."
Oh, yeah, couldn't agree more - as you might remember, I'm a big fan of the old emotional epic... :)
I do remember! And I'm so glad you and I are in sync about storytelling opportunities that moviemakers today may be missing out on. I'll be most interested in your reaction to "Peyton Place" if you catch it. Take care.
Absolutely! Great things to come, surely, from Colm Bairéad, assuming (and hoping) that the opportunities come... I would have seen "Close" by now, too, but I just haven't been able to find a good quality version anywhere - yet. I'm sure it will turn up, though, I'm not worried about it. (Needless to say, no chance of my local cinema showing it. Probably not even the larger theaters in Romania will, sadly.)
Happy viewings for you this year, as well! :) Looking forward to a lot of 2022 stuff I haven't had the time to check out before the Oscars, as well as many things (and rewatches) from other years.
Good luck on finding a crisp copy of "Close". Its cinematography is very fine, so you'll want to watch it in the best possible version. And, yes, I, too, have some catching up to do about 2022 movies, as well as older achievements, and re-watches, too. Can't count the number of times I've watched "All About Eve".
Also, available on Amazon Prime Video, I'm entranced by a 1957 studio "big" picture, "Peyton Place" (9 Oscar noms, 0 wins), based on a wildly popular novel, "daring" for its day. The movie certainly has missteps, but also some stunning, even moving, moments that I imagine seem corny or naive to most viewers today. But I love that straight-for-the-heart and/or the nerve-endings kind of moviemaking most people these days find too broad or simplistic. Give me simple and direct! On a large scale! I fear sophistication and hipness are draining movies of some of their unique power. Take care.
I loved the movie and I love the review. :) What a great year for the International category at the Oscars! And I haven't even seen all of the nominees yet... But the 3 I've seen are all high in my overall top 10 of the year so far. (This, "All Quiet on the Western Front" - which, after yesterday's rewatch, I can't rank lower than #2 and might become my new #1, on further reflection - and "Argentina, 1985".)
Claudiu, it's marvelous to hear from you here on MovieStruck. Thanks so much for your appreciation of my review of "The Quiet Girl", and I'm so glad you and I agree that this director has accomplished something exciting. I'm pleased to have you as an exacting reader and a gifted thinker about movies. Yes, what a great year for International. We both admire "All Quiet", and I need to follow up on your mention of "Argentina, 1985" and see it. I highly recommend "Close" and hope you get a chance to see it. Stay well, and happy movie watching!