TV/Movies Megathread

[Ideologue]

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923).  Backgrounding myself as much as time permits on Lon Chaney, due to my desire to start a Universal Horror series in time to get finished by Halloween (31 movies, so it's a lot).  Time is really only permitting this one movie, sadly.  I've got the cinema of The Penalty scrolled up, but I've still got half of the original '25 cut of The Phantom of the Opera to get through as well.  (It's still great, but not as good.)

The Disney version had musical numbers, more plot, atrocious comic relief, and talking, and was still shorter.  Still, around the hour mark, it picks up, and there's a lot of really cool shit that happens, encapsulated perfectly in a single intertitle, as Quasimodo "prepar[es] a fiery baptism--of MOLTEN LEAD!"

Lon Chaney as Quasimodo is physical and awesome, though that's basically all he is; still, this puts him ahead of Norman Kerry as Phoebus.  Patsy Ruth Miller is decent as Esmeralda, despite her obvious and distracting racial handicap.  Unfortunately, while she is certainly beautiful, for a woman who is desired by fully four of the five male characters--one of whom is not even a real character, just Frollo's job, severed from Frollo's plot function to appease Catholics--she lacks sensuality.  (I've never read the book.  I assume she's supposed to be sultry based on the cartoon, her plot function, and possibly some sort of vague bigotry.)

B

[Ideologue]

Oh, naturally, I did watch the '29 reissue of Phantom of the Opera for like the fourth time.  I think it might've eclipsed The General as my favorite silent film (though technically it's not exactly a silent film), and thus leapt into a spot as the fifth best film made before I was born.

[Savonarola]

The Finances of the Grand Duke (1924)

Sort of a cliffhanger filled serial, sort of an Erich von Stroheim romance and sort of an Ernst Lubitsch farce as directed by Nofesratu director FW Murnau.

The Grand Duke rules the heavily indebted nation of Abacco.  An evil businessman tries to buy the island to mine sulfur; but the duke refuses.  Fortunately the grand duchess of Russia loves the Duke (though they've never met ) and she has enough money to rescue Abacco.  The Duchess's brother wants to stop the marriage, but through a series of twists and turns everything is resolved with the help of lovable rogue Philipp Collins (though he seems noble; if you told him you were drowning he would not lend a hand.)

Even with special pleading (of which the pretentious film historian who did the commentary provides plenty) this film doesn't work.  Murnau isn't a comedy director by any stretch of the imagination.  The film glosses over too much plot for the film to make sense and the romance isn't believable.  It's an action thriller/romantic comedy with little action, no thrills, no romance and a German sense of humor.

[Savonarola]

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923).  Backgrounding myself as much as time permits on Lon Chaney, due to my desire to start a Universal Horror series in time to get finished by Halloween (31 movies, so it's a lot).  Time is really only permitting this one movie, sadly.  I've got the cinema of The Penalty scrolled up, but I've still got half of the original '25 cut of The Phantom of the Opera to get through as well.  (It's still great, but not as good.)

The Disney version had musical numbers, more plot, atrocious comic relief, and talking, and was still shorter.  Still, around the hour mark, it picks up, and there's a lot of really cool shit that happens, encapsulated perfectly in a single intertitle, as Quasimodo "prepar[es] a fiery baptism--of MOLTEN LEAD!"

Lon Chaney as Quasimodo is physical and awesome, though that's basically all he is; still, this puts him ahead of Norman Kerry as Phoebus.  Patsy Ruth Miller is decent as Esmeralda, despite her obvious and distracting racial handicap.  Unfortunately, while she is certainly beautiful, for a woman who is desired by fully four of the five male characters--one of whom is not even a real character, just Frollo's job, severed from Frollo's plot function to appease Catholics--she lacks sensuality.  (I've never read the book.  I assume she's supposed to be sultry based on the cartoon, her plot function, and possibly some sort of vague bigotry.)

B

While I love Lon Chaney, Charles Laughton, in the 1939 version, is the definitive Hunchback.

The book is so different from any film adaptation that it's hard to make a comparison; but Esmeralda is indeed "Sultry".

Having lived in Detroit a long time, I've seen "Miracles" just like the ones in the Cour de Miracles; where the lame walk and the blind see.  Half a millennia has passed and not much has changed.

[Ideologue]

The Finances of the Grand Duke (1924)

Sort of a cliffhanger filled serial, sort of an Erich von Stroheim romance and sort of an Ernst Lubitsch farce as directed by Nofesratu director FW Murnau.

The Grand Duke rules the heavily indebted nation of Abacco.  An evil businessman tries to buy the island to mine sulfur; but the duke refuses.  Fortunately the grand duchess of Russia loves the Duke (though they've never met ) and she has enough money to rescue Abacco.  The Duchess's brother wants to stop the marriage, but through a series of twists and turns everything is resolved with the help of lovable rogue Philipp Collins (though he seems noble; if you told him you were drowning he would not lend a hand.)

Even with special pleading (of which the pretentious film historian who did the commentary provides plenty) this film doesn't work.  Murnau isn't a comedy director by any stretch of the imagination.  The film glosses over too much plot for the film to make sense and the romance isn't believable.  It's an action thriller/romantic comedy with little action, no thrills, no romance and a German sense of humor.

Now, Ernst Lubitsch was funny.

I wanna watch Murnau's Faust when I get a chance.  And though I feel that I had to have watched Nosferatu at some point, I don't really recall it if I did, so I might have to (re)watch that sometime.  It has to be better than the Werner Herzog remake by default; one supposes it is also better than Vampyr, which is possibly even more stultifyingly boring--who knows? not I, because I didn't finish it--though at least it develops some kind of atmosphere distinct from that of a high school play.

What say you of Phantom, Sav?  Great silent film or greatest silent film?  I presume there are no other alternatives.

[Savonarola]

Now, Ernst Lubitsch was funny.

I wanna watch Murnau's Faust when I get a chance.  And though I feel that I had to have watched Nosferatu at some point, I don't really recall it if I did, so I might have to (re)watch that sometime.  It has to be better than the Werner Herzog remake by default; one supposes it is also better than Vampyr, which is possibly even more stultifyingly boring--who knows? not I, because I didn't finish it--though at least it develops some kind of atmosphere distinct from that of a high school play.

Max Schreck has a small part in The Finances of the Grand Duke. 

Faust is pretty self-indulgent, from what I remember.  Nosferatu is a great film, but make sure you get a good print and a good soundtrack; there are many bad ones out there.

What say you of Phantom, Sav?  Great silent film or greatest silent film?  I presume there are no other alternatives.

Phantom is great, but definitely not the greatest.  Good soundtrack and good print greatly improve the movie, try to find a print with the two tone color print scenes intact.

[Valmy]

Our regional channel has shown the John Adams mini and I liked quite a bit. Are there other Revolutionary War/Early Republic films or series that you would recommend me? It has whetted my appetite for the time period.

For a period our country is obsessed with there are surprisingly few.  There was a really popular critically acclaimed miniseries from the 80s about George Washington which is actually where I learned most about the events of the Revolution when I was a kid

No idea if it holds up.  Somebody seems to have uploaded the whole thing to Youtube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFtkxlMTnD0

The scene that stays with me is when Patrick Henry makes his speech in the House of Burgesses:

"Caesar had his Brutus — Charles the First, His Cromwell — And may George the Third..." *the conservatives go apeshit crying 'Treason!'*

There is also that show about Revolutionary War spies 'Turn'.  No idea if it is any good.

Strange there is no miniseries about the Constitutional Convention isn't it?

[CountDeMoney]

There was a fair TV movie where Jeff Daniels as Warshinton brains the hessians in their sleep.

The Crossing.  And it was better than fair, mainly because Daniels' portrayal of Washington was a brilliant turn, one against conventional wisdom: a Washington, on the eve of Trenton, that had a fuck-it-roll-the-dice-all-in-bitches fatalism about him.  A really sharp flick.

And Alexander Hamilton cutlasses a Hessian.  Suck on that, Jefferson.

Son of a gun, the whole thing's on YouTube.
http://youtu.be/3wpC8w0_k34

Cool movie, IMHO.

[Ideologue]

Phantom is great, but definitely not the greatest.  Good soundtrack and good print greatly improve the movie, try to find a print with the two tone color print scenes intact.

I own the Image Entertainment BD with two different high-definition restorations of the same 35mm reissue print (sadly, neither restoration could use the original sound, as the surviving sound discs don't properly sync).  It also has the 1925 original cut, sourced from the shitty, colorless 16mm show-at-home print that is, apparently, all that's left of that version.

The '29 reissue versions do have the red-green Technicolor for the Bal Masque sequence and it is outstanding.  (They also have the reissue's very well-deployed tinting, versus the show-at-home '25 print's lazy, often-absent tinting.)  The two reissue versions also feature a handpainted reproduction of the Handschiegel process for the Phantom's cape in the rooftop scene.  However, the other color sequences are lost.  Yet, personally, I'm not certain this isn't for the good of the film--as the first and only color in the available film, the Bal Masque scene is mind-blowing, to such an extent that discussing it almost seems like a spoiler.  I wish I hadn't known about it beforehand!

[Ideologue]

Addendum: Well, the only parts with "accurate" color (Technicolor Process 2 isn't "true," but you know what I mean).  The original makers also used handpainted animation to simulate heat and fire for the Room of Many Mirrors scene, and I think there's some kind of hand-coloring process with The Messenger From the Shadows--there's definitely some blues and yellows on his face in the reissue print, though.

What a big-G Goddamned masterpiece.

[viper37]

Our regional channel has shown the John Adams mini and I liked quite a bit. Are there other Revolutionary War/Early Republic films or series that you would recommend me? It has whetted my appetite for the time period.

Drums along the Mohawk (1939).  Considered a classic.  Can't see why, except maybe it's one of the few color movie of the era.
Turn (TV) is not so bad.
Revolution (1985).  With Al Pacino.  Didn't like it at all, found it totally boring, but lots of people swear by it, apparently.

[Sophie Scholl]

Our regional channel has shown the John Adams mini and I liked quite a bit. Are there other Revolutionary War/Early Republic films or series that you would recommend me? It has whetted my appetite for the time period.

http://allthingsliberty.com/2013/01/top-10-revolutionary-war-movies/
In terms of French and Indian War era, you have Northwest Passage and Unconquered for classic ones not mentioned and Battle of the Brave for a more modern take on the era.

[celedhring]

Our regional channel has shown the John Adams mini and I liked quite a bit. Are there other Revolutionary War/Early Republic films or series that you would recommend me? It has whetted my appetite for the time period.

http://allthingsliberty.com/2013/01/top-10-revolutionary-war-movies/
In terms of French and Indian War era, you have Northwest Passage and Unconquered for classic ones not mentioned and Battle of the Brave for a more modern take on the era.

The fact "The Patriot" makes #8 tells me there's not much to choose from, then.

I'll check some of the films in there that the others have recommended. I honestly can't picture Daniels as Washington but if people say he did a good job, I'll definitely watch it.

[CountDeMoney]

I rewatched last night; he was awesome.

[garbon]

Movie pride mere for Pride. Last minute so I know gay and some minor celebs here but that's all I know.

That was actually fairly fun. Welsh miners, Thatcher & Gays. Story of gays who raised money to support Welsh mining town. Always love some Bill Nighy and Dominic West.  Russell Tovey cameo was rather unnecessary and I guess considered so as I don't even see him listed in cast on IMDB.

I just saw an advertisement for this about how it'll be in select theaters this Friday. Only thing I got from the trailer is that it was beloved at Toronto Film Festival and that it has a lot of sassy gays/old women. Did a rather poor job of even hinting at plot of the movie.