Month: August 2019

Extra Credit

by John Charet

I wanted to follow-up on my blog entry from yesterday (read here) with something that involves a little more creative participation on the part of my readers. Nevertheless, participation on the part of the reader is optional here and you do not have to participate If you do not want to. After all, just look at the title of this blog entry 🙂 Now some of my readers (that is If you decide to take part in this) may not have seen any of the Criterion titles that actress Kim Cattrall picks out here, but If you have seen them, let me know in the comment section below what your favorite choices of hers are. Also, what aspects of the video came off as the most interesting to you? Once again, here is that Criterion video link I showed you all yesterday.

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6556-kim-cattrall-s-closet-picks

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What a Coincidence

by John Charet

Though I have never really made it known on here, I am a regular visitor to The Criterion Collection website. I mostly visit there to see what interesting new release will await me for that month and whether or not it is a film I love so much that I will buy. And yes, I own a lot of Criterion Blu-Rays/DVD’s 🙂 But that is beside the point. Any frequent visitor to that site is probably aware by now of their Closet Picks series, which consists of both high and low-profile celebrities being honored the luxury of choosing whatever Criterion title they want to take home with them. Of course, their is probably a limit to the number of Blu-Rays/DVD’s that they can take 🙂 As to whether or not they are supposed to keep them, I am not sure. Well, in one of the most recent entries, actress Kim Cattrall (yes that Kim Cattrall) was given access to the closet to choose a limited number of Criterion titles (that she loves) to take home with her either permanently or temporarily. Again, I am not sure If it is the former or the latter. Although I loved all of her choices, the one that made me the most happy was her pick of director Robert Altman’s Nashville. As many of my loyal readers know, two weeks back, I collaborated with blogger Cindy Bruchman on a blog entry regarding our top 3 favorite Altman films (read here) and Nashville was my number one favorite Altman film. In the link to the video below, she starts talking about it at the 1:39 point. And If you saw the film, here is a link to my review for it.

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6556-kim-cattrall-s-closet-picks

 

 

Moviedrome Mondays: D.O.A. (1949)

by John Charet

Since I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox’s introducing former cinematographer-turned-director Rudolph Mate’s 1949 film noir D.O.A., readers will have to rely on the episode’s transcript by clicking here. The episode’s original airdate was May 21, 1989 (read here). I enjoyed hearing Cox talk about the background history regarding the characteristics of the film noir genre and yes, be on the lookout for that whistle sound every time an attractive woman enters the scene in the film 🙂 As much as I love D.O.A., I must admit that the previously mentioned running gag does get old fast during one’s viewing of the film.

In case you are interested in watching the entire film, here is a youtube link below:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=D.O.A.+1949

As for the film’s original theatrical trailer, I strangely could not find one from it’s initial release, so you will just have to depend on your viewing of the film based on that link above.

Moviedrome Mondays: Jabberwocky (1977)

by John Charet

I will post a youtube video link to Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox’s intro to former Monty Python animator/member Terry Gilliam’s first solo outing as a director in 1977 entitled Jabberwocky at the end of this blog entry. Terry Gilliam’s first film as a director was with Terry Jones two years earlier with 1975’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail. You can read his transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was May 14, 1989 (read here). I can’t really tell what Cox thinks of the film since his intro consists only of his recitation of legendary British children’s author Lewis Carroll’s (1832-1898) nonsensical poem of the same name that first appeared in his 1871 novel Through the Looking Glass (read here, here and here). As for myself, compared to Holy Grail, Jabberwocky is only half as funny as it should be. Nevertheless, as a whole, it is very creative for a fantasy comedy shot on a tiny budget and as with Holy Grail, Jabberwocky contains a fair share of gory sequences welcomely played for comedic effect. If any of you readers are interested in reading my list of my favorite Terry Gilliam films, read here.

Here is a youtube video link to Alex Cox’s Moviedrome intro to Jabberwocky

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

Moviedrome Mondays: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)

by John Charet

At the end of this blog entry, I will post a youtube video link to both Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox’s intro to legendary cult filmmaker and producer Roger Corman’s 1963 science-fiction horror thriller X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes and another for the obligatory theatrical trailer. As usual, you can also read Cox’s transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was May 7, 1989 (read here). As with a lot of Corman’s work in the science-fiction genre, this one is entertaining and subtly intelligent as well. I also appreciate that Cox mentioned that surreal opening shot (read here). Interesting piece of trivia for my readers: X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes served as the first episode in season 2 of Moviedrome (read here). If any of you readers are interested in reading my list of my favorite Roger Corman films (in which he served as director), read here.

Here is a youtube video link to Alex Cox’s Moviedrome intro to X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

Moviedrome Mondays: One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

by John Charet

I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome host Alex Cox introducing Marlon Brando’s only film as director entitled One-Eyed Jacks (1961), so all of you readers will have to make due with his intro transcript (read here). This episode’s original airdate was September 4, 1988 and it was the last one for season 1 of Moviedrome (read here and here). No need for me to recap everything Cox says about this film, other than his implication that it is a great film. Equally interesting is the film’s production history (click on the link to the film’s title).

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer