Author: John Charet

Moviedrome Mondays: Walk on the Wild Side (1962)

by John Charet

Once again, I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox introducing director Edward Dmytryk’s 1962 screen adaptation of writer Nelson Algren’s 1956 novel Walk on the Wild Side, readers will have to rely on Cox’s intro transcript (read here). The episode’s original airdate was August 19, 1990 (read here). Not much to add except that while the performances are great, everything else is hit-or-miss. Even though the subject matter revolves around women involved in prostitution and lesbianism, in execution, the film feels too tame by today’s standards and it unfortunately, does not have quality that can more than offset that reminder. Nevertheless, I do love the opening title sequence by the late legendary Saul Bass. P.S. I could not find a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer.

Anyway, here is a youtube video link to the aforementioned title sequence I was talking about

 

 

 

No New Post Today

by John Charet

Moviedrome Mondays will resume next Sunday – I was so busy with Easter that I just hadn’t had the time to prepare, but do not worry, I will be back with a new one next Sunday 🙂 I hope all of my dear readers had a Happy Easter as well 🙂

P.S. my Wednesday post might interest all of you – read the link here 🙂

An Alex Cox Intro Gem: The Long Goodbye (1973)

by John Charet

One may not know this, but shortly prior to hosting Moviedrome from 1988 to 1994, filmmaker Alex Cox guest introduced two films for another BBC Two series entitled The Film Club (1986-1991) on March 5, 1988 (read here). The two films were 1967’s Point Blank (directed by John Boorman) and 1973’s The Long Goodbye (directed by Robert Altman). The latter cleverly updated novelist Raymond Chandler’s iconic Philip Marlowe detective character to a 1970’s setting. Anyway, I was able to find a youtube video link of Cox introducing The Long Goodbye, I unfortunately could not find the one for Point Blank. In case any of you missed it the first time, If any of you readers are interested in reading my list of my favorite Robert Altman films, read here.

Here is a youtube video link of Alex Cox introducing The Long Goodbye on The Film Club.

 

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

Moviedrome Mondays: The Phenix City Story (1955)

by John Charet

Once again, I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox introducing director Phil Karlson’s 1955 expose film noir classic The Phenix City Story, so I will have to made do with Cox’s intro transcript (read here). The episode’s original airdate was August 12, 1990 (read here). Fittingly shot in black-and-white and filmed on location (which gives it a documentary feel), this may be one of (If not) the grittiest film noirs to emerge from the American cinema during the 1950’s. The plot deals with attempts to clean up a seedy Alabama town and it was reportedly based on a true story (read here and here). If any of you readers are interested in reading my list of my favorite Phil Karlson films, read here.

I could not find a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer either.

Moviedrome Mondays: A Wedding (1978)

by John Charet

Since I could not find (once again) a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox introducing master filmmaker Robert Altman’s 1978 satirical comedy A Wedding, readers will have to (once again) made do with Cox’s intro transcript (read here). The episode’s original airdate was August 5, 1990 (read here). Though I disagree with Cox when he implies that Altman had stinkers in his career (I love A Perfect Couple and Quintet every bit as much), everything else he says here is spot-on. I especially agree with that last paragraph of his. If any of you readers are interested in reading my list of my favorite Robert Altman films, read here.

Since I could not find an original theatrical trailer link, here is a youtube video link to a TV spot of the film

My Favorite Lucio Fulci Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   The Beyond (1981)

2.   Four of the Apocalypse (1975)

3.   Massacre Time (1966)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972)

2.   A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (1971)

3.   One on Top of the Other (1969)
(a.k.a. Perversion Story)

My Favorite Noah Baumbach Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Marriage Story (2019)

2.   The Meyerowitz Stories (2017)

3.   The Squid and the Whale (2005)

4.   De Palma (2015)
(co-directed with Jake Paltrow)
(Documentary)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Frances Ha (2012)

2.   While We’re Young (2014)

3.   Mistress America (2015)

4.   Greenberg (2010)

5.   Margot at the Wedding (2007)

6.   Mr. Jealousy (1997)

7.   Kicking and Screaming (1995)
(no relation to the 2005 film)

My Favorite Milos Forman Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Loves of a Blonde (1965)

2.   Taking Off (1971)

3.   The Firemen’s Ball (1967)

4.   Black Peter (1963)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Man on the Moon (1999)

My Favorite Richard Fleischer Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Mandingo (1975)

2.   The Narrow Margin (1952)

3.   The Boston Strangler (1968)

4.   10 Rillington Place (1971)

5.   The Vikings (1958)

6.   20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Compulsion (1959)

2.   The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955)

3.   Violent Saturday (1955)

4.   So This Is New York (1948)

My Favorite Stuart Cooper Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Overlord (1975)

2.   Little Malcolm (1974)

3.   The Disappearance (1977)

* * * * (Out of * * * *) (Short Cinema)

1.   A Test of Violence (1970)
(Documentary Short)