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Author Topic: Ferris' Classics Marathon: 20 Essential Vitamins and Minerals  (Read 34138 times)

oldkid

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Re: Ferris' Classics Marathon: 20 Essential Vitamins and Minerals
« Reply #90 on: May 20, 2010, 11:43:14 PM »
Glad you enjoyed Chinatown. I just watched that myself a few weeks ago, and I felt that (no spoilers) Polanski strayed too far from the typical ending philosophy of film noir and it weakened the movie. Still enjoyed it quite a bit.

Can you explain more in spoiler tags?  I'm actually quite curious...

Spoiler thread?
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michael x

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Re: Ferris' Classics Marathon: 20 Essential Vitamins and Minerals
« Reply #91 on: May 20, 2010, 11:44:34 PM »
Glad you enjoyed Chinatown. I just watched that myself a few weeks ago, and I felt that (no spoilers) Polanski strayed too far from the typical ending philosophy of film noir and it weakened the movie. Still enjoyed it quite a bit.

Can you explain more in spoiler tags?  I'm actually quite curious...

Spoiler thread?

If that's more appropriate. I just finished trying to get some thoughts together.

maņana

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Re: Ferris' Classics Marathon: 20 Essential Vitamins and Minerals
« Reply #92 on: May 21, 2010, 12:07:06 AM »
b) St John's Wart:  Works really well for some people, but I still have this rash...
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chardy999

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Re: Ferris' Classics Marathon: 20 Essential Vitamins and Minerals
« Reply #93 on: May 21, 2010, 12:43:15 AM »
Glad you enjoyed Chinatown. I just watched that myself a few weeks ago, and I felt that (no spoilers) Polanski strayed too far from the typical ending philosophy of film noir and it weakened the movie. Still enjoyed it quite a bit.

Why should a film stick to the typical ending philosophy of its genre? Bizarre comment.

For mine the ending is perfect. Chinatown was not a physical location in the original script but making it so certainly allows the message to resonate a fair bit louder. Glad you liked it ferris.
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michael x

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Re: Ferris' Classics Marathon: 20 Essential Vitamins and Minerals
« Reply #94 on: May 21, 2010, 11:48:28 AM »
Glad you enjoyed Chinatown. I just watched that myself a few weeks ago, and I felt that (no spoilers) Polanski strayed too far from the typical ending philosophy of film noir and it weakened the movie. Still enjoyed it quite a bit.

Why should a film stick to the typical ending philosophy of its genre? Bizarre comment.

For mine the ending is perfect. Chinatown was not a physical location in the original script but making it so certainly allows the message to resonate a fair bit louder. Glad you liked it ferris.

A film is certainly free to have whatever ending it wants. I didn't like the ending in Chinatown full stop.

smirnoff

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Re: Ferris' Classics Marathon: 20 Essential Vitamins and Minerals
« Reply #95 on: May 21, 2010, 11:55:08 AM »
I was very unwowed the first and only time I watched Chinatown. :-\

ferris

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Re: Ferris' Classics Marathon: 20 Essential Vitamins and Minerals
« Reply #96 on: May 30, 2010, 06:05:57 PM »


Double Indemnity
(1944, Billy Wilder)



Implications:
(Non-Spoiler 2 sentence plot synopsis:)
An insurance broker and a disgruntled housewife hatch a scam  to kill her husband and split the life insurance money.  The story from this noir black-n-white film had previously been told in play and novella form, but the original story came from the real life of events of a New York woman, Ruth Snyder and her lover Judd Gray.



Health Benefits
(what I liked):
I wish I had more to say about this one.  I guess the plot was somewhat interesting.  Some of the snappy dialog didn't come off too hokey.  Overall it wasn't too terribly bad.  I suppose given some historical context and some lessons about the cinematography of the film I could come to appreciate it.

Side Effects:
(what I didn't like)
Here's a perfect quote out-of-context from my last review: "My problem is with film noir.  They tend to be plot heavy, stagy, character thin, and stylized in a way that isn't all that interesting to me.".  

Active Ingredients
(favorite scenes and characters)
I didn't really have any favorite scenes.  It was just kinda there.  Not terrible and not really all that great either.  I do have to ask the question: Anyone else find MacMurray horribly miscast in this?



This medicine is like:  
(who should watch this?)
a) Castor Oil: To be shown only to Film students... as punishment
b) St John's Wart:  Works really well for some people, but I still have this rash...
c) Fish Oil: Good for you but it's a bit of a pill to swallow!
d) One-A-Day Vitamins: Recommended for anyone
e) Flinstone Chewables: Good for you and easily ingestible (and fruity flavors!)

See it's things like these that have me really questioning if in fact I am a cinefile

How soon before your next dosage?
(Chances I'll watch it again)
a) Measles Inoculation: Once should do it
b) Advil: may need a dose again from time to time
c) Viagara: Keep handy, because you never know when the mood will strike you!
d) Crack: You need it again as soon as the effects wear off...

Maybe if I muted the sound during all the voice over narration i might be able to make it all the way through it again..

So...Do I feel better now?
(other thoughts)
Not really.  This totally did nothing for me.  Film noir takes another hit.

Conclusion:
It may be about time I just admit once-and-for-all that 50s film noir  just isn't for me.

Grade: C-


Film Rankings so far
1. Fitzcaraldo
2. Reds
3. Chinatown
4. Goodbye Mr Chips
5. The Bicyle Thief
6. Double Indemnity
7. The Passion of Joan of Arc


Remaining films:
- Seven Samarai
- 12 Angry Men
- Paris Texas
- The 400 Blows
- Days of Heaven
- The Third Man
- Do The Right Thing
- Blue Velvet
- Three Colors: Blue
- The Sting
- The Apartment
- Sunrise: Song of Two Humans
- North by Northwest

« Last Edit: May 30, 2010, 06:26:38 PM by ferris »
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'Noke

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Re: Ferris' Classics Marathon: 20 Essential Vitamins and Minerals
« Reply #97 on: May 30, 2010, 06:09:33 PM »
Hurray for controversy!
I actually consider a lot of movies to be life-changing! I take them to my heart and they melt into my personality.

Bill Thompson

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Re: Ferris' Classics Marathon: 20 Essential Vitamins and Minerals
« Reply #98 on: May 30, 2010, 06:11:38 PM »
MacMurray was cast in this role specifically because he would be seen as miscast, prior to and after this all he ever played was the wholesome father figure in fluffy comedies, and the only time he stepped out of that stereotype was for Billy Wilder again in The Apartment.

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Ferris' Classics Marathon: 20 Essential Vitamins and Minerals
« Reply #99 on: May 30, 2010, 06:12:39 PM »
Hum, I dunno, I have some issues, but it's still a pretty great film. One of the few Wilder films I plan to revisit.