I think I’ve seen it a dozen times. Love it.
So, do either of you agree with my analysis or find it a load of hooey?
Speaking of comfort women, Sandakan No. 8 is a Japanese film about the story of a young girl who’s sold into indentured servitude that becomes being a sex slave in Borneo from the 1920s up through WWII.
Yes, the vast majority of comfort women were Korean but this movie, and the two books it was based on, forced the Japanese to examine the subject of karayuki-san, a topic they’d prefer to ignore.
Sorcerer (1977) – vastly overshadowed at release by a certain space opera.
About crItics misconstruing the ending (of The Spanish Prisoner)? I’ll have to rewatch it and get back to you! I will indeed do this. I recall something under the pedestrian bridge near the Bethesda Fountain in New York’s Central Park.
Homicide - written and directed by playwright David Mamet, a 1991 crime thriller about a New York detective investigating the murder of an elderly shopkeeper that may or may not be related to anti-Semitism. Not a lot of action, but plenty of great acting and dialogue.
L.A. Story - a lowkey romantic comedy starring Steve Martin and Sarah Jessica Parker, and a satire of life in southern California.
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Great flick! And there’s a sequel!
Oh there is also Jabberwocky:
While not up to Holy Grail standards (its a Terry Gilliam movie, not a Monty Python movie, though it is probably the most “python-y” of his movies) its well worth a watch.
Great movie concept, It’s easily escaped notice because it’s a B&W film. The version likely to be seen occasionally on broadcast television will be a terrible washed out video copy. Everyone has seen a movie like this, inventor develops new technology that puts the world on edge. Is it a death ray, nuclear bomb, killer disease? Not this time, this is a much subtler approach to the theme. Classic movie fans definitely should check this out.
I saw that film (The Man in the White Suit) a couple of years ago when I was trying to see as many Ealing Studios comedies as possible.
Agreed. The best of the genre. A second film was announced but years have gone by without an update. I might not have watched the movie, it’s subtitled and I wasn’t paying much attention, then part way into the film they started speaking English, it was the common language used by Polish and Norwegian characters, and over quickly, but I started paying attention at that point. This is a highly entertaining and well made film, everybody should see this. Stick it out at the beginning, it starts slow but it’s a continuing crescendo of imagination up to the very end.
I consider Hachi to be little known because it went straight to video. It is based on a real dog and will make any dog person ball their eyes out.
I have a picture of me next to Hachiko’s statue in Japan
Big Night, a dramady about two immigrant brothers from Calabria who open a restaurant. Stanley Tucci, Minnie Driver, Ian Holm, Isabella Rossallini, Tony Shaloub. It’s worth watching just for Shaloub’s histrionics as the chef.
I really liked this back in the day, I wonder if it holds up.
Just a few I wanted to add:
Enemy at the Gates - Only 54% on the tomatometer, but I think it was terrific. The stellar cast includes Jude Law, Rachel Weiss, Ron Perlman, Bob Hoskins, and Ed Harris. Based on the book of the same name, the movie focuses on about 3 pages in the 800+ page book about the Battle of Stalingrad, particularly Vasilli Zaitzev (Law), a Russian sniper with an incredible kill record and ends with a cat and mouse between him
The Devil At Your Heels: a documentary about a stuntman’s plans to jump a rocket car across the St. Lawrence river. “Colourful” doesn’t even start to describe his personality! Lots of twists and turns.
The IMDB trivia page for Enemy is fascinating (and lengthy).
That reminds me to recommend:
Midnight Run. Robert DeNiro is a down on his luck bounty Hunter trying to bring in white collar accounting criminal Charles Groden. It’s absolutely hilarious, with brilliant acting and casting in every single scene.
Made for TV movie - Something the Lord Made (HBO film) starring Alan Rickman, Mos Def, Kyra Sedgwick, Gabrielle Union, and Mary Stuart Masterson. About the first open-heart surgery to treat “blue babies”, it touches on racism and redemption with terrific performances throughout.
Maria Full of Grace - A young girl from Colombia is pregnant and desperate. She is convinced into becoming a drug mule which turned very scary once she arrives in the US. With no one to turn to, she depends on the kindness of strangers.
The Proposition - Starring Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Emily Watson, John Hurt, and Danny Huston. A late 1800’s Western set in Australia, the story follows a man who is given the option to save his younger brother from the gallows if he goes into the Outback and kills his older, more vicious brother. It’s a bleak film written by musician Nick Cave and well worth the time.
I saw Something the Lord Made on HBO when it was first aired and yes, it’s very good. Note that it’s a true story (and based on this print article from Washingtonian magazine).