Long before Peter Jackson gave us a bloated re-telling of King Kong or John Guillerman of The Towering Inferno fame offered his take on the famed story (with Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange no less), there was the original Merian Cooper/Ernest Schoedsack version. In the early 1980’s, this classic movie was colorized and it’s one … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: August 2010
100 Years of Movies in 100 Days – Day 23 – The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
This has to be one of the best “classic” movies I’ve watched so far. Granted the setup is a bit dragged out and the hero is a bit slow in putting the pieces together, but once the hunt begins, The Most Dangerous Game moves at a tense, break-neck pace (pun intended). The story has a … Continue reading
100 Years of Movies in 100 Days – Day 22 – M (1931)
Well, one thing is for sure now, me and German movies don’t mix. That’s not to say they’re not good. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Both Fritz Lang movies that I have watched, Day 15’s Greed and today’s movie were well-acted and had a great story. It’s just the sound of the language is, … Continue reading
100 Years of Movies in 100 Days – Day 21 – The Dawn Patrol (1930)
This certainly wasn’t my favorite Howard Hawkes movie. That title remains in a tie between Bringing Up Baby and Rio Bravo. But that been said, this movie certainly had that classic Hawkes touch. The smooth, effortless storyline, the big finish at the end, I knew I wasn’t going to hate this movie. In a way, … Continue reading
100 Years of Movies in 100 Days – Day 20 – Pandora’s Box (1929)
A fifth of the way there! I’m counting down the days til the end of the month when I’ll officially be a quarter of the way done! But in the meantime, I’ll continue to shelp my way thru these silent movies. One plus that I’ve found is that you can mute the “soundtrack” and open … Continue reading
100 Years of Movies in 100 Days – Day 19 – The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
I think my favorite part of this movie isn’t the movie itself but the history of it. Back in 1928, it was censored and the original copy was burned in a fire. A subsequent second copy edited together from scraps and alternate takes was also presumed lost in a fire. Then, in 1981, a Danish copy … Continue reading
100 Years of Movies in 100 Days – Day 18 – Wings & The Jazz Singer (1927)
Sound exists. Well, in song form at least. I watched another silent movie though since I wasn’t able to find a full copy of The Jazz Singer. Instead, I watched Wings (not the sitcom with Tim Daly and Steven Weber) and came away with a rather apathetic impression to it. I think just the idea … Continue reading
100 Years of Movies in 100 Days – Day 17 – The General (1926)
So yes, I am posting yesterday’s Day 17 blog post this morning, but I’m giving myself a free pass considering yesterday’s marathon turn of events. The day started with an unscheduled stop at the dentist to check out my burnt-by-hot-oil-squirting-out-of-chicken-gyoza molars, followed by the usual eight hour work day and rounded out with a lovely … Continue reading
100 Years of Movies in 100 Days – Day 16 – Seven Chances (1925)
Oh boy, quick turn-around here. After enduring the never-ending (but good) Greed yesterday, (and the watching Yoji Yamada‘s The Hidden Blade later that night), today’s viewing brings us back to a more light-hearted movie. Buster Keaton’s Seven Chances, which, honestly, in today’s society woud be a short film. The premise is that Buster’s grandfather has … Continue reading
100 Years of Movies in 100 Days – Day 15 – Greed (1924)
Wow, where do I even begin. If you remember yesterday, I was silently hoping I didn’t get stuck watching the four hour restored version of Greed. Well, low and behold, here I am about six hours after I started watching this (I took a bunch of breaks) and I really don’t know where to start. This … Continue reading
100 Years of Movies in 100 Days – Day 14 – Our Hospitality (1923)
Buster Keaton in “Our Hospitality” I’m not gonna kid you, I’ve hit a wall. Even before I sat down to ingest the hour-long dramedy Our Hospitality starring Buster Keaton, I was dreading it. So my thoughts will be brief. Our Hospitality focuses on the long-running family feud between the Canfield and McKay families. Buster Keaton … Continue reading
100 Years of Movies in 100 Days – Day 13 – Robin Hood (1922)
I should’ve have known when the following message appeared before I had even pressed play to watch Robin Hood that things were going to be a bit odd. The message said, “If you are not German, press play.” And so, after quickly deducing that I had not a drop of German blood in me, I … Continue reading
Cinemaniax 