Saying it early: HAPPY THANKSGIVING! pic.twitter.com/c6025t8FRQ
— Toho Kingdom (@TohoKingdom) November 25, 2021
Category: Film
Manos: The Hands of Fate
“Manos: The Hands of Fate” was released on this day in 1966. It is one of the worst films ever and was the subject of a well-known Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode. It’s available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Moonlight Graham was real
Moonlight Graham, a character in the film Field of Dreams and Shoeless Joe, the novel it was based on, was real. He really did appear in one major league game. His birthday was yesterday.
Milos Forman’s Taking Off
Taking Off (1971) was Milos Forman’s first American film. It has never been released on a US DVD or Blu-ray. I saw it almost 50 years ago and recommend it.
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films ranked in Esquire and Paste
I have seen and liked most of the MCU films. They ought to be good considering the high level of performing, writing and directing talent involved with them. Most superhero films wind up with people beating the crap out of each other like in a WWE or UFC fight. Most and possibly all were filmed in 3-D but very few are now released in 3-D in the US. It’s possible to find 3-D versions from other countries on eBay. That’s how I got Black Panther and Doctor Strange. Doctor Strange looks great in 3-D and the casino scene in Black Panther looks wonderful.
I agree with putting Black Panther as #1. It;’s a great film. I would rate Doctor Strange higher than #17. Guardians of the Galaxy as #2 is good. The Guardian films add humor to the superhero mix.
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My favorite Hitchcock films
I’ve probably seen about 30 films directed by Alfred Hitchcock. I like most of them. Here are my favorites:
- Notorious (1946) is a great suspense film and great romance. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman are a wonderful pair.
- Rear Window (1954) is one of his funniest films. I had a leg cast when I watched it on VHS but didn’t have Grace Kelly to help me.
- Foreign Correspondent (1940) is my favorite of his espionage films. Hitchcock did more than murder mysteries.
- Vertigo (1958) is the most highly rated of his films now. It’s up there.
- The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) Both versions are excellent but I am partial to this one. Did you know this is where “Que Sera Sera” debuted?
Take a look at the Black Film Archive
The Black Film Archive is a new site about Black Films from 1915-1979 that are streaming. It’s excellent and very comprehensive.
Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898โ1971
Clockers (book and film)
Clockers is an outstanding novel by Richard Price from 1992. It preceded The Wire with its focus on cops and drug dealers. I saw Price read from it at Chapters in Washington, DC and got a signed copy. The book is almost 600 pages long.
Clockers, the film, was directed by Spike Lee from a script by Lee and Price. They do an outstanding job of boiling the novel down to its essence, stripping out less important characters and events.
Price also worked on The Wire and even made an appearance in the second season leading a book group in a prison.
Miklos Jancso was a great director
Jancso was a Hungarian director who made great films. The best known are from the 1960s and 1970s. They are really unique with very few shots per film. Right now, none of his films are on US DVDs or Blu-rays. Hopefully, Kino Lorber will release discs for the five restored films they are presenting. I hope Red Psalm is one of them. I am glad Richard Brody of the New Yorker keeps reminding us about Jancso.
UK label Second Run has some of his films but they are not all in versions that play on US disc players. One that can be played anywhere is Silence and Cry which is excellent.
Sad! 