Film: Snow White
Year: 1937
Where I Saw It: DVD
Let me start out by saying that yes, as a child, I did enjoy this film. And yes, I do respect it as the first feature film which launched many great children's films and even more children's- WHY THE HELL WOULD ANYONE MAKE CINDERELLA 2!?! THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!!! Anyhoo... Have you seen Snow White recently? And tried to watch it without the goggles of nostalgia? Let's do this.
1. If a creepy old woman came up to you and offered you an apple, would you ever even consider eating it?
2. This is one of those movies which is a staple for little girls and her sole job is to clean the house for seven men.
3. Dopey puts a cymbal on his head and imitates a Chinese person.
4. Snow White seems to be afraid of trees.
5. The queen has a magic mirror which can tell her ANYTHING she could ever want to know, and the best ideas she could come up with is to find out who's prettier than she is.
6. The dwarfs mine for gems but we never hear for what reason.
7. If the queen can change her appearance, why doesn't she just turn herself into someone prettier than Snow White?
One Last Point - Is it just me, or is the Prince wearing lipstick?
Thanks for reading! - Scott Scene
Sunday 25 September 2011
Sunday 18 September 2011
The 39 Steps and- Just Watch The Play... It's way better.
Film: The 39 Steps
Year: 1935
Where I Saw It: Netflix
This week we have a film which is part film noir, part thriller and part romantic comedy. It actually pulls off all these roles quite well. There's just one problem. The play is leaps and bounds way better. I saw this show on Broadway and there were at least three times I couldn't stop laughing and I had tears running down my face. The movie is funny, but since I saw the play first, it really fell flat. It's hard to explain why the play is so much funnier without ruining the plot but I'll just say there is stuff the actors do on stage which would NEVER translate on film.
But back to focusing on the movie. The chemistry between the two leads is wonderful and makes the romantic comedy parts of the film really enjoyable to watch. There's nothing worse than watching a movie where the two romantic leads are supposed to be all lovey-dovey and it's clear the two actual actors can't stand each other (for the best example of this see Yes Man).
The film works as a thriller too. It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock (which surprised the hell out of me) and although the movie is unlike any other film I've seen of his, he still adds elements of suspense which still proves that nobody does it better. Whether it's the two leads handcuffed together escaping the police, or just wondering who's going to betray who next, the film really moves along. It's one of those few films that when it's over, you're surprised to see how much time has passed.
One Last Point - If you're interested in seeing the play, it's running right now at The Gladstone.
Thanks for reading! - Scott Scene
Year: 1935
Where I Saw It: Netflix
This week we have a film which is part film noir, part thriller and part romantic comedy. It actually pulls off all these roles quite well. There's just one problem. The play is leaps and bounds way better. I saw this show on Broadway and there were at least three times I couldn't stop laughing and I had tears running down my face. The movie is funny, but since I saw the play first, it really fell flat. It's hard to explain why the play is so much funnier without ruining the plot but I'll just say there is stuff the actors do on stage which would NEVER translate on film.
But back to focusing on the movie. The chemistry between the two leads is wonderful and makes the romantic comedy parts of the film really enjoyable to watch. There's nothing worse than watching a movie where the two romantic leads are supposed to be all lovey-dovey and it's clear the two actual actors can't stand each other (for the best example of this see Yes Man).
The film works as a thriller too. It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock (which surprised the hell out of me) and although the movie is unlike any other film I've seen of his, he still adds elements of suspense which still proves that nobody does it better. Whether it's the two leads handcuffed together escaping the police, or just wondering who's going to betray who next, the film really moves along. It's one of those few films that when it's over, you're surprised to see how much time has passed.
One Last Point - If you're interested in seeing the play, it's running right now at The Gladstone.
Thanks for reading! - Scott Scene
Thursday 8 September 2011
M and WOW!!!
Film: M
Year: 1931
Where I saw it: Netflix
OK, so you know how last post I said I was surprised how much Pandora's Box pushed the envelope? Well that's NOTHING compared to M. This film is about a serial child killer! You don't see anything (no gore or brutal special effects) but the imagery sure gives you a lot to think about and in the end, is almost more effective than anything we could cook up now. And here's the messed up part. In the end, you actually feel sorry for the murderer!
This film was CRAZY!!! You have good guys going after the murderer, bad guys going after the murderer and the murderer himself preparing his latest victim. All of these events create one of the most suspenseful films I have seen in a long time. It's subtitled though, so for those of you who don't like that sort of thing, you've been warned. But even if you're not a fan of subtitles, you might still want to give this one a go. You won't be disappointed.
The only thing that's a little off with this movie is how they identify the murderer. The murderer is always whistling the same tune and a blind beggar recognizes it. The tune isn't some unique song or combination of notes. It's a really well known song. It makes you think about what if someone else had just happened to whistle the same tune. The poor sap would have half the city chasing him down and he'd have no idea why.
One Last Point - Once the murderer is identified, they track him by drawing a M on his jacket. I would have made a sign that says "this guy kills children" then follow him around. Fun fact: this is also a great way to meet people.
Thanks for reading! - Scott Scene
Year: 1931
Where I saw it: Netflix
OK, so you know how last post I said I was surprised how much Pandora's Box pushed the envelope? Well that's NOTHING compared to M. This film is about a serial child killer! You don't see anything (no gore or brutal special effects) but the imagery sure gives you a lot to think about and in the end, is almost more effective than anything we could cook up now. And here's the messed up part. In the end, you actually feel sorry for the murderer!
This film was CRAZY!!! You have good guys going after the murderer, bad guys going after the murderer and the murderer himself preparing his latest victim. All of these events create one of the most suspenseful films I have seen in a long time. It's subtitled though, so for those of you who don't like that sort of thing, you've been warned. But even if you're not a fan of subtitles, you might still want to give this one a go. You won't be disappointed.
The only thing that's a little off with this movie is how they identify the murderer. The murderer is always whistling the same tune and a blind beggar recognizes it. The tune isn't some unique song or combination of notes. It's a really well known song. It makes you think about what if someone else had just happened to whistle the same tune. The poor sap would have half the city chasing him down and he'd have no idea why.
One Last Point - Once the murderer is identified, they track him by drawing a M on his jacket. I would have made a sign that says "this guy kills children" then follow him around. Fun fact: this is also a great way to meet people.
Thanks for reading! - Scott Scene
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