Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) arrives in Bodega Bay in an attempt to woe Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), a handsome bachelor she met by chance the day before. When she arrives in town she is inexplicably attacked by a seagull. As the days follow more and more bird attacks begin to happen. All sorts of birds, gulls, sparrows and crows begin attacking en mass, even killing two citizens.
I guess it's pretty shameful that I have never seen The Birds until now! But it certainly lived up to its reputation; it is terrifying! I'm not sure I'll ever look at a bird the same way again! Ha! Watching this film you can certainly see how Hitchcock got his nickname, 'the master of suspense'. Despite the frightening subject matter, it is still a very enjoyable film (its a bit like Jaws in that regard). The film also stars Jessica Tandy and Veronica Cartwright, as Mitch's mother and sister respectively.
The films strength lies in its ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, and then by not explaining the extraordinary. Why are the birds attacking? There is no answer. And why do the attacks only begin when Daniel's arrives in town? Is she connected, as some suggest? Again, there is no answer, the audience is left to form their own views.
The film was loosely based on a novelette by Daphne du Maurier. The original tale was seen as a metaphor for the Blitz during World War Two. Hitchcock however had his screenplay changed so it involved a more elaborate plot and different characters.
Shooting of the film was not without problems. The Birds was Hedren's film debut, and Hitchcock was hoping to groom her into his next Grace Kelly. Unfortunately his behaviour became more and more obsessive and during the filming of the final sequence he had the bird handlers throw real birds at her instead of the mechanical ones she had been expecting. Hedren was terrified and was ordered by her doctor to have several days of bed rest to recover.
So watch out for those birds! You never know what they may be planning!
On the 14th of April 1912 the 'unsinkable' RMS Titanic struck an iceberg. The ship was on it's maiden voyage, but it was never to complete it. The iceberg irreparablely damaged the ship and it went down leaving over 1,500 people dead in the icy waters of the Atlantic.
A Night to Remember tells the story of this well known disaster. It was the ninth film to be made about the sinking of the Titanic and was based on the book of the same name by Walter Lord. The film is regarded by most historians as being the best and most historically accurate of all films made about the event.
The film, which stars Kenneth More, Ronald Allen, Robert Ayres, Honor Blackman, Michael Goodlife, David McCallum and Laurence Naismith, tells the story of the fateful voyage in harrowing accuracy. Despite knowing the inevitable outcome from the start it is still a heart breaking, anxious watch as the ship sinks further and further into the icy water.
The film begins with the ships launch and follows the crew and several passengers of all three classes as they entertain themselves in the hours leading up to the collision. The film also serves as a powerful testimony to the politics of class. The snobbery of some and the selflessness of others. The disaster brings out the best and worst of all the classes.
Visually the film is stunning. Shot in black and white it adds an eerie quality to the wide expanse of sea, and the darkness of the night. Most of the characters reflect real people including Captain Smith and the famous 'unsinkable' Molly Brown. The film slowly descends into panic, at first nobody is particularly alarmed, no one really believes the ship will sink, but in the final moments before it descends chaos reigns. It's heartbreaking to watch but incredibly powerful.
"It's different…because we were so sure, because even though its happened it's still unbelievable. I don't think I'll ever feel sure again, about anything"
Modesty Blaise (Monica Vitti) is a thief/spy who becomes involved in a complicated jewel heist. Hired by the British secret service and aided by her friend Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp) Modesty must outwit master criminal Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde) and return the diamonds to Middle Eastern sheik Abu Tahir (Clive Revill).
On the one hand this film doesn't make much sense, on the other hand it's so colourful and so sixties, that it doesn't really matter!
The film is full of funky fashions, and ever changing hairstyles, Bogarde's mansion is bizarrely colourful, filled with patterns that make your head spin. The music is also incredibly catchy (and reminded me of the theme to the Natalie Wood film, Penelope).
There is a plot and it does revolve around the jewels, but it frequently goes off track and there are many moments that don't seem to fit into the rest of the film. As a spy spoof it does have some laugh out loud moments (I must admit the end when Modesty and Garvin are rescued on the beach was my favourite!). There are even some moments of random song, a goldfish in a wine glass and a scene which made me think Garvin was a robot (but he's not….)
The film was based on a comic book series of the same name which featured Modesty as a female version of James Bond (the film apparently bears little resemblance to the comics). It was the first of only two English language films that Vitti made.
It may not be the best film ever made, but it certainly is oddly enjoyable!
Juan (Tyrone Power) is a young, arrogant bull fighter who dreams of being the best in the world. He soon reaches his dream and marries his childhood sweetheart (Linda Darnell). At the height of his success he is seduced by wealthy aristocratic Doña Sol des Muire (Rita Hayworth) and his life takes a downward turn.
Blood and Sand was a remake of a silent film of the same tittle starring Rudolph Valentino and released in 1922 (this film in itself was a remake of a 1916 film). Both films were based on a novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez.
The film is beautifully shot, bringing together all the colour and vibrancy of Spain. The film won best cinematography at the Academy Awards. The costumes of the characters are also telling. Darnell is dressed in traditional clothes, demure, with high necks and full skirts. Hayworth is dressed in the latest fashions from Paris, she is chic and elegant, this heightens her differences from the other women in the town, she is alien and it attracts Power. Power's costumes are gaudy, his bullfighting regalia is full of colour and gold, it marks his transition from poor boy to a celebrity akin to royalty. His clothes also serve as a reminder of his obsession with the material, and his lack of spiritual or personal regard for those around him.
Some scenes in the film are hard to watch particularly when they involve the bull fighting. It's cruelty makes it hard to sympathise with any of the characters for that point alone.
The fighters sacrifice their lives for the sport, but a lot is made of their educational sacrifices, none of them can read or write. This serves to highlight how superficially Juan appears to have everything, he is successful, has beautiful clothes and house, but underneath he has little, he is illiterate, he has lost most of his money and has lost his wife and the support of the crowd. In the end Hayworth leaves him for a new up and coming fighter (Anthony Quinn). It soon becomes apparent that the film is a dance towards death, from the opening scenes it feels inevitable that Juan will die in the ring.
Little Rita is a gunslinger with an interesting quest, she wants to rid the world of gold. Rita spends her time stealing gold from famous gunslingers, and then delivering the gold to her Native American friends who plan on destroying it, thus riding the world of all evil.
Ah, the things I will watch for you-Terence Hill.
Little Rita was essentially a vehicle for Italian singer, Rita Pavone who was popular in the 60s. The pint sized, feisty Rita had a powerful voice, and made several quirky films during her heyday. At the time of filming Rita was involved with a married man (whom she eventually married) and it was hoped that this film would re-establish her with the public, particularly her male fans, who were disappointed with her impending marriage. Terence Hill had been making a series of Westerns in Germany, and this was his first Spaghetti Western since that period. As the film was a showcase for Rita the story frequently diverges into song and dance numbers often with no warning! As I am unable to understand Italian I watched the English dubbed version, however none of the songs are dubbed! They remain in their original language, strangely catchy, but hard to understand!
What 'Little Rita' really is, is a spoof of the popular Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960s. Rita spoofs the extreme violence, obsession with gold, ineffectual sherifs and dirty gunslingers of these films. Rita even takes on Ringo and Django (famous Spaghetti Western characters). It's a bizarre mix of Spaghetti Western and musical comedy, the ending is also rather odd! Some of the jokes are quite funny though, and the film is rather quotable, here are some of my favourites:
"Look a herd of buffalo. What a magnificent spectacle I just love buffalo"
"Those are skinny cows, and don't you forget it"
"Cows? Well I'll be darned"
"You better talk, or I'll put my signature on your face with a red hot iron!"
"But you don't know how to write…"
"But a movie is supposed to have a happy ending, or else the producer will lose all his money, cause no one will go and see it"
Of course, lets be honest, the real point of this film is Terence Hill (ha!). For those of you who don't know, he is my very favourite! His part isn't huge, he appears about 40 mins in, and often looks slightly bewildered during all the singing and dancing! The film though was to have several happy outcomes for Terence. The director of 'Little Rita', Ferdinando Baldi, was to cast Terence in his next film, Django Prepare a Coffin. The cinematographer of 'Little Rita', Enzo Barboni, was to cast Terence in his star making vehicle, They Call Me Trinity. And as Little Rita accurately describes him, "He's beautiful!"
If you're intrigued by this slightly crazy, but oddly endearing film, you can find the English version on YouTube!
Here's a look at the Pink Panther-esque opening credits:
Lew Harper (Paul Newman) is a private investigator, his wife is asking for a divorce and he sleeps in his office, an old friend asks him to investigate the disappearance of a wealthy man. At first the case seems ridiculous, the man has only been missing for one night, and is disliked by both family and friends, but as Harper investigates further it becomes apparent that this is a complex case involving kidnapping, extortion and murder.
(This poster is rather amusing if you read it!)
Harper was one of a series of successful films starting with the letter 'H' for Paul Newman, others included, The Hustler, Hud and Hombre. A slick caper with witty, sarcastic dialogue a selection of cold hearted characters and unexpected twists and turns, Harper was a hit at the box office and became the 23rd highest grossing film for 1966. Harper feels like what the James Bond films could have been had they reached the same level of cool and smarts.
The film costars Lauren Bacall, Julie Harris, Janet Leigh, Pamela Tiffin, Shelley Winters and Robert Wagner. The real star is of course Newman. He's ridiculously cool and has a quip for any situation, at first he seems detached from everyone however as the film progresses a more human side is revealed. His dedication to his job has alienated him from those he loves but he is always determined to 'get the job done'. He is pitied against a group of characters who have their own selfish motives and lead shallow lives, Bacall is a former horse riding champion who has lost the use of her legs, Tiffin is her conceited step-daughter and Wagner is the pilot who seems to have connections to all involved. Harper figures them all out, though not even he will be able to guess the ending!
