For me, tears tend to come not at sad moments but rather when someone has (justly) achieved something or reached an epiphany. Here are some (I'm sure there are others): The Phantom Carriage (1921) Ben-Hur (1925; when Ramon cries "Victory!" at the end of the chariot race) Peter Ibbetson (1935) And no...

When the Clouds Roll By (1919). Delightfully light-hearted and occasionally bizarre comedy, exuberantly played by Douglas Fairbanks, who in some slight and abstract way reminded me of Buster Keaton. I was interested to note that this was evidently Victor Fleming's first effort as a director. Actual...

I have an all-but-complete collection of Bergman (only missing some TV stuff and All These Women , This Can't Happen Here , Ship to India , and It Rains on our Love ); but that includes DVDs and a good sprinkling of videocassettes. I'm not sure what you're looking for with "best." I'm very satisfied...

goalieboy82 wrote:like i have said before: i think they should come up with new copyright laws.

Be careful of what you wish for:

"Whenever a copyright law is to be made or altered, then the idiots assemble."

- Mark Twain's Notebook, 1902-1903

Don't forget Clift's splendid performance in Hitchcock's I Confess, a favorite of mine.

Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1919). I liked Marguerite Clark in this, and was interested to see Mary Carr much younger than I've otherwise seen her; but on first viewing, this show inspired a big fat "Meh . . . " in me, accompanied by a shrug. Also on the disc was what really inspired me to pur...

[...] The 1892 James Smith would have only been 23 to 24 years old when Griffith made Intolerance. Would Griffith entrust such a monumental editing project to a 23 year old with barely experience? think about it. It's not impossible but sounds to me to be improbable. It does sound unlikely at first...

Special Delivery (1927). Another enjoyable Eddie Cantor romp, this time with . . . William Powell. Grand Hotel (1932). I'm on about the fifth viewing of this classic. This time, I particularly noticed how perfectly cast all the roles were, from the stars to the bit players to the walk-ons and extra...

Dames (1934). The first time I watched it, I thought it pretty creaky, and only had eyes for the "I Only Have Eyes for You" number, which even now, after the fourth viewing, I find hypnotic, mind-blowing, psychedelic, with that number's simple ending truly the greatest touch of genius in a sequence...

Still had my Garbo set out from Queen Christina , so thought I'd give Mata Hari (1931) another whirl. On first viewing, I hadn't much liked it; and so I was surprised to find it much more amiable this time. Yes, Garbo's little dance sequence is grotesque and anything but erotic; but, in contrast to ...

Queen Christina (1933), my second viewing of it. As is often the case, I guess I'm the odd man out (judging by the IMDB reviews I looked at): I think this is a pretty dreadful film (except for one scene). The story--even aside from the question of historical accuracy--is rather wobbly; the dialog i...

A third viewing of Ingmar Bergman's Musik i mörker (1948), alias Music in Darkness alias Night Is My Future . A good film which deserves to be better known. As always with Bergman, dedicated performances by all concerned, many of them Bergman "regulars." As I found on first viewing when at the end o...

Doesn’t Reginald Denny’s Oh, Doctor! (1925) have a short dream sequence with not only some naturalistic, arguably Isadora Duncan-ish, dancing (or maybe closer to Nijinsky’s 1912 ballet l’Après-Midi d’un Faune ) but also some vigorous tail-wagging? And Ben Turpin’s A Prodigal Bridegroom of 1926 has i...

(Editing this: first review being moved to the British film thread.) I watched Cold Comfort Farm (1995) [...]. There was a 1968 BBC television version of Cold Comfort Farm that I'd love to see (the cast is astonishing) which was released on VHS but does not appear to be available on dvd. Just throw...

Perhaps not too far from the general purport of this thread: What gives me pause is that more time has passed since, say, I saw the premiere of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World *--which seems to me just like if not yesterday then at least the day before yesterday--than had passed between the premiere of...

I'd guess that Parvis was primarily an entertainer in live venues such as nightclubs, and so eked out a living chasing those gigs here and there as long as he could make it pay. I wonder if there was a trade paper which specialized in the frenetic world of nightclub entertainment...?

And , Googling about: I see a listing for a Vitaphone something of 1927 with Ty and Lillian I don’t quite know what to make of here : http://iarchives.nysed.gov/MPD/rr_other_film_details2.htm?selected_casefile=4072" target="_blank And Ty apparently appears in a nightclub dance routine in the Billy ...

I find eleven mentions of Ty Parvis in the Los Angeles Times ; as you'll see, the surname name of his partner Lillian is polymorphic: 2/3/1927: Headline “Aunt Dolly Entertains ‘Times’ Club.” “King Hilarity and the Princess Joy ruled the hi-jinks and cabaret of The Times Junior Club given for members...

Felt in a Hitchcock mood, and so, over the last few days: -- Vertigo (1958), or at least the first half of it (through the dream)--all I had time for. The thought struck me that this of wooing another man's wife seemed somewhat off-image for Jimmy Stewart. -- Psycho (1960). For me, the movie works b...

Two first viewings of classics: Destry Rides Again (1939). Wonderful in every way. Der Blaue Engel (1930). Wonderful, impactful, enriching. Any comments on how the English version compares (I have it, but haven't watched it yet)? And a third viewing of Berg-Ejvind och hans hustru (1918), alias The O...

First viewing of Shane (1953) a few nights ago. Hm. I realize that I'm out of step with 99% of the comments I've seen concerning this movie; but, while I have no complaints about it, I have to say that I don't at all understand the enthusiasm I've seen expressed, neither making mental adjustments fo...

Not necessarily about Thanksgiving, but turkey-themed, would be 1915's A Bird's a Bird, with Chester Conklin, Minta Durfee, et al. (indeed, Al St. John).

Same feeling here. I often wonder if it's just that modernity has grown to care about other things than I do, or if it's indeed that modernity has in general debased tastes (perhaps the two aren't mutually exclusive). But some good things can come along. For instance, I liked Topsy-Turvy as much for...

Cat Ballou (1965), my second viewing, the first viewing being at the time of the original release. I liked it then, and I like it now. Sassy and anxious to please from beginning to end. The actors are living the parts, not just walking through another gig. Splendid direction (I was particularly imp...

Vis-à-vis actors directly addressing the audience or camera: Doesn't Ramon Novarro look into the camera with an "Aha!" or "Now watch this!" expression in The Prisoner of Zenda (1922) at one point?

Törst, which is to say "Thirst," Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece of 1949. Fourth viewing, and it gets better every time.

Just supposition, and a few ponderings: It's probably the case that, with Hellzapoppin' , it's just like in the movie: Olsen & Johnson would have preferred that it be a filmed version of their insane and loose stage show--which is represented by the beginning of the movie, and by the show presented ...

Valborgsmässoafton --which is to say Walpurgis Night --(1935), with a cast of stunning names: Ingrid Bergman (looking very young and radiant), Victor Sjöstrom, and Lars Hansson. Quick assessment after this second viewing: Very good and dedicated acting, even in the secondary roles, with mediocre di...

Also watched the new Blu-ray of Hitchcock's Marnie , which I enjoyed more than its reputation led me to believe I would. Somehow the obvious mattes and back projection didn't bother me so much, and I found Tippi Hedren perfectly acceptable in the title role. When she has her major breakdown towards...

The Pink Panther (1963). Remains a classic for me, no matter how many times viewed. But I've always thought that David Niven was miscast. But who would have been better? Hmmmm . . . If we could cast actors into films of different eras: Peter Sellers is perfect as Inspector Clouseau; but I like to c...