Tuesday, January 31, 2023
The Card
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Jackal
Friday, January 27, 2023
NFL Playoff Picks, Conference Championships Round
Calabuch
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Plácido
A bustling bright town nimbly nestled in the Spanish countryside, hectically prepares for an unusual Christmas Eve, the local council having coordinated an imaginative spiritual initiative, wherein which the wealthy and impoverished dine together, to celebrate the season.
Other higher-ups have taken note of the concordant equanimity, and sent movie stars to take part, with an adoring crew to film and frolic.
Industrious Plácido (Cassen) has been tasked to drive a ceremonious auto, but he's rather worried throughout the day since the next payment's almost due.
He's trying to acquire enough to deal and encounters set back after set back, rhyme and reason no doubt merciless since he thinks they'll repossess on Christmas.
Within his determined struggle lies inherent ingenuity, clashing with authoritative conceit, which requires absurd motivation.
As you watch what he goes through the impossibility of attaining wealth, satirizes the festivities with uptight stultifying flair.
The cameras on, the vedettes beaming, so many hoping they won't miss church.
While age old prejudice obscures the message: it shouldn't be an imposition.
Plácido presents perpetual motion with innovative active meticulous style, it's rare to see such a fast paced film preponderantly overflowing with vital detail.
Form capturing Plácido's struggles along with his family's and those of the village, you can't help but feel latently disillusioned yet manifestly glib and chipper.
Through the abandonment of discretion he's able to attain his reasonable goal, to be repeated ad infinitum, resolute rigorous particulars.
Few complaints throughout the film it alertly instructs through grand immersion, interpretive duels intently following no doubt lively and everlasting.
With Christmas on the horizon director Luis García Berlanga points out, that the genuine communal message is unfortunately overlooked at times.
The resplendent spirit which ubiquitously unites the adoring Whos in tranquil Whoville, is ostentatiously dismissed as irony deconstructs munificence.
No doubt duties are performed and responsibilities met sans tension.
But would there be less of a need for distinct strata?
Through democratic invention?
Remarkable difference multiplied by millions exceptional mirth expressive volubility.
Livelier communities, resonant pastimes.
The sprightly flow of offbeat goods.
Monday, January 23, 2023
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Entwhistle
Friday, January 20, 2023
NFL Playoffs, Divisional Round Picks
The Millionairess
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Green for Danger
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Lollygag
Friday, January 13, 2023
NFL Playoffs, Super Wild Card Weekend Picks
Quartet
The Facts of Life
The free sharing of age old wisdom oft accrues psychological check, as mantra and adage delicately condition economic tumult and ethical expenditure.
But with myriad personality distinctions effervescently flourishing with multifaceted largesse, the germane likelihood of symbiotic sanction may prove disheartening or indeed quite fun.
A father shares his paternal advice only to find every moral qualm deconstructed.
His son winds up with a new car.
Who's to say what's to be done?
The Alien Corn
Theoretically in possession of everything one might hope to desire, yet longing to achieve the ultimate incomparable brilliant maddening incandescence.
Friends and family generally confused as to why the goal's so profoundly meaningful, considering how many other professions remain available, and he doesn't even have to work.
He's crushed by a virtuoso who didn't mean to hurt his feelings, and even though he's still quite talented, can't find the will to go on.
You can write Bazooka Joe comics or even Shakespearian sonnets, it makes no freakin' difference.
As long as you love what you do.
Beware destructive prejudice.
The Kite
Perhaps at times the parental bond is somewhat too tight, and the desire to be appreciated commensurately by others too unreasonable, so that when an imperious grown-up dispute arises, there's no applicable stratagem to discursively relay.
Sometimes incumbent smothering and a voluminous intent to orchestrate obsessively, may stifle the productivity you rely on, and leave a gaping void where you once harvested.
But in theory at times they say mental health professionals can attain results.
As in the case of this marriage in question.
With Mervyn Johns (Samuel Sunbury), Hermione Baddeley (Beatrice Sunbury), and George Cole (Herbert Sunbury).
The Colonel's Lady
Worst case for an austere admirer of poignant pomp and reservéd circumstance, the unexpected emergence of imaginative scandal ceremoniously upsetting his stilted life.
No doubt many would remain uncertain if such a surprise suddenly diversified, especially if a tried and true dependable routine had gregariously governed for ages past.
Yet the truth residing in fiction can fortuitously lead to regeneration.
With newfound amenities previously unexpected.
Bit of a shocker, still, no doubt.
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Never Let Go
I suppose there are so many cool films from so many old school actors I've never seen, Never Let Go notably showcasing Peter Sellers (Lionel Meadows) in a rather unique uncharacteristic performance, in fact in full-on rank compulsive wickedness this one's shocking to say the least, certainly not ye olde Pink Panther, it may be a bit hush-hush.
As it should be, the wretched villain knows no decent ethical limit, lovers of turtles and tortoises beware, for he takes his anger out on Testudinal kind, which left me most distressed indeed.
I sought out the film to see more of Mervyn Johns's work, I had never seen him in anything else besides A Christmas Carol (1951).
Never Let Go is from 1960 and it looks like Johns may have been typecast post-Scrooge, for within he plays a similar character who's fallen upon even harder times.
He has what was known as a newspaper stand (or newsstand) where he sells a variety of papers, journals, and magazines, and lives in a rather modest apartment, his most cherished possession a pristine aquarium.
He's even more mild-mannered than Cratchit and has unfortunately found little reward, even less after he witnesses a car theft and names names to local investigators.
The car belonged to a cosmetic salesperson (Richard Todd as Mr. Cummings) who's hellbent on retrieving it, but he's never had much luck when bluntly asserting himself, and initially encounters snide disrespect.
I can't recall anything else I've seen Todd in and may seek out more of his films, he's like a cross between Richard Burton and Russell Crowe, both of whom I've never seen in film noir.
Sellers finds him a craftier competitor than he thought he would be at first, and slowly loses his ferocious temper as he comes aggressively calling again and again.
I always hope the Scrooge/Cratchit working relationship will pay dividends for commerce come January, and there's no doubt that for many it does while many more can't comprehend the message.
It was still nice to see Mervyn Johns back at it with that fiery loving habitual strife, but whereas Scrooge can never stifle his passion, the cruel Mr. Meadows befouls indignantly.
An excessively grim morbid tale scandalously excelling through onerous confrontation, Never Let Go provides unruly disillusionment as everything within is tenaciously crushed.
Strong performances outweigh the lugubrity but still leave fair little preponderant hope.
That poor little innocent turtle.
How could anyone ever be so ruthless?
🐢