Twelve More

Here is what I have watched on DVD since I posted my last list. They are listed in declining order as I rated them. The ratings I give are on my own number system as explained previously in this blog.

How about letting us know if you have any comments regarding any of these films and about what you have been watching at home or in the theater?

The Andersonville Trial - 1970. Having recently watched the drama of life in this terrible Confederate run prison camp, I had a better feel for this film recreation of the military court trial of the camp commander for war crimes. The entire movie took place in the courtroom and the hallway outside, but the issues being argued were so fundamentally engrossing and perpetual (e.g. the "we must answer to a law of basic humanity" prosecution and the"I was only following orders" defense) and the script was so true to the highlighted actual words of the participants, that I gave it my 3.5 rating. Excellent technical work and acting (including a surprisingly effective performance by William Shatner as the prosecutor) contributed to the overall quality.

Flores de Otro Mundo - 1999. This Spanish movie, from the director of Take My Eyes, told the story of three women who came to a dying Spanish rural town to be matched up with men. A shallow young Cuban was matched with a shallow old Spaniard, with predictable disaster. A middle aged couple was a good match, except she couldn't give up the city and he wouldn't leave the countryside. A Dominican with two small kids ended up with a quiet farmer who lived with his bitter mother. No fluff or pretense in this 3.2 film, just a straightforward, respectful and efficient telling of an attempt by three women and three men to become permanent couples.

Manhattan Murder Mystery - 1993. I like Woody Allen's shtick, embraceable NYC, comfortable ensembles, Woody kvetching and exchanging witty comments, nostalgic references to classic moves, though the strange sexual attraction he often has for the sexy women in his films is a little too narcissistic. I smile all the way through his comedies. With an oddball mystery element, this was a 3.1 film for me.

I Fidanzati - 1962. This Italian film from director Olmi tells the story of an engaged couple in Milan who are separated when the man takes temporary work in Sicily. Olmi has roots in documentary and it shows strongly in this 3.1 movie which shows the impression of Sicily from the point of view of the man, demonstrates the disruption of the traditional Sicilian lifestyle by the construction of a new chemical plant and plays with time to show the lonely separation of the couple. There is not much plot or character development but the movie captures a reality in time.

Chaplin - 1992. Robert Downey, Jr.did a quite effective job of playing Charlie, both off and on screen in this solid 3 rated biopic. His long life covered lots of ground and the movie tried to get to all of it in less time than needed, so it helped to be familiar with the facts. Chaplin's bittersweet life and wistful sentiment was a central theme and came across fairly well.

Cadillac Records - 2008. This 2.9 drama of the founding of Chess Records in Chicago and the start of rock 'n roll in the 1950s was more effective as a musical revue than as a story telling. The look was right and the acting good and the music better, but the script lacked focus. We did not learn anything much about the technical aspects of the music itself, what made it different. We saw the characters struggle with their own demons constantly, but received very little insight into the specific sources of their problems and how they felt about them. The business dynamics were lightly brushed but there was not much detail provided of the economics and the nature of the contractual relations between the artists and the label owner.

Last Orders - 2002. An excellent ensemble of actors and a prize winning book to adapt were not enough to make this British film as good as it should have been. The problem was the script, which jumped around in time way too much in telling us the story of the men taking the ashes of a friend to be scattered at the seashore. Keeping a group of characters straight is hard enough, but twice as hard when different actors are playing the characters in all the flashbacks. We ultimately learn little in this 2.9 film, but the actors are good enough to make it marginally worth watching.

My Favorite Wife - 1940. This return of the presumed deceased spouse scenario features Cary Grant playing his Cary Grant role with as little more bumbling, while Irene Dunne does a good job as the returner. This marginal at 2.8, and better in the 1963 re-make, Move Over Darling, with James Garner and Doris Day, which I gave 3.1.

Rembrandt - 1936. Charles Laughton stars in this British biopic, which rushes us through the economic fall of Rembrandt, without telling us anything about the art of painting other than that even a great artist can go broke. Character development in this 2.8 film is nil, except for Rembrandt's humility increasing in proportion to his poverty. The minimal subplot involving his romance life after the death of his wife is not particularly engaging. The acting other than Laughton and his real life wife Elsa Lanchester, is theatrical.

Human Condition: The Road to Eternity- 1959. In this second part of the Japanese trilogy the hero, who has been defeated by the bureaucracy in his efforts to run a humane labor camp, has been drafted into the army and is now encountering the inhumane treatment of army recruits. Again he tries to improve the situation by staying true to his principles, but it is pretty hopeless, and as the Japanese war effort wanes, he barely manages to survive. For a picture about a war unit, there is no combat until the very end, with the focus on recruits constantly being slapped around and humiliated leading to a 2.8 rating for me, not as good as the first film.

Yi-Yi - 1999.  A real slow starter, this too long Chinese film finally makes some progress in letting us get to know and start to care somewhat about the characters in this contemporary Taipei family, but not enough to get it beyond a 2.8 rating for me. There is some philosophy and reflection on life, including the ending message from the most engaging character for me, the eight year old boy, but overall it was hardly worth the time involvement.

Primal Fear - 1996. The script for this movie was so bad that not even OK acting could lift it above a dismal 2.2 rating. The presentation of a criminal trial and the jail were technically ridiculous. Subplots went nowhere. The supposedly shock ending lost out to the overall inaccuracy of the script. There was a premise for a good movie about how a lawyer can defend someone he knows is guilty, but this film missed it by a mile.

It's Only A Movie

The other night, while watching "Primal Fear" with Susan, I quickly began a running commentary pointing out technical errors and plot holes. Susan appropriately chided me, "It's only a movie". That got me thinking about the suspension of belief that underlies the movie watching experience.

The most realistic viewing should be a documentary, then maybe a dramatization of a true story, followed probably by the drama "based on a true story". Then we edge out to pure fiction and further out to sci-fi and fantasy.

But regardless of the degree of reality inherent in the genre, a good movie will grab us quickly and make us want to believe and care about the characters whose lives we are so intimately observing. Even an animated cartoon character can become real to us if the story is appealing enough. Repulsion is the other side of the appeal coin. Some actors, settings and genres we may find particularly appealing or especially repulsive. Some dialogue is so poorly written or delivered that it makes us laugh at the wrong time, thereby straining credulity.

Production values alone cannot make a movie believable, nor can lack of such values destroy belief in an otherwise good movie. The story and acting are much more important. And so is the director, who can botch a good script and accept mediocre performances, or enhance what is on the page and draw out the best acting.

Artistic license is allowed in movie making, but has its bounds. The grammar of film permits certain shortcuts we all take for granted, and the rules are soft enough to allow some experimenting. But if a film goes too far with license or experiments to the point of annoying distraction, it risks calling attention to the unreal artifice of the entire experience and puncturing the balloon of disbelief.

Characters on the screen who seem real cause us to react viscerally. We root for or against them. They stir our emotions We care about them. But they have to remain true to their character. They can and often should change in the course of the movie, but the change has to feel real, based on the character we have come to know in the course of the movie

Sometimes a movie has us in its grasp and then lets us go, by doing something so inconsistent with what has gone before that we cannot accept it. The failed trick ending or even just an ending that seems wrong can cause this let down. Sometimes movies are filmed with alternate endings, both of which are tried out in sneak previews. I suppose if a character has inherent ambivalence, then the ending could legitimately go either way. But if that is true, then maybe the film should end with the character facing the fork in the road while the screen fades to black.

A Baker's Dozen

Here is what I have watched on DVD since I posted my last list. They are listed in declining order as I rated them. The ratings I give are on my own number system as explained previously in this blog.

How about letting us know if you have any comments regarding any of these films and about what you have been watching at home or in the theater?

Two Days in October - 2005. From PBS American Experience this documentary told the story of a day in 1967 when 61 American soldiers in Vietnam were killed in a Viet Cong Ambush, while local police perpetrated violence on University of Wisconsin students peacefully protesting Dow chemical recruiting on campus. These two events were precursors of much of the American public souring on the war and many more students taking to the streets to protest. The blatantly false spin put on both events, by the Army and by the University and police, was disgustingly familiar. Archival footage and current interviews with ambush survivors, Viet Cong participants, protestors, police and witnesses added a retrospective dimension, resulting in my rating of 3.3.

Kabei: Our Mother - 2008. This Japanese film set at the time of the build up to Pearl Harbor, told the story of a happy, gentle family whose father was a professor imprisoned by the thought police and whose mother had to carry on to hold the family together. Though many people were caught up in the militaristic nationalism, there were others who quietly disagreed, and this movie, like a profoundly simple haiku, told their story, earning my 3.3 rating.

The Miracle Worker - 1962. Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke both won Oscars for this movie about blind, deaf, mute Helen Keller and her family learning that she could learn. The film, from the play based on Keller's book concentrates on the battles between Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, but does not feel stage bound and holds its age well. Trapped inside Helen's young body was a brilliant mind and spirit, and this movie is about the battle to set them free. I watched the 2000 made for TV version a couple months back, and it was pretty good, but nothing can top this original, which I rate 3.3.

Departures - 2008. Winner of the Oscar for best foreign film, this Japanese movie introduces us to the profession of encoffiner, with the serene visuals and respectful treatment of characters one should expect in a quality film from Japan. The reverence showed the deceased and the impact the preparation of the body in their presence has on the family is quite moving. I would have rated this slightly higher than 3.2, but I had a personal problem with how the ending addressed the matter of the father who had abandoned the family.

Love and Honor - 2006. This Japanese movie, third in a series from director Yoji Yamada about the last years of feudalism in Japan, tells the story of a young samurai who becomes blind and how he, his wife, servant and others react. Beauty and simplicity imbue the images, while a subtlety unusual for a film about samurai accompanies the plot, making for a solid 3.2 film.

Johnny Belinda - 1948. Nominated for 11 Oscars, this morality tale had the authentic feel of its Nova Scotia locale and a plot that held interest throughout, even though we knew how it had to end, considering when it was made. Jane Wyman deserved an Oscar and Lew Ayres, whose Hollywood career had been punished by his conscientious objector status in WWII (Ginger Rogers divorced him about that time), had a role that seemed to mimic his real life experience as a battlefield non-combatant medic who returned from the war with a deeper perspective on life. Well enough done all around (except of course for the overdone music scoring of the time) and holds its age enough for a 3.2.

Chaos - 2001. I really liked the way this French film started, with the men all taking the women for granted and us sensing that this was going to be turned on the scoundrels. The relationships and characters were starting to be developed quite interestingly, but then the film took a turn and became a caper film with a sting. Still, it was well done and earns my 3.1, though if it had stayed with the promise of the beginning, it could have been much higher.

Andersonville - 1996. Impressive production telling part of the story of the Yankee prisoners of war in the infamous Confederate prison near the close of the Civil War. The South was going bankrupt and running out of soldiers, so the North refused any further prisoner exchanges, resulting in over 40,000 prisoners in this one camp alone and atrocious conditions leading to almost 12,00 deaths. Extensive cast again made it harder to be become attached to any particular prisoner, and the made for TV length of almost three hours meant a lot to keep track of, but the uniqueness of the story and the subplot of one group of prisoners preying on others, results in a 3 rating.

Human Condition: No Greater Love - 1959. First film in a Japanese trilogy from a six book novel revolving around WWII. In this opener, we meet the hero, a young managerial newly wed man who tries to apply his humanistic idealist approach to overseeing a Manchurian mining camp in Japanese occupied Manchuria, with forced Chinese laborers and prisoners of war, in the face of the war machine. The production is impressive, the script intelligent and the direction and acting highly skilled, but the style of the time seems today occasionally stilted, so I rate it a 3.

Lady Chatterley - 2006. I watched the uncut version of this French film, which was almost twice the length of a regular movie. Like most lads, I only read the "good parts" of the novel, so do not know the whole story arc or whether this movie was faithful to the book. It did not seem like there were so many sex scenes in this version, so the extra length may have come from other materials, but there was not an abundance of plot or character development, so the slower pacing contributed to the length. We did get the feel of the natural environment of the grounds and of the loneliness of both well played leads, so that their passionate bonding felt real, even if naively pathetic. At 2.9, watch it if you are interested in the material in addition to the sex scenes, which though steamy were sensitively done.

Whose Life Is It Anyway? - 1981. Richard Dreyfuss played a sculptor turned quadriplegic and fighting for his right to die, which was quite a hot topic at the time this movie was made. I felt no sense of attachment to Dreyfuss or his girlfriend, since we only had one quick scene with them before the accident happened and therefore had no sense of what their relationship was like. The Dreyfuss character (like all he plays?) was quite self-assured and irreverently spirited, witty and flippant, even while concentrating on his very serious mission. Lack of emotional attachment and only surface treatment of the legal issues made this a 2.9 movie for me.

The Kid -1921. Chaplin's first full length feature had elements of autobiography from his poor house roots. Jackie Coogan was the perfect child actor and the plot was fairly interesting, but the movie does not seem to have the staying power of his later silent features. At 2.9, it is worth a look if you have any interest in Chaplin.

Freaks and Geeks - 1999. I only watched the first disk (two episodes) of this one year TV series about two groups of high school kids in 1980 Michigan, and I do not intend to watch more, because I found it to be quite shallow, especially in comparison with the much deeper "My So-Called Life" from four seasons earlier. Everyone came across like a caricature, though the central girl and her young brother seemed to have some potential to become real. However, with a 2.4 start, I can't see investing more time to find out.

Another Week's Worth

Here is what I have watched on DVD in the last week or so, from Netflix and from the library. They are listed in declining order as I rated them. The ratings I give are on my own number system as explained previously in this blog.

How about letting us know if you have any comments about any of these films and about what you have been watching at home or in the theater?

Take My Eyes - 2003. This Spanish film is the best movie I have ever seen about the dynamics of spouse abuse. Significantly, actual violence is only briefly shown, but we are given an intelligently written and sensitively acted story of how a couple in love tries to work to bring about the change in their relationship that will end the violence and fear. The wife is not a submissive coward and the husband is not a menacing bully, yet they each have internal conflicts that carry aspects of those stereotypes. The supporting roles, including that of the very appealing young son, are appropriately helpful without taking attention away from the principals. The scenic Toledo setting and involvement with the art museum fit perfectly into the script. This 3.8 film rings totally true, tugs at your heart for the wife, husband and son, invites self-examination and affirms the need and value of personal counseling.

War Letters - 2002. This PBS American Experience show, based on a New York Times best seller, featured readings from letters to and from members of the American armed services in wars from the Revolution to the Gulf War, read by actors and supplemented with archival and personal footage. The presentation was effective, but it was the content of the letters themselves that earned this a 3.2.

With All Deliberate Speed - 2004. This documentary, released on the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation ruling by the Supreme Court, told the story of some of the local students and ministers involved in starting the litigation in Virginia and South Carolina, two of the five States whose cases were consolidated into the Brown case, using archival footage and current interviews of living participants and children of the deceased. These were some of the many unsung heroes of the civil rights movement and classroom discussion with high school students 50 years later showed most students are not aware of what times were like back then and some just take it all for granted. And are not that interested in hearing about it. I give it 3.2.

Small Wonders - 1995. This fairly low budget documentary showed a woman who quite successfully teaches violin to young children in some inner city charter schools in New York City. It inspired the 1999 film Music of the Heart, which we watched before the documentary, and which probably helped us understand the 3.1 documentary better. I would like to have seen more of the kids and their families at home, which could have added a worthwhile dimension.

Music of the Heart - 1999. Meryl Streep got an undeserved Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of the violin teacher in this dramatization of the documentary subject of Small Wonders. The drama, directed by Wes Craven as a new genre for him, showed a little more of the kids and their home life, which was good, but also included a throwaway subplot about the romance life of the teacher, netting my rating of 3.

Anna Christie - 1930. This classic film, Garbo's first talkie, adapted from a Eugene O'Neill play and atmospherically directed by Clarence Brown, confirms that Garbo definitely had screen charisma, coming across as both experienced and fragile. Also charismatic, without the fragility, is crusty Marie Dressler. As soon as filming was done, the sets were used again with a different director and cast, except for Garbo, to film the movie in German. The DVD I watched includes both films. The American version was better than I expected for such an old film from a stage play, at 3. The supporting characters were more subtle in the German version and Garbo was darker haired and more conservatively dressed. Garbo liked the German version better, but I did not rate it since I fast forwarded through portions.

Marius and Jeannette - 1997. The French director of this movie made this, his seventh film, with the same cast and crew he had used on his previous movies, and even set this one in the exact locale of one of his earlier films, the poor section of Marseilles. I love the Mediterranean approach in general, how people are both passionate and mellow, happy and sad and always in touch with their environment. With the French, you can often expect a downer ending, but the small ensemble in this film seem to have already had some down times, so maybe are due for something better. This is a good 3 rated film to get to know some likeable enough people and see what happens to them.

Katyn - 2007. I was never quite able to get into this 2.8 Polish movie. The story seemed to jump all over the place in time and between characters, trying to follow too many people first under the Nazi occupation and then under the Soviet domination, with propagandists for each regime blaming the other for the Massacre of Polish officers and intellectuals. I was never able to get to know any character well enough to sympathize beyond the stanrd empathy for victims and survivors.

The Odd Couple - 1968. Lemon and Matthau bounce off each other in the film version of the Neil Simon stage play. Most of its humor holds up but the stage scripted feel remains and the point of the piece is not particularly rewarding. More fun for them than us, means a 2.8.

The Talk of the Town - 1942. A situation comedy with serious overtones, this movie has its humorous moments, but otherwise offers nothing special, except Jean Arthur, who I really like. The sermon about law is inconsistent with the plot, but apparently appealed in WWII 1942, as the film received 7 Academy Awards nominations including best picture, but I only give it 2.8.

A Matter of Principle - 1983. Alan Arkin and his then wife Barbara Dana starred in this 2.7 story of an obstinate male chauvinist who ran his large West Virginia family like a tyrant. The settings and acting in this PBS American Playhouse piece were OK, but the one hour of running time was applied mostly to showing the tyranny, leaving very little time for the relatively unconvincing conversion. Regurgitated again in 2007 as Raising Flagg.

More Movies Watched

Here is what I have watched on DVD in the last week or so, from Netflix and from the library. They are listed in declining order as I rated them. The ratings I give are on my own number system as explained previously in this blog.

How about letting us know if you have any comments about any of these films and about what you have been watching at home or in the theater?

Food, Inc. - 2008. Renews my urge to phase out meat and poultry from my diet and to either move to Europe or become an anti-corporate activist. Did not really cover new territory for me, but very well done. I have reviewed my mutual fund materials to make sure they do not own Monsanto shares. Continuing my inclination toward documentary, I give this 3.7.

Pride and Prejudice - 1995. Jane Austen again, this time by the BBC and A&E. Well done as expected. It is interesting that these older shows made for TV were actually filmed in wide screen format, so now they can be released that way on DVD. This DVD however, seems not to have been recorded in the highest quality format, but is definitely worth watching, rating my 3.5. Smarmy Parson Collins is particularly a kick.

Julie & Julia - 2009. Though I am not a "foodie", this was still fun. Being a blogger helped me appreciate that aspect of Julie, played by Amy Adams, a young actress I look forward to seeing in movies. I have had a problem with Meryl Streep recently, felling she is acting too hard, but she was great as Julie's impression of Julia. The message of transforming oneself was obviously there, and maybe some women related strongly to that aspect, but for an old man it did not resonate much. Nevertheless it was fun and worth a 3.2.

Missing - 1982. Young idealist disappears in aftermath of American assisted Chilean coup. Father Jack Lemon goes to look for him and has to work with daughter-in-law Sissy Spacek, with whom he has more than a generation gap. Starts a little confusing but then gets clearer. Politics are not much explained beyond implication that right wing junta overthrew a democracy. Change in relationship of Lemon and Spacek is well played and I would like to have seen more of that and less of the dealing with stonewalling, but the movie was intended by Cost-Gavras to educate Americans to what had happened. I give it 3.1.

All That Heaven Allows - 1955. Douglas Sirk is one of those unsung directors who other directors admire. When he fled the Nazis to come to the US, his European accomplishments were unknown here and he was never given major films to direct. Taken as the melodramas they appear to be, these films seem competently made but unremarkable. This Criterion DVD includes
a rare interview with Sirk and an insightful essay by Fassbinder on how to observe the greater depths of Sirk's films. Worth a look to see what other directors admire, I give it 3.0.

Who Am I This time? - 1981. A Kurt Vonnegut story, directed by Jonathan Demme and starring young actors Susan Sarandon and Christopher Walken, presented by PBS on American Playhouse, this slightly offbeat tale of two shy people being brought out by acting in a community theater rates a 3.

The Promise - 2007. A Filipino valentine movie of childhood love being challenged by the reality of growing up, starring heart throbs who did not look like the Filipinos I know, this is the first film I recall seeing from the Philippines. Fairly competently done, with an impressive performance by the female lead, the story as explained in the special features with the girl being seduced by a life of affluence, did not come across that way to me in the movie, where it appeared she was intimidated into acceptance. Worth a look to see something from the P.I., at 2.9.

Mad Men - Season 1 Disk 1 - 2007. This series starts in 1959, the year I graduated from high school. The time capsule scenic touches are generally accurate, but the expressions of sexism and ethnic prejudice sometimes feel a little planted. African Americans play the menial roles with enough subtlety to make me wish they were followed as prime characters. But the series is instead about the ruthless and sleazy white males in the high stakes advertising game and the women in their lives. These are all very unappealing people and I am not much interested in following their lives, so do not expect to watch more. I also bailed out on the Sopranos after a couple seasons because I found the characters all pretty disgusting. Shows about people without redeeming qualities are not ones I want to spend time on, even if they are well done. I give this a 2.8, because if you like this sort of thing, it is not bad, and honestly, I may consider watching a few more episodes down the line to see if some character comes along or develops for me to care about. If you watched this series and can offer encouragement, please do so.

Weekly Report

Here is what I have watched on DVD in the last week or so, from Netflix and from the library. They are listed in declining order as I rated them. The ratings I give are on my own number system as explained previously in this blog.

How about letting us know if you have comments about any of these films and about what you have been watching at home or in the theater?

Sense & Sensibility -2008. As explained by the script writer, Andrew Davies, in the special feature which should be watched before the movie, this Masterpiece Theater version of the Jane Austen novel was intended to appeal to young viewers of the actual age of the heroines, 19 and 17, by casting younger actresses and being a little more dynamic. The adapter also wanted to show some scenes that were just implied in the novel. This typically well done British production rates a 3.5.

Miss Austen Regrets. This 2008 drama made for Masterpiece, based on letters of Jane, tells a tale of her own love life. Her acerbic wit in social situations at first makes her seem almost cruel toward others, but then as she becomes sick she reveals her feelings in a quite touching way, earning a 3.5. This makes a good special feature to follow the 2008 S&S.

Of Mice and Men - 1992. Gary Sinise and John Malkovich. Directed by Sinise. Adapted by Horton Foote.  Rated 3.3.  This version is good looking and well done, but the leads, who are both very good actors, did not totally draw me into their characters - I too often saw the actors more than the characters, especially Malkovich, who was not convincing enough as the mentally challenging Lenny. The climax also seemed to lack the impact and intensity it deserves. But the story itself is a winner. May need to watch the 1939 version for comparison.

Song of Innocence - 2005. This French film about an early 18th century poor country young mother who goes to town to earn money as a wet nurse for a forlorn young wife of a rising architect, managed with a low budget, small cast, and low key approach to hold interest in the relationship that develops between the two women, while also covering related aspects like the male and female differences and the supposedly advanced scientific knowledge about early childhood nutrition. It had a gentle feel even though dealing with serious matters. I give it 3.2.

Family Resemblances - 1996. This French film, dealing with adult sibling conflict and maternal favoritism, came from a stage play and so was basically confined to one set, a family restaurant after hours, but the writing, which won the French script prize, and the acting, producing two award winners, kept it from feeling stage bound. A solid 3.2.

Down and Out in Beverly Hills - 1986. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not as broad and dated as I expected. The story comes from a French play and the actors are all good, but the director, Paul Mazursky, makes films that feel more genuine and deserves most of the credit for this one. Films set in contemporary time hold their age if they do not inaccurately emphasize perceived fads or unconvincingly editorialize on current affairs. A good 3.2.

Man Who Sued God - 2001. This Australian comedy with Billy Connolly and Judy Davis was better than I expected. The pratfalls at the beginning were so funny I almost wish the whole movie would have been as slapstick. The religious aspects were adeptly handled without getting too deep, with the primary villain being the insurance industry. Billy pulls back just before going over the top and Judy does her usual marvelous job of becoming her character. I rate it 3.

The Promise - 1986. This Hallmark TV movie is the most honored made for TV movie.  It was at the quite time revealing about schizophrenia. James Woods deftly played the mentally ill man, and such roles still seem to come easily to him. Jim Garner plays his brother who struggles to become his caretaker. Seems a little dated now and I give it 2.9. [Not available from Netflix].

Arna's Children - 2004. This documentary filmed over six years in the Jenin refugee camp is Palestine is a disappointment, which I rate 2.4. It jumped around in time, never seemed to have any point of view, was not informative and did not engage emotionally. Peripherally it reminds that religion can fuel war and that smoking is also deadly.

Joseph Andrews - 1977. Fourteen years after directing a hit with Henry Fielding's Tom Jones, director Tony Richardson returned to Fielding's novels for this movie. He needn't have bothered. The 1963 Tom Jones is not on DVD, but I recently watched the 1997 TV version that was marginal at 2.9. I guess these are supposed to be satirical of society, titillating and ribald, with this movie even having flashes of total frontal nudity. The library only had one Joseph Andrews left, so I took a look before it disappeared. I needn't have bothered either, for a 2.2 movie.

Movie Blog Housekeeping

After the first few weeks of blog publication, and the start of a new year, seems like a good time to mention a few blog housekeeping matters, in no particular order. Feel free to comment on any of these or add your own points. I'm quite open to suggestions.

There is a description of the blog, under the main title, but for a reason I cannot figure out, it does not show up when I view the blog with Internet Explorer, but if I drag the mouse over the space it will show up. I use Firefox and it shows there. If you can't see it in your browser, it says "A place to share movie memories and thoughts about movies, past and present."

Anna recently informed me that I have been following the  archaic practice of putting two spaces after a period. I have tried to cut that down to one, but there may be occassional lapses. If youi are interested in the history of the practice, check this article.

I have chosen not to make movie titles in the blog articles active links, because it takes extra time and busies up the look. Let me know if you would like links and what site you would prefer to be taken to for information on movies mentioned. The IMDB has comprehensive info and does not requre membership or registration for the link to work.

I have been putting Blogger labels at the end of some articles, to facilitate search of the blog by labels. I can see where that would become more useful as the blog archive grows.

I think the date and time of the comment postings is confusing but I don't see how I can change it. The information is posted at the end of a comment, following a blank line. Then the next comment begins with the name of the next commentator without any spacing, so to me it looks like that is the date and time of the second comment.

The box for writing comments is quite small and does not enlarge on preview either. Other than for a brief comment, I suggest writing it in your word processor and pasting it into the coment box, so you can see it better and so you don't lose it if there is a glitch at the Blogger end.

You can be notified of new postings of articles and comments if you like. You can subscribe to new article postings through services like RSS, and if you want me to add your e-mail address to a notice list for new comments, I can do that.

I have been looking into adding some action to the blog, whether animations or videos, but am somewhat disinclined to make it distracting. Content is what I want to offer and what we all look for in your comments, and that does not need to be literally flashy.

Finally, my picture came originally came out much bigger that I expected, so I have just reduced the size.