Film review: Letter from an unknown woman (1948)

One of my all time favourite black and whites. Based on a story written by Stefan Zweig, who is an acclaimed author. This is one of the most romantic films, I have ever seen. I rate this 9/10.

'Before sunrise' may be a homage to this film and other Max Ophuls movies with train scenes, ferris wheel, and a couple in Vienna.
Ophuls used Vienna in other films he made called 'La Ronde' and 'Liebelei'. I think 'Before sunrise' and 'Before sunset' directed by Richard Linklater have better scripts, but LFAUW comes close to equalling the magical atmosphere and setting in Linklater's two films. Another similar movie I remember is 'Portrait of Jennie', which is also from 1948.

The music and Joan Fontaine's and Louis Jourdan's voices and performances in LFAUW are very memorable. Everything seems to work.

It’s not just a simple love story, this film has a few twists and a good script like 'Casablanca' also has. It’s best not to know anything about the story before you watch.

Some may not recognize French actor Louis Jourdan, who in 1983 was a bond villain. This type of romantic part is more suitable for him, I think, and he became slightly typcast over the years. Even though he does look a bit like an evil weasel in Octopussy! Ha ha ( :

I thought Max Ophuls' 'La Ronde' was good, but to me lacked the magic of LFAUW. 'La Ronde' was similar to 'Magnolia', but not as good as that ensemble film.

I gave up on Max Ophuls' Madame de...(1953), it didn’t connect with me and hadn’t aged well in my opinion.

You can read a ‘making of’ in google books, if you perform a google search on: Letter from an unknown woman.

8.0/10 on IMDB, 100% on RT

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Trailer

Songs for your iPod

Don't I Hold You - Wheat

(Probably my fav track from the Elizabethtown soundtrack)



...

Whatever It Takes - Sinéad Lohan

(A sadly overlooked album and singer from the 90s. This song gives me goose bumps)



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Girl in the Tower - Benji Hughes

(Similar to the Beatles. I like the video as well)

Film review: Flash Gordon (1980)

Probably the movie I have seen more than any other. I think I’ve seen it about ten times or more in my life. I rewatched it last year and hadn’t seen it in a long time and enjoyed it once again. It’s very nostalgic to me like many call the old Star wars movies childhood favourites.

I agree with cartoonist Alex Ross on youtube, he points out the special effects look so colourful and like no other superhero movie. He also calls it a rock opera, due to the fusion between the story and Queen rock music. According to Alex Ross, the director intended it to be tongue-in-cheek and not a very serious film. That’s the reason some may label it cheesy. It feels like a world you have never been to before.

If you are not aware of it, the character's are based on a cartoon strip from the 1930s, which became a black/white TV-show, later on several movies followed. It's also been turned into a recent TV-show.

I heard the actor playing Flash actually had his voice removed and dubbed, because the studio didn’t like the way he spoke. He is not a great actor. I wonder what happened to the male and female leads? , I never saw them again in anything else.

Apart from Flash, I thought the rest of the cast of characters are very memorable, especially Ming played by an almost unrecognisable Max von Sydow was pretty scary, but well-picked. Zarkov from 'Fiddler on the roof' and Bond movie 'For your eyes only' is also very believable as the mad scientist.

An underappreciated and underrated 80s movie, which in my opinion ought to rank along side such sci-fi classics as Star Wars.

One to watch multiple times, but probably more when you’re a kid or teenager. But everyone who likes science fiction should watch it, not to be missed.

6.2 on IMDB. Rottentomatoes gave it 83%

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

YouTube

Film review: The Fourth Protocol (1987)

Many movie fans have probably seen or heard of the British spy thriller The Day of the Jackal (1973), which is based on a book by Frederick Forsyth. An in my view inferior and soulless remake 'Jackal' was also made in 1997 starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere.

The fourth protocol is a screenplay written by the same author Frederick Forsyth based on his novel. It's not so well-known as the above, but is in my opinion underrated and a good movie.

But give the Frederick Forsyth movie The Odessa File (1974) starring Jon Voight a miss, it was really dull. "The dialogues are made of wood", as a guy I agree with on IMDB rather amusingly puts it.

The fourth protocol is similar to a Bond movie, but without Bond in it. The film stars Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan and is a thriller with agents, spies, gadgets, girls, KGB, Russia conflict and you name it. It doesn’t have so many action scenes as a Bond picture, though, focusing more on a different kind of suspense, which draws you slowly into the story. They obviously had a smaller budget to work with. It almost feels like a TV movie at times, but not in a bad way.


If I had to criticize something, I would say some of the dialogue in the beginning seems unnecessary and isn’t useful to the second part of the film, which has more action. You could almost say it’s like watching two different movies. The plot is a little dated maybe, but still suspenseful, especially the last half. It didn’t bother me they were clearly trying to cash in on being similar to the Bond franchise. The poster is NOT a true reflection of the story!

Having recently rewatched it, I would give movie a 7.5/10. The IMDB rating is 6.3/10. RT gave it 64%

Let me know your opinion, if you watch/already have watched The Fourth Protocol.

To me, The Fourth Protocol is a good lesser-known 80s movie, which many people probably have never heard of. Definitely worth a watch, if you like these kind of films.

Readers, any other 80s gems I might not have seen, you can recommend?

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

YouTube

Look up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman (TV special)

This post will be more of a summary. My opinion is at the end.

The 2 hour US TV special from 2006 is a chronological look at the history of the Man of steel in its various media forms such as comics, books, TV, movies etc from the beginning up until today.

The duel role of Clark Kent and Superman was a predecessor for other superheroes like Batman and others. People can relate to his more vulnerable and human side as Clark, and look up to his heroic qualities.

At the beginning in the first comic, Superman was an evil figure, later he became more physically strong, he began to leap, even later he flew.

Superman was seen as a mythical symbol of hope, strength and moral certainty to a struggling nation during the depression in the 1930s and also later on. Superman doesn’t pass judgement, he just helps.
He transcended nationality, became an inspiration for Americans and immigrants, an ideal to strive towards. Superman is the ultimate embodiment of the American dream, proof that an immigrant can come to a new land and achieve their potential.


It’s suggested Superman could be interpreted as a secular messiah in the 70s comics, an allegory as he descends from the heavens. Similar to an old testament story about Moses who escaped, his mother and father where about to be killed by the Egyptians, in his case Krypton. Just like Moses Superman arrives as an immigrant and was adopted. But they argue Superman doesn’t become a hero to substitute for religion, but is a hero in a mythology sense. Superman’s attitude is perhaps what you yourself can choose to do, if you want to be a hero. Superman's challenge is to continuously see good in people, and to see good, when others don't see it.

But the TV special is not without its faults in my opinion. It focuses on the American attitude towards Superman, hardly anything is said about the international audience. I thought the first hour and the last 5 minutes were the most insightful, the second half about the movies was a little shallow, it didn’t explain very well how C. Reeves flew in the movies, which I thought was disappointing. It also doesn’t really illuminate why the movie became a success, as they kept saying Superman was on the decline in comics and TV in the 70s, but perhaps there is no explanation for that rejuvenation?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499516/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeGR65A9T-Q

Any thoughts on Superman, readers?