Winter Light AKA Nattvardsgästerna

Winter Light AKA Nattvardsgästerna

AB Svensk Filmindustri

11 February 1963

Drama

DVD
D+

The Bergman version of a boring sermon wasn't as boring as I expected.

Who's That Knocking at My Door?

Who's That Knocking at My Door?

Trimod Films

September 13, 1968

Drama

DVD
D+

I'm not a Scorsese fan (Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore aside), but I guess it's interesting that this exists.

Where Eagles Dare

Where Eagles Dare

Winkast Film Productions etc.

21 December 1968

War Drama

DVD
D

So dull that I kept checking the time-stamp every minute or so, feeling like I'd zoned out for twenty minutes.  But the snow was kind of pretty.  Brian G. Hutton directed, before Kelly's Heroes and The First Deadly Sin.

What Ever [sic] Happened to Baby Jane?

What Ever [sic] Happened to Baby Jane?

Warner Bros.

October 31, 1962

Dramedy?

DVD

C-

I'd of course heard of this for years, and it turns out to be, well, luke-warm camp.  Admittedly, I tuned out after a quarter hour, before it got anywhere near horror.  The movie is based on Henry Farrell's novel and directed by Robert Aldrich, before the other four of his movies I've rejected in this project.

Wanted (1967)

Wanted (1967)

Documento

22 March 1967

Western
DVD
D+

These are all starting to blur together for me, but I think this was the one with sort of creative camera angles.  Giorgio Ferroni directed.

The Bounty Killer AKA The Ugly Ones AKA El precio de un hombre

The Bounty Killer AKA The Ugly Ones AKA El precio de un hombre

Tescia etc.

4 November 1966

Western

DVD
D+

It's the quicker picker-uppper.  Director Eugenio Martín co-adapted Marvin H. Albert's novel.

The Price of Power AKA Il prezzo del potere

The Price of Power AKA Il prezzo del potere

Consorzio Italiano etc.

18 December 1969

Western
DVD
D+

It's not often that you get Van Johnson playing President Garfield and dubbed into English.  Tonino Valerii directed and co-wrote, a couple years after Days of Wrath AKA Days of Anger AKA I giorni dell'ira.

Sundance Cassidy and Butch the Kid AKA Vivi o, preferibilmente, morti AKA Alive or Preferably Dead

Sundance Cassidy and Butch the Kid AKA Vivi o, preferibilmente, morti AKA Alive or Preferably Dead

Compagnia Finanziaria etc.

17 September 1969

Historical Comedy

DVD
C-

This was hard to Google.  Duccio Tessari directed and co-wrote.  And, no, it's not exactly a Western.

West Side Story

West Side Story

Mirish Pictures etc.

October 18, 1961

Musical

DVD
C-

A lot of silly dancing.  This is of course inspired by Romeo and Juliet.  Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise co-directed.

War and Peace AKA Voyna i mir

War and Peace AKA Voyna i mir

Mosfilm

14 March 1966

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

A little stilted, and I'd forgotten what a jerk Prince Andrei is, especially to his wife.  But the costumes and sets are nice.  Sergey Bondarchuk directed, co-adapted the Tolstoy novel, and played Pierre.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Windsor Productions etc.

July 12, 1961

I honestly don't know the genre because nothing happened the first quarter hour but ironically I'll have to go with "Action"

DVD

C-

Nothing happens in the first quarter hour, except for drippy "clever" dialogue and overuse of the word "Congressman," but at least there's Peter Lorre training a shark, and Barbara Eden dancing to Frankie Avalon's trumpet.  Irwin Allen directed and co-wrote.

The Visit (1964)

The Visit (1964)

Darryl F. Zanuck Productions

31 July 1964

Drama

DVD
C-

I hope they put out the good towels.  Bernhard Wicki directed, the year before Morituri.

The Virgin Spring AKA Jungfrukällan

The Virgin Spring AKA Jungfrukällan

Janus Films

8 February 1960

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

A bunch of unlikable medieval Swedes, in a Bergman movie.

Il vangelo secondo Matteo AKA The Gospel According to St. Matthew

Il vangelo secondo Matteo AKA The Gospel According to St. Matthew

Arco Film etc.

4 September 1964

Historical Drama

DVD

D+

A bit dull, but I liked Mary's soulful eyes.  This is the fourth Pier Paolo Pasolini movie I've rejected, although I've certainly seen worse movies than his.

The Unforgotten (1960)

The Unforgotten (1960)

United Artists

April 6, 1960

Western
DVD
C-

Notable for its casting at least.  (I tagged who I saw in the first quarter hour.)  This is based on Alan Le May's novel and directed by John Huston.

Uccellacci e uccellini

Uccellacci e uccellini AKA The Hawks and the Sparrows

Arco Film etc.

4 May 1966

Dramedy
DVD
C

I watched this to the mid-point because I really did like the part before the fable of the monks.  Pier Paolo Pasolini wrote and directed, between Accatone and Porcile.

The Trouble with Angels

The Trouble with Angels

Columbia

March 30, 1966

Comedy

DVD
C+

I'm not surprised this is based on a book, in fact Jane Trahey's memoir Life with Mother Superior, because it feels like one of those books that could make a great movie, but doesn't.  It also feels like a stageplay, with so much action happening offscreen.  Still, it's probably something I watched as a kid and it passed the time mostly pleasantly this week.  Ida Lupino directed.

The Trial (1962)

The Trial (1962)

Astor Pictures

December 22, 1962

Drama

DVD
D+

As pretentious as you'd expect, with director Orson Welles co-adapting Kafka.

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird

Universal

December 25, 1962

Historical Drama

DVD

B-

I've seen this movie a few times over the years, including I think on the big screen in the past twenty years.  I gave the Harper Lee novel a B eleven years ago (https://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/06/to-kill-mockingbird.html) and I thought I might give the film one as well.  But, while I think the adaptation, by Horton Foote, is still pretty good, I felt less drawn in this time.  It's a combination of how the central tragedy happens mostly offscreen and the way that other characters, including Dill and his aunt, are not as fully developed as they could be.  (They probably were more so in the book, but I don't recall.)  The two main performances, by Oscar-winning Gregory Peck and non-child-actress Mary Badham as his daughter, remain strong and the movie did mostly hold my interest throughout.  This time, even on a TV screen, I was really impressed by the sets.

Robert Mulligan directed.

The Time Machine (1960)

The Time Machine (1960)

MGM/ Galaxy

July 22, 1960

Sci-Fi, Historical Drama, Romance

DVD
C+

While there were things I liked about this, especially the look of it, it is marred by sometimes slow plotting, unnecessary sexism, and the wrong kind of cheesiness.  This is based on the H.G. Wells novel and directed by George Pal.