Hidden Gems #3

Hidden Gem #30: Boy a.k.a. Shonen (1969, Japan)

Director: Nagisa Oshima

Based on a shocking, true story about parents who travel the country coercing their 10 year old to fake traffic accidents so that his mother-in-law can extort money from the unsuspecting motorists; this gem derives considerable emotional impact from the way our title character seeks refuge from his harsh reality by retreating into a fantasy world of space aliens whom he imagines (oddly enough) care for and look after one another. (More here).

Hidden Gem #29: Wanda (1970, U.S.A.)

Director: Barbara Loden

Like The Night of the Hunter and One Eyed Jacks, this highly accomplished directorial "one off" by an acting talent concerns a mentally challenged drifter (played by the director) who finds a brief emotional connection to a criminal who callously uses her to assist him in a highly dangerous bank robbery. (More here).

Hidden Gem #28: Goodnight My Love (1972, U.S.A.)

Director: Peter Hyams

Richard Boone and Michael Dunn play down to their last dime private detective partners, the former a big, brutish soft-spoken guy, the latter a sharp witted dwarf in 1940's Los Angeles where film noir meets an even darker sense of humour in this highly atmospheric, engrossing and exceptionally well made for TV little gem.

Hidden Gem #27: The Aviator's Wife a.k.a. La femme de l'aviateur (1981, France)

Director: Eric Rohmer

While spying on his stand-offish girlfriend a young male student gets temporarily distracted by an even younger but more mature and socially aware female student in this spontaneous and enlightened offering from a masterful creator of subtly engaging manners. 

Hidden Gem #26: El a.k.a. This Strange Passion (1953, Mexico)

Director: Luis Bunuel

Full of inspired and highly creative situations as a wealthy man's increasingly jealous determination to posses his new wife turns to madness in one of the great director's lesser known masterpieces that looks forward to the theme of "romantic" obsession in Vertigo from Alfred Hitchcock. 

Hidden Gem #25: The Lacemaker a.k.a. La dentellière (1977, France/Switzerland/West Germany)

Director: Claude Goretta

A compelling romance develops between a very reserved but caring young woman and a middle-class intellectual, then tragically unravels when his overly-taxed mind simply cannot reconcile with her simple and beautiful heart.

Hidden Gem #24: Try and Get Me! a.k.a. The Sound of Fury (1950, U.S.A.)

Director: Cy Endfield

Brace yourself for a devastatingly confrontational first, second and final act knock-out culminating in this: the most horrifyingly honest and realistic depiction of the American dream transformed into an American nightmare the screen has ever produced and it's based on a true story. (See: Inspecting a Hidden Gem).

Hidden Gem #23: A Dirty Carnival a.k.a. Biyeolhan geori (2006, South Korea)

Director: Ha Yoo

A riveting gangster film that wisely focuses on its central character's quest to rise in his gang's hierarchy while improving his personal relationship with those closest to him which includes a fascinating "conflict of interest" sub-plot whereby our protagonist tries to help an aspiring film maker make his gangster film more realistic.

(Out of 5 Treasure Chests)

Hidden Gem #22: It All Starts Today a.k.a. Ça commence aujourd'hui (1999, France)

Director: Bertrand Tavernier

A kindergarten teacher in a poor coal-mining region of Northern France struggles valiantly to improve not only his community's welfare but his private life as well in this passionate and ultimately uplifting social drama which is due primarily to the children's heart warming resiliency brilliantly captured by one of France's most notable cinematic storytellers. 

Hidden Gem #21: Across the Bridge (1957, U.K.)

Director: Ken Annakin

A terrific premise sets up this suspenseful "man on the run" thriller whereby our protagonist must change identities with a stranger on board a train in order to evade capture once arriving in Mexico... a plan that's complicated by a most ingenious story twist which also produces a profound character change during his already intriguing journey.  

A.G. 

Hidden Gems #4 is here.

Sterling Silver Dialogue #2

Sterling Silver Dialogue From The Movies: 

Do you know where they're from?

"Twelve grand would have swung it (buying his horse farm back) and I almost made it once. I had more than five thousand dollars in my pocket. Pampoon was runnin' in the Suburban. I figured he couldn't lose... I put it all on his nose. He lost by a nose."

"One way or another, we all work for a vice." 

"What's in it for me?"

"What are ya sweatin' for?" (reply) "Money makes me sweat that's all... it's the way I am."

"After all, crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor."

"Haven't you bothered me enough you big banana head?" 

(hypnotically) "Now you will hear a voice say Now Listen To Me. You will always obey this voice. Now listen to me. Listen to me..." 

"I feel for ya... but I'm consumed with apathy." 

(when offered a free prostitute) "I don't sleep with whores... at least not knowingly."

"Is it true you're getting a divorce as soon as your husband recovers his eyesight? Is it true you wash your hair in clam broth? Is it true you used to dance in a flea circus?"

"How many times do I have to tell ya how much you love me?"

"Old age. It's the only disease, Mr. Thompson, that you don't look forward to being cured of." 

"The bottom is loaded with nice people, Albert. Only cream and bastards rise."

Answers to Sterling Silver Dialogue #2 are here.

Six Degrees of Treasure Trivia: Quiz #2

6 DEGREES OF TREASURE TRIVIA:  

Further hints to question #1 will be provided in the others (#2-#6).  Feel free to send your answers to arthur@thecinemacafe.com.  

#1. Two cops cynically banter throughout this film noir gem:  

"That's your seventh cup of coffee... you'll be awake for a year."  

(Sniffing a used glass of alcohol at a suspect's abandoned residence): "Aged in the glass Bourbon."

(Admiring a photo of a deceased crook's widow who works as a stripper): "Imagine a dish like this married to a mug like Benny McBride... The Naked and the Dead."            

Can you name the film?

#2. In the beginning of Film #1, a cop (the film's star) witnesses his partner being shot and killed. At the start of another film by the same director and with the same star, a similar situation occurs.         

Can you name the second film?  

#3. The target subject of Film #1 is also a primary feature used in heists carried out in these highly regarded crime movies from the following years:

1949, 1952, 1995, 2010.  

How many can you name? 

#4. At the end of Film #1 the character Dave Purvis meets his demise at an airport. The object he's carrying incurs the same results (at the same type of location) as that of another movie's fictional character: Johnny Clay. 

Can you name the "Johnny Clay" film? 

#5. Anthony Mann directed Film #1's star in a 1947 film about counterfeiters. Later in their careers Mann directed the opening scenes for a film this same actor appears in, Mann was subsequently fired from.  

 Can you name both movies? 

 #6. The actor who plays Dave Purvis in Film #1 is picked up by a couple of guys on a hunting trip in this 1953 film directed by an actress. 

Can you name the film and its Director? 

Hidden Gems #2

Hidden Gem #20: The Pearl a.k.a. La perla (1947, Mexico)

Director: Emilio Fernandez

Before he became "Mapache" (See: Opening Up A Treasure The Wild Bunch) this rather neglected, under appreciated director created this beautiful cinematic gem, truly inspired from the John Steinbeck novella whereby the famous novelist himself assisted in writing the screenplay. 

Hidden Gem #19: Devil's Doorway (1950, U.S.A.)

Director: Anthony Mann

Credit goes to producer Nicholas Nayfack for giving us this courageous, under appreciated masterpiece (its director's first and finest western which is saying a lot) telling a very personal tragedy that exposes the hard truth about America's past treatment of its native inhabitants. (See: Inspecting a Hidden Gem).

Hidden Gem #18: Titicut Follies (1967, U.S.A.)

Director: Frederick Wiseman

This gripping and shocking documentary that takes place inside a Massachusetts Correctional Institution for the criminally insane benefits most from its director's unique approach of quietly filming for endless hours so that his subjects practically forget he's there. 

Hidden Gem #17: The Matrimony a.k.a. Xin zhong you gui (2007, China)

Director: Hua-Tao Teng

A tragedy of lost love is creatively interwoven throughout this suspenseful and chilling ghost story. 

(Out of 5 Treasure Chests)

Hidden Gem #16: Orders to Kill (1958, U.K.)

Director: Anthony Asquith

"To kill or not to kill" is the question for this protagonist since he not only doubts the guilt of a so called traitor to the French Resistance during WW2, he becomes rather fond of the guy he's ordered to eliminate in this underrated British gem deserving of its praise from noted film historian Peter Cowie. 

Hidden Gem #15: Mado (1976, France)

Director: Claude Sautet

This wonderful cinematic storyteller becomes so deeply absorbed in his characters he allows those with vision to do the same.  

Hidden Gem #14: The Seedling a.k.a. Ankur (1974, India)

Director: Shyam Benegal

This director's award winning first feature based on a true story resonates with emotion as it provides deep insight into India's troubled caste system.  

Hidden Gem #13: Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion a.k.a. Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto (1970, Italy)

Director: Elio Petri

This fascinating, ultra magnetic portrait of a power crazy (and just plain crazy) murderer who also happens to be a police chief is made absorptive due to its distinctive visual style perfectly matched with a lively and infectious Ennio Morricone score. (See: Treasured Appearances).

Hidden Gem #12: Malcolm (1986, Australia)

Director: Nadia Tass

Leave it to the Aussies (in this case Nadia Tass working with writer David Parker) to turn a crime film into such a quirky, inventively hilarious and ultimately endearing little gem.  

Hidden Gem #11: Forever Mary a.k.a Mery per sempre (1989, Italy)

Director: Marco Risi

A teacher gets deeply involved with his reform school students, and so do we.

A.G.

Hidden Gems #3 is here.

Sterling Silver Dialogue #1

Sterling Silver Dialogue From The Movies: 

Do you know where they're from? 

(In amazement) "Silver Rings." (In reply) "Silver rings your butt... THEM'S WASHERS!"  

"We've got to start looking beyond our guns... those days are closing fast." 

"We all dream of being a child again... even the worst of us. Perhaps the worst most of all." 

"Pleeeease... cut the fuse... Pleease." 

"Pull The String!" 

"DO IT... SLICK."  

"Go Ahead... Make My Day."

"When you have to shoot... shoot. Don't talk."  

"Whatever you decide, don't do it out of guilt." 

"Well... what's it gonna be Mr. Pink?" 

"Are you gonna bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?" 

Answers to Sterling Silver Dialogue #1 are here.

Hidden Gems #1

Hidden Gem #10: They Won't Believe Me (1947, U.S.A.)

Director: Irving Pichel

This guy's a revelation: A real fish in a noir desert. (See: Inspecting a Hidden Gem).

Hidden Gem #9: Amor Bandido a.k.a. Beloved Lover (1978, Brazil)

 Director: Bruno Barreto

The streets are meaner than Scorsese's in this revved up melodrama where Romeo and Juliet meets A Short Film About Killing. (See: Inspecting a Hidden Gem).

Hidden Gem #8: Hunter in the Dark a.k.a. Yami no Karyudo (1979, Japan)

Director: Hideo Gosha

A one-eyed assassin with amnesia slices his way back to a haunted past in this exhilarating samurai gem.

Hidden Gem #7: The Fifth Seal a.k.a. Az ötödik pecsét (1976, Hungary)

 Director: Zoltan Fabri

This devastating masterpiece begins like a Eugene O'Neill play, with some guys in a bar philosophising about torture, the relevancy of which hits us like a sledgehammer when later they are captured and tortured by the Nazis.

Hidden Gem #6: Hotel Pacific a.k.a Zaklete rewiry (1975, Poland/Czechoslovakia)

Director: Janusz Majewski

A diverse group of loveable characters converge at the Hotel Pacific's restaurant in this funny yet poignant little cinematic gem.

Hidden Gem #5: Police Python 357 (1976, France)

 Director: Alain Corneau

A twist on the intriguing The Big Clock premise sets up a French "Dirty Harry" in this absorbing neo-noir thriller. (More here).

Hidden Gem #4: Mädchen in Uniform (1931, Germany)

Director: Leontine Sagan

Beautifully enacted and sensitive portrayal of a shy young girl sent to an all girls boarding school who becomes desperately enamored with one of her female teachers.

Hidden Gem #3: The Ascent a.k.a. Voskhoz hdeniye (1977, Soviet Union)

Director: Larisa Shepitko

A couple of Soviet soldiers fight for survival in this harrowing, religiously symbolic WW2 masterstroke full of indelible imagery. (More here).

Hidden Gem #2: Deep End (1970, UK/West Germany)

Director: Jerzy Skolimowski

A handsome young lad learns about obsessive and unrequited love the hard way in this unique and compelling retro coming of age gem.

Hidden Gem #1: The Swimmer (1968, U.S.A.)

Director: Frank Perry

 "You loved it!"... Well you better love it since this dreamer's captivating, one of a kind and ultimately tragic journey home via his friends’ suburban pools is my favourite film of all time. (See: Inspecting a Hidden Gem).

A.G. 

Hidden Gems #2 is here.

Six Degrees of Treasure Trivia: Quiz #1

6 DEGREES OF TREASURE TRIVIA:  Further hints to question #1 will be provided in the others (#2-#6). Feel free to send your answers to arthur@thecinemacafe.com.

1.  Both of the following memorable quotes are from the same film.  Can you guess the title?

“The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long and you’ve burned so very, very brightly Roy.”

“All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain.”

2.  There is a scene in the above film in which, during his investigation, our central character dons a false nerd-like identity and asks some largely irrelevant questions to a female suspect.

A similarly described scene occurs in a famous film noir of 1946. Can you name the film?

3.  The film referred to in question #1 was first released theatrically with a voice-over narration. Some time later there was a subsequent version shown without it. In addition, its original ending was shortened.

Can you name the famous science fiction film from 1956 which underwent the same experience? 

4. One of the actors appearing in the film referenced in question #1, plays a game of chess. When he was much younger, this same actor appeared in a classic film noir directed by a chess aficionado which also happens to contain a scene in which chess is played.  

Can you name the actor and the earlier film in which he appeared?

5. There is a climactic scene in film #1 that takes place in an iconic building. This famous building was used over 20 years earlier for an intense showdown toward the end of a noteworthy film.  

Can you name the building, its location (referenced in both films) and the earlier film's title?  

6.  In its original theatrical release version, Film #1's happy ending utilised outtake footage from the very start of a 1980 horror film. The actor referenced in question #4 also makes a memorable appearance in this 1980 film directed by film #4's director.

Can you name this 1980 film and the occupation the actor plays?  And finally for the real diehards out there, provide the first name of the character he plays.