Our contributor Renard N. Bansale has completed 10 more contemporary film reviews for your consideration. The rating system he'll use is devised primarily to give those who are trying to decide which films to see, a fun and easy way of (hopefully) choosing a more pleasurable movie-going experience. For a further introduction to this series please see 21st Century Treasure Quest #1. (A.G.)
Read MoreExploring The Artefacts is a series in which I examine some unique and significant components, or by-products, of cinema storytelling that are often under-appreciated.
Read MoreIn this series, I'd like to present some exceptional scenes inspired by cinema's most gifted artists of yesteryear.
Guys and Dolls (1955)
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Scene: "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat"
Stubby Kaye as Nicely-Nicely Johnson sings this showstopping song fabulously, perhaps as a result of perfecting the role and number on Broadway during the show's 1200 performances. Guys and Dolls won the 1951 Tony Award for the Best Musical. With such lively and exuberant characters and songs like the one seen here, it's easy to see why.
Guys and Dolls is available on Blu-ray here:
It is also available for U.S. download here:
Just some thoughts on current happenings:
Read MoreOur contributor Renard N. Bansale has completed another batch of more contemporary film reviews for your consideration. The rating system he'll use is devised primarily to give those who are trying to decide which films to see, a fun and easy way of (hopefully) choosing a more pleasurable movie-going experience. For a further introduction to this series please see 21st Century Treasure Quest #1. (A.G.)
Read MoreThese are some of Cinema's sad departures of 2016 taken from my personal notes soon after the events took place:
Read MoreI'll continue with some of cinema's most treasured images. For those familiar with the scenes represented they're bound to invoke a strong emotional response. The narratives' indelible moments are the primary reason these captures were selected.
Read MoreJust some thoughts on current happenings:
Read MoreThe reviews in this series are meant for those who have already seen the films in question.
Try and Get Me! a.k.a. The Sound of Fury
U.S.A. / Robert Stillman Productions / 1950 / B+W / 85 minutes / Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Read MoreTop 10: Best Movie Trailers
These previews entice viewers of the feature-length wealth to come.
The choices are by Mr. X.
Read MoreTREASURE TRIVIA #6: (Answers)
Read MoreJust some thoughts on current happenings:
Read MoreTreasure Trivia:
The Cinema Cafe has a chat room on Facebook that readers are welcome to join here. On Mondays, we have a movie trivia game called "Match-up Mondays" where the object is to name the common denominator between all of the captures provided and also identify each of the films pictured.
My most recent post seems to have stumped even our most knowledgeable and regular members as to the common denominator, so I thought I would post it here and offer a prize to the first person who can identify (in the comments section below) what the following film characters share in common.
There are 6 characters, all of whom have been identified correctly by various chat room members and confirmed on the "Match-up Monday" post. One may use whatever resources are available to answer correctly and guess as often as possible. The prize selected is one I believe most film buffs don't already have but should: A new and sealed Region A Blu-Ray of Hidden Gem #17: The Matrimony a.k.a. Xin zhong you gui (2007, China) which will be internationally airmailed to the winner.
Here are the 6 previously identified film characters (Good luck!):
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6.
6 DEGREES OF TREASURE TRIVIA #5: (Answers)
Read MoreAdrienne Corri (November 13, 1931 - March 13, 2016) the talented Scottish actress has died at age 84.
Guest contributor Bob DiMucci has provided this tribute to many of her motion picture accomplishments:
The Films of Adrienne Corri
Read MoreOur new contributor, Renard N. Bansale has completed another small batch of more contemporary film reviews for your consideration. The rating system he'll use is devised primarily to give those who are trying to decide which films to see, a fun and easy way of (hopefully) choosing a more pleasurable movie-going experience. For a further introduction to this series please see 21st Century Treasure Quest #1. (A.G.)
Read MoreJust some thoughts on current happenings:
Read MoreThese are some of Cinema's sad departures of 2016 taken from my personal notes soon after the events took place:
Read MoreIn this series I'd like to present some exceptional scenes inspired by cinema's most gifted artists of yesteryear.
Ikiru (1952)
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Scene: "The Finale"
# Note: My approach to describing the following scene will be different than the preceding entries in this series. The dramatic effect of Ikiru's final moments is not as self contained as its predecessors and is cumulative in nature, relying on the narrative strength of what has come beforehand. I would therefore request that these moments be respectfully observed by those who have seen the entire film. Otherwise it would be like reading only the last pages of a literary masterpiece. Please pardon my reverential attitude here but I consider this film to be cinema's finest, most spiritually profound work of art.
This final scene concerns one of the office workers. After expressing silent outrage at his bureaucratic colleagues returning to their former ineffectiveness, he's stared down by his superior and reluctantly retreats behind a mountain of paperwork. At the end of the day he looks down from an overpass at some children joyfully using the playground his deceased former colleague Watanabe, with great effort and perseverance, created. (Previously celebrating his glorious accomplishment Watanabe sat on the playground's swing in the night's freezing cold singing a poignant song). Two children abandon the swing, the seats of which are left empty; the shot is held there as they gently sway back and forth. The song's tune is heard on the soundtrack. Is this meant as a symbolic invitation for us to fill the empty spaces and become "creators" ourselves? The figure stares down at the park before finally walking off. As he walks across the bridge from above, notice how the filmmakers ingeniously capture him, if only for a few seconds, in a pyramid shape of the swing structure the chains of which can still be seen swaying. And as he walks out of this framing device and then leaves the scene completely, is he representative of time that passes regardless of how we choose to live our lives suggesting the fleeting nature of man’s opportunity to give unto others? Watanabe is gone but his creation, his spiritual inspiration, endures. Its meaning, however, and perhaps more importantly what will be done about it, is left up to us.
Ikiru is available on Blu-ray (North America Region A locked) here:
It is also available for U.S. download here:
These are some of Cinema's sad departures of 2016 taken from my personal notes soon after the events took place:
Read More
