Sunday, November 23, 2008

My 2008 Movie Odyssey - Part XII

Dishonored Lady (1947)
I bought a pack of 100 movies from Best Buy, and this is one of them. It is interesting to see some of the more run-of-the-mill films from early Hollywood, especially since most of the movies I’ve seen from before 1970 are either classics, or Mystery Science Theater 3000 fodder. The film was OK, and was my first exposure to Hedy Lamarr.

Tin Man (2007)
OK, so this isn't actually a movie, but I figure miniseries count as really long movies, so I'm including it. The ads that were splattered all over imdb sparked my interest, though I was expecting a darker, more twisted tale. What I did get was a highly enjoyable re-imagining of the story of The Wizard of Oz, with a slightly more science fiction take on the source material. All the performers were enjoyable in their roles, and while the CGI was less-than-stellar, the production design was dripping in imagination. While the ending was a little too convenient, it was overall a very fun ride and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a unique take on such iconic material.

Woman of the Year (1942)
This is my favorite pairing of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Here they enter into a marriage with vastly different sets of expectations towards what marriage entails. In an interesting bit of role-reversal, Tracy understands the enormity of commitment that marriage entails while Hepburn finds it little more than a change in roommates. It all leads up to a very funny conclusion featuring some wonderful physical comedy from Hepburn and almost no dialog.

The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
Douglas Fairbanks' physical prowess combined with imaginative visual effects and gorgeous set design make this a feast for the eyes.

Cronos (1993)
Guillermo del Toro takes on vampire mythology in a visually arresting story that is largely forgettable.

Coming next: four films with varying degrees of surreal events and one really long movie.

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