It was a very cold night but Paul kept us warm and well supplied with pizza and sweets. As well, we had Zumbo’s macaroons (thanks to Clint and Renny) and home made chocolate cookies (thanks to Sylvia) and snuggled up to discuss two black & white films from the 1950s.
Night of the Hunter
The only film that actor Charles Laughton ever made, the film has a fable-like quality and was a landmark film of its time in its depiction of religion, violence and sex. Many movie clubbers comments on the unique visuals – the murdered widow’s hair and seaweed floating underwater, the barn silhouette and crescent moon, the rabbit and toad sitting in the foreground as the boat floated down the river (though we still couldn’t work out the symbolism of the toad!). Club Moofie also noted that it was probably the first film where the reference to the “LOVE/HATE” tattoo was made. Some of the editing was clunky and it was hard to understand how the townspeople could have been so gullible but was made up by the unique cinematography and memorable storyline.
Scores
Andy 3
Clint 3.5
Paul 3
Renny 2.5
Sylvia 4
Wendy 4
Quotes
Paul: I’ve probably seen a total of two films from the 1950s…. and they were Night of the Hunter and High Noon.
Renny: I think out of the two, I’d remember Night of the Hunter more.
Clint: There was a lot of preaching going on.
Paul: I liked it but I thought it was going to be another Burnsy special.
High Noon
Another landmark film, High Noon, went against the “standard” western formula of its time and depicted an unconventional hero (we weren’t sure the marshall was universally liked by the townspeople). There were unusual characters like Helen Ramirez, who played a strong independent Mexican business woman, and lots of bit parts by Lloyd Bridges, Lee van Cleef and Harry Morgan (the MASH guy). Probably because it depicted a hero who didn’t behave like a typical hero (he begged the town for help), it was branded as “Un-American” at its release. Club Moofie gave a thumbs up for the build up of tension to the noon countdown, though for some, the final showdown looked dated.
PS. In the opinion of this humble reviewer, Gary Cooper was looking very attractive and was well deserving of his Best Actor Oscar 
Scores
Andy 3.5
Clint 3.5
Paul 2.5
Renny 3.5
Sylvia 4.5
Wendy 3
Quotes
Paul: I didn’t get a lot from it.
Sylvia: I thought it was going to be a Clint Eastwood movie.
Paul: I wished it was a Clint Eastwood movie.
On the final shootout
Paul: I don’t know what I was expecting … but it wasn’t that.
Paul: Believability was an issue.
Clint: The ending showdown was lame.
Clint: Grace Kelly’s character was ridiculous.
Wendy: I thought Gary Cooper was really hot!
Renny: I was looking at the train tracks. I thought maybe it wasn’t going to come.
Sylvia: …like waiting for Godot.
On Helen Ramirez:
Wendy: She’d been with Kane before
Andy: …and she’d been with Miller before
Clint: …and she was with Lloyd Bridges.
Paul: She’d been with most of the town.
On High Noon being a favourite movie of American Presidents because it is about a man standing up for principles:
Wendy: I didn’t really identify with that, probably because I don’t have any principles.
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Club Moofie watched a number of other films. Here are the scores.
Water for Elephants
Clint 4
Renny 3.5
Goethe
Clint 4
Renny 4
Transformers 3
Andy 3
Paul 3.5
It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world
Sylvia 3.5
Snowtown
Paul 4
Mrs Carey’s Concert
Wendy 4.5
Downfall
Wendy 4
Super 8
Paul 4
Andy 4
July 18, 2011 at 2:13 pm |
Great write up WJ, Hmm, Gary Cooper hot aye?!