![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
By words that just hang in the air and stories that aren't going anywhere
I cannot say that I am going to town on the free channels of the Roku, because as of late I have been so exhausted that I am watching fewer movies than usual, but I am fascinated by TVTime because it gives me access to a remarkable number of British films which have been otherwise difficult to impossible to find—noirs, musical comedies, the aforementioned quota quickies—so long as I am willing to watch them at a quality that gives pirated media a bad name. It reminds me of the early days of Netflix and YouTube and I keep expecting to discover one evening that it's all been pulled on grounds of massive rights sketchiness, but in the meantime it's enabling me to pursue several avenues of exploration that until now had obliged me to wait on the hazards of Criterion and TCM and once upon a time the local arthouses. I am still out of luck on a couple of particular titles, of course, and I am dead out of luck when it comes to finding a couple of source novels in my local library, which would be less annoying if I could find them on my local internet. I'm not entirely sure what I'm researching and am not asking for suggestions, but I'll report back if it resolves into anything more complicated than comparative literature. If nothing else, I had never thought of John Mills as a noir-identified actor like Eric Portman or James Mason, but I've just seen him in a second example after The October Man (1947) and there's at least a third on my radar. I suppose when you are a national archetype, it's an unavoidable phase.
no subject
The Ware Case (1936) #1 in the category of idk what this is or what it's trying to do but it was a ride and it had Clive Brook in it. What I wrote at the time was I was unsure what to say about The Ware Case (1938), but it turned out someone had already written exactly my review (only with more seriousness and intelligence etc.) here, but especially this bit: Difficult to categorise, and with an uneven balance of comedy and tragedy around its central (and most interesting character), The Ware Case is never dull. Because, yes; despite it not knowing what it wanted to be, the cast was good and I would watch it again while trying to figure out what they actually wanted to do with it, and enjoy it all over again. It's about... well, until I figure out what they were doing with it, other than a left-over PG Wodehouse character who won't pay his bills, may be an egotistical bastard and a murderer or possibly just an egotistical bastard who finally does something noble (ish). I DON'T KNOW. (suicide warning if you need one).
(Also in this category The Dictator (1935) and Lonely Road (1936) (although with Lonely Road you need to be prepared - as I was Not - for the fact that after being perfectly fine, some random doctor character pops up at the end and spoils the whole thing with a sexist joke as a last line. *shakes fist at unnecessary bad last lines* If a person knew it was coming and it's not as if it's even Clive Brook's character, they might then think more kindly of the film.) The Dictator is more out there (it's all fun and games till someone loses their head, absolutely) and LOnely Road is nice for having Victoria Hopper & Clive Brook in a mystery plot, but like I said, ending goes a bit wtf even apart from the last line.
Lease of Life (1954) - you might have already seen this one?? It has Denholm Elliott in and is somehow in colour. A vicar (Robert Donat) is given only a short time to live and has to work out what to do with that & life & his faith. It's v low-key but suited me at the time I watched it. I liked the location filming in Beverley, which was v unusual to see.
The Beloved Vagabond (1936) - this is a entirely questionable thing about Maurice Chevalier kidnapping a child and wandering about France with him and then they pick up a wee Margaret Lockwood and it's v dodgy and also very happy-making and wee Margaret Lockwood is completely adorable. (#1 in the category of "It was terrible. I loved it.")
(& now I need to go. I will come back with the other category of "random films I have watched for people I liked." Which are not all things I would anti-rec! XD)
no subject
I believe you have mentioned it to me before, but now as then, sold. I will watch Clive Brook in pretty much anything. It hasn't completely let me down yet.
and Lonely Road (1936) (although with Lonely Road you need to be prepared - as I was Not - for the fact that after being perfectly fine, some random doctor character pops up at the end and spoils the whole thing with a sexist joke as a last line.
The otherwise delightful Going Highbrow (1935) has one of those and it was so obnoxious that I see I mentioned it in my post. People should definitely be warned in these cases.
Lease of Life (1954) - you might have already seen this one??
I have been trying to see this one for years for the obvious reasons of Robert Donat and Denholm Elliott and it has firmly refused to turn up anywhere I have access to! I may resort to actual piracy one of these days. Didn't know it was in color, though.
(#1 in the category of "It was terrible. I loved it.")
I respect that category.
no subject
I have come to the same conclusion, basically. I haven't actively followed him about yet, but when deciding if I want to record this old film/which next vol of Rarities to get, Clive Brook will sway me in that direction. The Ware Case is, I think, an exceptional example of Clive Brook's watchability! I don't think it would have had the weirdly addictive quality it had without him. (It was like three different genres stapled together and he just went at each with a running leap. Uh. If you ever see it, I apologise for the unintentional pun.)
for the obvious reasons of Robert Donat and Denholm Elliott and it has firmly refused to turn up anywhere I have access to! I may resort to actual piracy one of these days. Didn't know it was in color, though.
It is! I watched it halfway through my second Rarities Vol in a row and was stunned: colour??? What is this? I'm not sure I approve... lol Slightly faded colour, but that suits it. It feels like a slightly faded film, ideal for the right moment and not of note at other times.
(#1 in the category of "It was terrible. I loved it.")
I respect that category.
*nods* There are times when it is the best category. And Margaret Lockwood is v cute indeed in it: proof in gifs here