Thursday, January 10, 2019

Thursday Movie Picks - The Cold

Written as part of the weekly blogathon hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Join in the fun by picking three movies that fit the week's theme and writing a bit about them!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!

Yes, I know I'm a little late on this, but it's been a BUSY start to the year, and this is my first post here in 2019! And appropriately so, since it's freezing outside in NYC today, and this week's theme for Thursday Movie Picks is The Cold. So let's see... what movies did the walk to work this morning remind me of?

Wind River (Taylor Sheridan, 2017) The body of an eighteen year-old girl is found dead on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, miles from any building. FBI special agent Jane Banner is sent to investigate, and she works with expert tracker Cory Lambert, who knows the Native American community, to investigate. The gorgeous cinematography adds to the feeling of chill that permeates this well-wrought mystery and masterful thriller.

The Ice Storm (Ang Lee, 1997) It's Thanksgiving weekend in 1973, and the Connecticut suburb of New Canaan is full of depression and sexual frustration. But an ice storm is coming, and the cracks in everyone's perfect veneers are going to crack and expose what's underneath. The Ice Storm is a difficult film to watch, but it's very well-shot and well-performed. The cast is just incredible: Sigourney Weaver, Joan Allen, Kevin Kline, Allison Janney, Christina Ricci, Tobey Maguire, and Elijah Wood are all great.

Cool Runnings (Jon Turtletaub, 1993) "MAN, I'm not smokin', I'm BREATHIN'!" My sister and I quote this movie, about the first-ever Jamaican Olympic bobsled team, to each other ALL the time. For my money, it's one of the most enjoyable, rewatchable films of the '90s. Yes, it's a bit standard, but it works within cliché and formula very well.

...and since I'm playing catch-up, last week I would have visited Brooklyn (my favorite film of 2016) and bought The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (the greatest movie musical ever made) after Flying Down to Rio (can't resist me some Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers).

13 comments:

  1. Wind River is incredible. Ironic how the most relevant movie of last year was shut out during Award season

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    1. UGH TRUE. The cinematography should have gotten ALL the nominations, at the very least!

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  2. Yay, I picked Wind River too! This is the second time today I've read about The Ice Storm, I think it's going to have to go on my watchlist.

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    1. The Ice Storm is great, but it is a TOUGH watch.

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  3. I liked Wind River much more than I expected to, taut and well acted. It's been so long since I saw Cool Runnings but I do remember thinking it was enjoyable. Ice Storm-great director...phenomenal cast...I hated it so very, very much!!!

    It's bitterly cold here today as well and the wind is cutting so the theme is very apt. Here's my three.

    The Call of the Wild (1935)-Using the Jack London story of a man, his dog and a lot of snow as its loose template this is a rather revised version of Jack Thornton (Clark Gable) his part wolf sled dog Buck, and his partner Shorty Hoolihan (Jack Oakie) as they brave the elements in their quest for fortune, adventure and at least for Thornton romance along the way in the guise of Claire (Loretta Young). Gable and Young had an affair during the making of the film which resulted in a daughter who Young (after vanishing to Europe for a year) passed off as her “adopted” child for the rest of her life.

    Mrs. Mike (1949)-Young Boston born Kathy O'Fallon (Evelyn Keyes) meets Canadian Mountie Mike Flannigan (Dick Powell) while visiting her uncle in Alberta, Canada. Falling for him and marrying quickly they head to his new posting in the Yukon where they face many hardships along with the biting cold as Kathy struggles to adjust. Based on Kathy’s memoirs of life in the Great White North.

    The Thing from Another World (1951)-Scientists at an Arctic research station discover a spacecraft buried in the ice. Upon closer examination, they discover the frozen pilot. All hell breaks loose when they take him back to their station and he is accidentally thawed out!

    I did a theme within the theme last week and took a trip to Shanghai.

    Shanghai Express (1932)- In Peking, China, during a civil war, British Capt. Donald Harvey (Clive Brook) meets his old flame Magdalen (Marlene Dietrich) and learns with dismay that she has become a prostitute known as Shanghai Lily. Both are traveling to Shanghai via train, and while they grow reacquainted, they remain unaware that they are traveling with spy and rebel army leader Henry Chang (Warner Oland). On Chang's orders, his forces attack the train, terrorize the passengers and hold Donald hostage. Full of atmospheric cinematography and amazing costumes with both Dietrich and Anna May Wong extraordinary.

    The Shanghai Gesture (1941)-Weird hothouse drama about gambling house/brothel boss Mother Gin Sling (Ona Munson)-originally Mother Goddamn in the stage play this was based on-who out of spite degrades her British ex-lover's (Walter Huston) daughter (Gene Tierney). Last completed American film of famously difficult and exorbitant director Erich Von Stroheim.

    The Shanghai Story (1954)-When a police raid in search of a Communist spy strands all westerners within a hotel in post-WW2 Shanghai disillusioned American Dr. Dan Maynard (Edmond O'Brien) initially clashes the Tangier-born Rita King (Ruth Roman). But they are drawn together as Rita attempts to use her connection to new police chief, Colonel Zorek (Marvin Miller) to outwit their interrogators and armed guards to help their group flee to safety. Standard adventure is boosted by the strength of the performances of its two lead performers.

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    1. lol I know exactly what you mean about The Ice Storm - it is a film I definitely admire/respect more than I enjoy. it's a VERY difficult sit.

      Of all six of those, the only ones i've heard of (but still haven't seen!) are The Thing From Another World and Shanghai Express. I'm almost shocked that you didn't go with The Lady From Shanghai! Or are you one of those who "couldn't buy Rita Hayworth as a blonde"? I never quite understood that criticism...

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    2. The Lady from Shanghai is a decent film and I considered it (I was astonished how many movies had Shanghai in the title!) but as I usually try to do I selected lesser known movies if there is a choice to shine at least a little light on them. The film has some problems but Welles does try to make it individual.

      As for Rita as a blonde I had no problem with it as I didn't with her as a brunette in her early films. It made sense within the context of the film and she looked attractive with that shade though it didn't really become her the way her signature red did.

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  4. I still have to see Cool Runnings and it has been on my radar for years. We match with Wind River which is the choice for this week. What a shame it was shut out from the Oscars. We also match with The Ice Storm which is a tough one to watch for sure

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    1. Cool Runnings is very heartwarming and lots of fun. Kinda basic, but very enjoyable. LOVE all the mentions of The Ice Storm!

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  5. We match on the first two! I'm glad Wind River is so popular this week. I loved Cool Runnings has a kid.

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  6. Wind River is popular, and it should be. It's an awesome film. I rewatched Cool Runnings a few months back. It's so goofy, but still a really fun time. Haven't seen The Ice Storm. Ang Lee is hit or miss with me. Can't promise I'll watch that one.

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    1. The Ice Storm is a VERY tough watch, but VERY well-done. I recommend it.

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  7. Seen all...I like Ice Storm and Cool Runnings is a fun movie. It used to get aired a lot on TV.

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