The Big Screen

bendk

bendk

Grimscribe
Late last month I had planned to go to our main library downtown to their theater and watch the film A Night to Remember (1958) about the sinking of the Titanic. I remember seeing this as a kid and thought it would be an ideal film to see on the big screen. Some of the shots at the end were quite memorable. Well, that didn't happen. I ended up spending some time in the hospital instead. But I did get some morphine and a surreal ambulance ride on the expressway in the middle of the night, so it wasn't a total loss. Plus, I got to bs with the guys on squad. I was an EMT for a while in my early twenties. By psychological necessity, you tend to develop an unusual sense of humor in that job, so we had a good time yucking it up. When I was in the hospital, hopped up on dope, it got me to thinking of what films I would like to see on the big screen. Also, what notable movies I have seen at the theater. And a few other related viewing experiences.

The movie I have seen the most on the big screen is Taxi Driver. I was too young to see it on its initial release, but it is such a fan favorite that it plays at art house theaters from time to time. I loved this movie in my 20s when I drank. I used to watch it often on video tape after work. When it came to a theater, I would smuggle some beer in and drink. It was a good time. I had one weird episode when I went with my girlfriend to the Canton Palace Theater. The theater is near some mental hospital and they would let the patients out at night. That night they wandered into the theater and started acting crazy. I wasn't worried though, because my girlfriend was a Canton Police officer and she always carried off duty. So, I just kicked back and enjoyed it as part of the show. I've seen the film probably half a dozen times at the theater. The sad thing is, I don't even watch the movie anymore. It is too linked to my drinking days. I had a list of movies that I used to watch, drink, and smoke to after work. Now that I'm sober, I'm no longer interested in seeing them. A few others would be Apocalypse Now, Drugstore Cowboy, and A Clockwork Orange.

There is only one movie that I've seen four times on its initial release. That would be Ex Machina. I have always been fascinated by AI and I was entranced by that movie. And no doubt by Alicia Vikander's portrayal of Ava. Loneliness may have also played a part in that too as I had drifted apart from my girlfriend.

I saw Goodfellas and Zack Snyder's Watchmen three times.

I saw Fargo and Trainspotting twice.

That might be it. I rarely go to see a movie more than once.


Some notable movies that left an impression when I saw them at the theater as a kid or teenager:

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Captain Nemo was my hero. Still is.)
Jaws (It was the first Summer blockbuster that I remember. We waited in line for more than an hour. That had never happened before.)
Star Wars
Alien
Close Encounters of the Third Kind


Some other big screen-related anecdotes:

My great aunt, my grandmother's sister on my mother's side of the family, used to play the piano for the silent films in the 1920s. We would go over her house when I was very young and she would play the piano for us.

As a youngster I went to the East Drive-In Theater a few times. I saw a couple of Bruce Lee movies on a double bill, and Urban Cowboy the other time. The drive-in was fun because you could get up and walk around. They had a great concession stand that served burgers and fries as well as candy.



My parents took the family downtown to the Akron Civic Theater twice when we were kids. Once for The Sound of Music (didn't care for it) and The Sting. (loved it). It is still in operation. It hosts movies, plays, concerts etc. It is a large venue. The ceiling is painted dark blue and they somehow have a lighting effect that shows the stars and small clouds rolling by.



What are some movies that you would like to see on the Big Screen?

A few I can think of would be:

King Kong (1933)
The Wizard of OZ
Godzilla
The Wicker Man
The Creature from the Black Lagoon
Curse of the Demon
And some of those old stop-motion Ray Harryhausen films.

(Too many to name, really, so I'll leave it at that.)
 
Last edited:


I saw three movies at the theater recently:

Barbie. I got all caught up in the Barbenheimer phenomena. It was a decent movie. The sets were fun to look at, and Ryan Gosling has some funny lines. Unfortunately, it went anti-patriarchal for a few minutes. (that seemed like forever). It drained some fun out of it.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter. I like the idea of focusing the story on the passage from Transylvania to England. Beginning with the wrecked ship, abandoned, save that of the captain lashed to the wheel. They then proceed to read the Captain's log. The Nosferatu design was very good. The one slight drawback was, again, the movie suffered from inserting unnecessary woke dialogue. It was brief but irksome.

I saw Howl's Moving Castle in our main library's theater. That was entertaining. I don't think that I've seen manga on the big screen before. I was surprised by the big names of the voice actors for the English version: Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Jean Simmons, Billy Crystal, Blythe Danner, and Emily Mortimer to name a few.

I read that Coraline's recent theatrical re-release made $5 million in two days. Fathom Events has added future dates. Unfortunately, the closest one to me is in Cleveland, which is too far. I did see it at the theater when it initially came out. I really liked it. It shares similar themes to Ligotti's work. I used to bid on the Subterranean Press edition on eBay years ago, but the bidding got too expensive for me.


 
I saw two movies at the theater recently: The Nun II. It was decent. But when I go out to the movies, I usually buy a small popcorn and a small Coke or Pepsi. I dropped close to $25. I have to be more discriminating.

I also watched Spirited Away at our main library. It was a good movie and was free. (I did smuggle in a box of Raisinets).


A24 is bringing its best horror list back to the big screen in time for Halloween

MSN
 
z092322zview_returndrx.png



My main library is showing some very good movies this month at their theater.
I definitely want to see "The Return of Dr. X"
Not a great movie, but Bogart plays a wonderful creepy villain.


Saturday, September 30, 2:30 pm: "Drag Me to Hell" (2009)
When bank loan manager Christine (Alison Lohman) crosses paths with an old woman (Lorna Raver) who is getting foreclosed, there is hell to pay … literally. Director Sam Raimi delivers shocks galore, as Christine finds herself on the losing end of a curse, PG-13, 99 min.

October 5, 6:30 pm: "The Petrified Forest" (1936)
Bogart’s first big film role as a gangster who invades a desert diner and holds its inhabitants hostage. With Leslie Howard and Bette Davis, 82 min.

October 12, 6:30 pm: "In a Lonely Place" (1950)
Adapted from the novel by Dorothy B. Hughes, Bogart plays a screenwriter suspected of murder who befriends Gloria Grahame. Moody and evocative, this is film noir at its best. Directed by Nicholas Ray, with Frank Lovejoy and Jeff Donnell, 94 min.

October 19, 6:30 pm: "They Drive By Night" (1940)
Bogart teams up with George Raft as brothers struggling to make a living as truck drivers. Complications ensue as they fight toward independence, and encounter romance and violence. Directed by Raoul Walsh, with Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, and Alan Hale, 95 min.

October 26, 6:30 pm: "The Return of Doctor X" (1939)
For Halloween, Bogart’s rare foray into the horror genre, as the mysterious blood expert who may be tied to series of murders. Vincent Sherman’s directorial debut, with Rosemary Lane, Wayne Morris, and Dennis Morgan, 62 min.

October 29, 2:00 PM: "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" (1988)
Our resident horror film expert, Zach Butcher, selected this crazy tale of aliens terrorizing a small town. And, of course they look like clowns! With Grant Cramer and John Vernon, PG-13, 88 min.
 
bendk said:
October 29, 2:00 PM: "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" (1988)
Our resident horror film expert, Zach Butcher, selected this crazy tale of aliens terrorizing a small town. And, of course they look like clowns! With Grant Cramer and John Vernon, PG-13, 88 min.
Click to expand...

A fun movie, now also a video game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpt9u33z0dg
 
I just got home from watching Killer Klowns From Outer Space on the big screen at the library. It was a good time. The movie was funnier than I remembered. It was sponsored by a group called "The Horror Hounds". They passed out buttons prior to the film. I, of course, snagged one.



This past month I also watched all of the Bogart films. Well, except one. They goofed and played Doctor X (1932) with Lionel Atwell and Fay Wray instead of The Return of Doctor X (1939) with Humphrey Bogart and Rosemary Lane. I was a little disappointed, but I would have gone to see it anyway.

I also went to the theater and saw The Creator. It was a good movie.

I haven't been to the theater this many times in one month in years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzcscF3p7JU
 
Last edited:
bendk said:
October 12, 6:30 pm: "In a Lonely Place" (1950)
Adapted from the novel by Dorothy B. Hughes, Bogart plays a screenwriter suspected of murder who befriends Gloria Grahame. Moody and evocative, this is film noir at its best. Directed by Nicholas Ray, with Frank Lovejoy and Jeff Donnell, 94 min.
Click to expand...

This is a great film. I can't remember the last time I watched it, but I remember thinking, what a triumph of a film meant for actual adult human beings! I also remember thinking that the cultural atmosphere, indeed the entire world necessary to create such a film has gone extinct.

It helps if you are torn between romantic notions and nihilistic tendencies.

Bogie is cutting up a grapefruit, Gloria Grahame is leaning against the door at the kitchen entrance.

Look at us, Bogie says, anyone could take a look and immediately tell we are in love.

I feel an urgent need to rewatch it now.
 
I've seen four films at the theater this past month.

Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Saltburn
Anatomy of a Fall

I enjoyed all of the films. I would rate them at 7/10, except for Flower Moon which I would give and 8/10. I saw the first three at Regal Cinemas. I had to go to a small arthouse theater for Anatomy of a Fall. This won the 2023 Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The theater is The Nightlight in downtown Akron. They show good films, but the theater is too small. I haven't been down there for years. The last time I went was for The Babadook.

Napoleon. Having read a few biographies of Napoleon in my 20s, I was looking for key scenes in the movie. They covered all of them except two. The attempted coup, and the dog on the battlefield. They could have also touched on his attitude of promoting officers for their accomplishments and not for their political connections or bloodlines.

Flower Moon was as violent as any of Scorsese's past films. Not as much levity though. I would say this is probably my favorite film of the year thus far. But Cillian Murphy will probably will win the Best Actor Oscar for Oppenheimer, and deservedly so.

Saltburn was pretty decadent. A love or hate film, it seems. The story has been told before: an ambitious and intellectually gifted individual from the common folk being invited into the world of wealth and privilege. Keep an eye on Barry Keoghan. He is a fine actor, and equally important, picks good projects.

Anatomy of a Fall was a slow burn with a lot of dialogue. I don't think this would make much money in the U.S. in wide release. The feelings expressed seem intricate and not likely to translate well or tolerated for such length.
 
I miss the old movie theaters, with cushioned velvet seats. The 1970s was my favorite decade. It was a social thing. The prudent mingling in the vestibule, and simmering expectations. And when the film began, people hushed each other, and everyone respected it and became completely focused on the film.

Big cans of popcorn, rustling candy wrappers, X-large Coca-Cola, plastic seats and slippery floors, is not really my cup of tea. I know that many like it, and see it as the full immersive experience of going to the movies. Not for me.
I have not experienced activated cell phones in the theater, only heard about that nuisance.

Last time I went to a theater was in early 2000s, to see The Fellowship of the Ring. It was one of the classic old theaters, torn down a few years later. I had not been to the movies for some years (the 90s being a drab movie decade), and it was now a different experience; a new society, more individualistic, less of social respect and connection, noisier. The theater was nearly full. I had booked early to get the best seats. A guy sat down next to me, and was really enjoying his can of popcorn. He ate one at a time, holding it outstretched demonstratively before him, his hand going in a big arch to his gaping mouth, back into the can, and round and round in a repeated loop. He ruined my cinema experience. I became so upset I had to rise from my sidekick and look for another seat. The only single one available was behind a big tall body. I promised myself then - this was the last time. That romantic era was over.

I gather art house cinema is still acceptable, and paying membership film clubs. As a teen I used to see Harryhausen and other classics at a junior film club. That was great.
 
Phantom_of_the_Paradise_movie_poster.jpg



I've seen two movies on the big screen this month:

Godzilla Minus One (at a Regal Cinema)
The Phantom of the Paradise (1974) (at the Main Library Theater)

I enjoyed both movies. I would have tweaked the end of Godzilla, but it was a fun monster movie. I'm surprised The Phantom had eluded me for so long. I have been aware of it, but never took the time to see it. A strange but entertaining movie. I can see why it is considered a cult film.

When I went to see Phantom at the library, a guy was handing out information about library services. He also informed the audience that the person in charge of the theater was getting another job, but that the movies would continue. When he was leaving, I asked him how movies are selected. He said the person in charge usually does it. Then he asked, "Do you have any suggestions?" I said, "I would love to see Curse of the Demon." He wrote it down and said he would see what he could do. Check out the list of movies this month! Am I spoiled or what? I am going to try to see all of them. (I just have to stay out of the hospital)

s-l1200.jpg


Sci-Fi Terror in the British Countryside

January 4, 6:30 pm: These are the Damned (1962)
A plot about a motorcycle gang morphs into a crazy scenario involving secret government experimentation. Joseph Losey at his wildest! I dare you to not get “Black Leather Rock” stuck in your head. With Macdonald Carey, Shirley Anne Field, Viveca Lindfors, Alexander Knox, and Oliver Reed, 87 min.

January 11, 6:30 pm: Curse of the Demon (aka Night of the Demon, 1957)
American professor Dana Andrews travels to London to attend a paranormal psychology symposium, where he starts to investigate devil-worshiper Niall MacGinnis, who he finds much more dangerous than he had perceived. Another masterful mood piece from Jacques Tourneur. Also with Peggy Cummins, 95 min.

January 18, 6:30 pm: Village of the Damned (1960)
A small English village suddenly produces frightening children who look alike and seem possessed of supernatural powers. A haunting sci-fi classic. With George Sanders, Barbara Shelley and Martin Stephens, 77 min.

January 25, 6:30 pm: The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)
A rocket sent into space by Professor Quatermass (Brian Donlevy) returns to earth with two of the astronauts missing, and the last very ill. Working with Scotland Yard, they determine that there may be an alien invasion afoot. Directed by Val Guest and also starring Jack Warner, Gordon Jackson, and Lionel Jeffries, 78 min.
 
Last edited:
I saw Curse of the Demon on the big screen at our Main Library tonight. It was great. I never thought that would happen. I have always enjoyed this movie. Here are a few related things I have: the DVD with both versions of the film, A book on the making of the movie, and a patch I picked up on eBay years ago.



It is based on the famous short story by M.R. James "Casting the Runes".
This story is impeccably narrated by Sir Michael Murray Hordern, an English actor best known for his Shakespearean roles. He has given voice to many of the ghost stories of M.R. James.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufPsyWs07o8

T.E.D. Klein is also an admirer of the story. (This is from an article in The Twilight Zone magazine.)

THE 13 MOST TERRIFYING HORROR STORIES
Selected by T.E.D. Klein

1. Casting the Runes by M.R. James
2. The Novel of the Black Seal by Arthur Machen
3. The Willows by Algernon Blackwood
4. The Dunwich Horror by HPL
5. Bird of Prey by John Collier
6. Who Goes There? by Don A. Stuart (John W. Campbell) Antarctic horror, the genesis of The Thing.
7. They Bite by Anthony Boucher
8. Stay off the Moon! by Raymond F. Jones
9. Ottmar Balleau X 2 by George Bamber
10. First Anniversary by Richard Matheson
11. The Autopsy by Michael Shea
12. The Trick by Ramsey Campbell
13. To Build a Fire by Jack London
 
I saw six movies at the theater this month. The first four were free at the Main Library. I saw the last two at a Regal Cinema.

These are the Damned (1962) Based on the novel The Children of Light by H.L. Lawrence
Curse of the Demon ( 1957) Based on the story "Casting the Runes" by M.R. James.
Village of the Damned (1960) Based on the novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) Based on the novel The Quartermass Experiment by Nigeale Kneale.

The Boy and the Heron
Poor Things
 
Last edited:
In the last two months, I've seen five movies at the theater:

The Glass Key (6.5) I saw this at the library. An entertaining noir mixed with politics. Starring Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, and Brian Donlevy.

Zone of Interest (8) Directed by Jonathan Glazer. Written by Martin Amis and Glazer. Based on the memoir of Auschwitz commandant Rudolph Hoss whose family lived just outside of the concentration camp. I read the memoir years ago. Have no idea about the Martin Amis book. An unsettling film.

Dune: Part Two (7.5) Sand, worms, etc. Very good movie.

Love Lies Bleeding (7) Directed by Rose Glass (who directed Saint Maud) Starring Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, and Ed Harris. A very good modern noir. It gets a little weird at the end, but overall, a fine movie.

Late Night with the Devil (7.5) A surprisingly good film. Based on a late-night television show. An original script. Nice, nostalgic feel to the set and dialogue. Written and directed by Colin and Cameron Cairnes. A big studio will sign these two up quickly is my guess. Very entertaining.

Next month has a few movies I am looking forward to:

Civil War by Alex Garland.
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire
 (maybe)

My library is showing two that I might see.

MST3K spoof of This Island Earth (maybe)
Frankenstein (1931) The original directed by James Whale, and starring Colin Clive and Boris Karloff.
 
Last edited:
I am VERY excited about Late Night With The Devil. I'm traveling right now and am trying to find a theater that has it.
 
My latest ventures to the big screen. The first two I saw at the Main Library. Civil War at Cinemark. The others at Regal Cinemas.

MST3K This island Earth. (5) Me and my girlfriend used to watch this back in the day (along with Dr. Katz) and it used to be fun. I always wanted to see an episode on the big screen. Not nearly as funny now. There were a few funny bits with the bots, but not worth going out to see. Maybe it was just the episode. But I'm not confident about that.

Frankenstein. (7) The original 1931 movie with Colin Clive and Boris Karloff. I enjoyed this movie but there was a problem. Imagine a 400-seat theater. Four other people besides me sitting in it, very spaced apart. The movie starts and someone comes in and sits directly behind me. "Surely you mean a row or two up from you, right bendk?" No, breathing on my neck directly behind me. He proceeds to take out his cell phone and make a call. I am about to turn around, but the call is brief. Okay, that was annoying and so is him sitting directly behind me, but I'll survive. Ignoring him rustling in his stuff for his refreshments, I start to watch the graveyard scene. About 5 to 10 minutes later another person comes in and sits with him (apparently the person he called). They start up a nice conversation. After a few minutes, they stop... for about ten minutes... and start talking again. This proceeds for the rest of the movie. I thought about getting up and stumbling around in the dark to get another seat, but the movie is only just over an hour long and we are almost half an hour in. When the movie finished, I fully intended to ask, "Just out of curiosity, why did you choose to sit directly behind me in a nearly vacant theater?" But I wanted to read the credits and they got up and left.

Immaculate (6) A decent film that only stumbles once or twice. A predictable jump scare didn't help matters.
"Cecilia, a woman of devout faith, is warmly welcomed to the picture-perfect Italian countryside where she is offered a new role at an illustrious convent. But it becomes clear to Cecilia that her new home harbors dark and horrifying secrets."

The First Omen. (7) I liked this movie quite a bit. Good plot and it ties in well with the original Omen movie. Some unexpected twists and turns. It was an entertaining film. I was impressed by the lead, Nell Tiger Free. Sonia Braga was also in this movie. A very beautiful and successful Brazilian actress from back in the day. She dated Robert Redford in the 80s. Quite memorable in Kiss of the Spider Woman.
"When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate."

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. (4) The critics gave it about a 50% score. I was persuaded by the audience score of 90%! There were a few decent action sequences, but the critics were far too generous in my opinion. I thought this movie was terrible. The story, the characters, and the dialogue were torture.

Civil War. Directed by Alex Garland. (7) The critics liked this slightly more than the audience. 80%/75%. Hardly an action movie. The one thing I think Garland got right was the war itself. As divided as our country is, it is difficult to imagine how a civil war would play out. It will not be like Gettysburg or Shiloh. The war is equal parts delusion and violence. Some memorable scenes will stick with you. I'm glad I saw it. First time I saw a movie in Cinemark XD.
 
Last edited:
In May I saw 3 movies on the Big Screen.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (7) It was a fine movie, but not at the same level as Fury Road. The cinematography and editing were not as good.
I saw this at Cinemark on XD. Surprisingly few people were in the audience. I read that it didn't do the box office that they hoped for.

I Saw the TV Glow (7) A difficult movie to rate. I enjoyed it. The director, Jane Schoenbrun, made some fascinating and unique choices. Some I've never seen before on film. I would have trimmed the ending. I am not exactly sure I understood all of it. I am going to watch some reviews on YouTube. I predict this will be a cult film. It is also another entry for A24. I saw this at a small art house theater in downtown Akron: The Night Light.

The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) (7) It was a lot of fun seeing this on the big screen. I saw it at our Main Library. It had a surprisingly large audience for the library. There were more than 20 people -which was more than Furiosa had- but still a small number for the size of the auditorium which seats 400. But usually, only about a dozen people show up. When the movie concluded a lot of people cheered and clapped. I joined in. A good time.
 
In June I saw three movies on the big screen. I saw the first two at Regal Cinemas and the last one at the main library.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
A Guy Ritchie movie based on a secret mission during WWII. It was a good time. His movies are action-packed, violent, and clever.

In a Violent Nature
I'm not big on gore, and this was gory, but it had a strange, deliberate pace. Unlike any zombie movie I have ever seen. I liked it.

9 (2009)
"A rag doll that awakens in a postapocalyptic future holds the key to humanity's salvation." Stunning visuals, but I'm not sure the story made a whole lot of sense.

 
In July I saw four movies on the big screen.

MaXXXine (6.5) The film is set in 1985 Los Angeles, where Maxine Minx, played by Mia Goth, is trying to make it big in Hollywood after surviving the events of "X." As she auditions for a legitimate horror film, "The Puritan II," a mysterious killer begins targeting young women in her orbit.

Long Legs (7) The story follows FBI Agent Lee Harker, played by Maika Monroe, who is a new recruit assigned to a complex case involving a serial killer known as Longlegs. This killer is notorious for murdering entire families in Oregon without being physically present at the crime scenes.

Oddity (7) The story revolves around Darcy, a blind medium and curio shopkeeper, who is grieving the death of her twin sister, Dani. A year after Dani's murder, Darcy receives a visit from Ted, Dani's widower, who brings her a glass eye that belonged to the man suspected of killing Dani.
Darcy uses her psychic abilities to uncover the truth about her sister's death, leading her to a life-size wooden mannequin from her cabinet of curiosities. This mannequin becomes central to the unfolding mystery, as strange and unsettling events begin to occur around it.

Toy Story (7.5) An old favorite. Saw it at the theater the first time around.

I saw Toy Story at the Library, Long Legs at Cinemark, and Maxxxine and Oddity at Regal. I knew Long Legs was going to be successful because I couldn't sleep and I went to the earliest show at about 10 in the morning, and there were plenty of people there. On a production budget of under 10 million, it has already made 60+ million dollars. I liked all the movies.

If you can see Long Legs and Oddity at the theater, I recommend it.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top