Category Archives: Old-Fashioned

1994, Action sequences, Bad Acting, Classic, Conspiracy, Drama, Good Brother - Bad Brother, Jealousy, Kanopy streaming, Mediocre, Mother-son relations, Murder, Norse Tale, Nudity, Old-Fashioned, Period Piece, Personal Betrayal, Political Conspiracy, Revenge, Sometimes seems silly, Uncle-Nephew relations

Royal Deceit (1994)

From Kanopy:

An ancient Danish story of evil, power and human spirit, that subsequently inspired William Shakespeare on his tragedy, Hamlet. When the king of Jutland is murdered by his brother, the dark prince claims both the throne and Queen Geruth. Although her son saw the murder, he feigns madness to spare his life.

From Kanopy you can stream this 28 year old film lasting 108 minutes.

Somehow, way back in 1994, the film got past the censors.  Have you ever seen a naked Helen Mirren?  Indeed, there is a lot of nudity in the film.

Give credit to the fact that the filming of this medieval tale hopefully stayed true to the Norse conditions of the time.  Buildings are humble and crude. Clothing is rudimentary.  Weapons and warfare are amateur affairs.  Somehow, killing a man  by simply sticking a short knife somewhere in his body just does not look convincing.

Delivery of the spoken lines is a bit stilted.

Watching a film that is 28 years old gives us a chance to see what familiar actors looked like way back then. And what a difference!

  • Christian Bale as prince Amled was 20 years old.
  • Gabriel Byrne as the evil brother Fenge was 44 years old.
  • Helen Mirren as queen Geruth was 49 years old.
  • Kate Beckinsale as Ethel was 21 years old.
  • Tom Wilkinson as king Hardvendel was 46 years old.

 

2014, America of the 1960s, America of the 1970s, Based on a Book, Coarse manners, Cocaine, Crime, Crude Talk, Detective, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Eccentric cast of characters, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Kanopy streaming, Nudity, Offbeat, Old-Fashioned, Period Piece, Politicians, Quirky

Inherent Vice (2014)

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From Kanopy you can stream this 149 minute feature film.  Kanopy’s own summary is:

Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master, There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, Boogie Nights) reteams with The Master star Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator, Her, Walk the Line) for this darkly comic adaptation of the 2009 Thomas Pynchon novel, set in late-sixties Los Angeles. When private eye Doc Sportello’s ex-old lady suddenly out of nowhere shows up with a story about her current billionaire land developer boyfriend whom she just happens to be in love with, and a plot by his wife and her boyfriend to kidnap that billionaire and throw him in a loony bin…well, easy for her to say. It’s the tail end of the psychedelic ’60s and paranoia is running the day and Doc knows that “love” is another of those words going around at the moment, like “trip” or “groovy,” that’s being way too overused—except this one usually leads to trouble.

If you enjoy period pieces you will enjoy watching  bearded Joaquin Phoenix cleverly disguised as a hippy private investigator.  Consider the impressive list of actors:

Benicio Del Toro, Jena Malone, Joanna Newsom, Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Katherine Waterston, Martin Short, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon.

Slow, complicated, and historic.  Many references to the Vietnam period politics (Nixon, etc). Very frank sexual discussions and situations  accompanied by full nudity.

Probably not for everyone.

2019, Acceptable for teenagers, Anti-Semitism, Attempted Rape, Attempted Suicide, Bloody scenes, Bullying, Career Competition, Conspiracy, Corrupt Military, Detective, Drama, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Forensics, Jewish Culture, Mental Illness, Mild Torture, Military, Military Corruption, Military School, Mother-son relations, Murder by poison, Old-Fashioned, PBS Masterpiece Streaming, Police Politics, Portraiture, Possibly upsetting ending, Psychopath, Psychotic Attacks, Sadism, Self-harm, Spiritualist, Suspense, Vienna of 1900, Violent

Vienna Blood (2019)

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From PBS Streaming:

A student of Sigmund Freud and an Austrian detective team up to solve some of the most mysterious and deadly cases in early 1900s Vienna.

From PBS Masterpiece Streaming you can watch 6 episodes, each lasting about 45 minutes.  Each of the three stories encompasses 2 episodes.

Changes were happening in 1900s Vienna.   Oskar Reinhardt is an Austrian detective who, when the series begins, is used to old-school methods that can involve using violence against suspects.  Little by little he adapts to using the newer methods of Max Liebermann. Max is a doctor working in a hospital run by a bully that is fond of using electrotherapy.  Max, as a student of Sigmund Freud, is more attuned to using psychological methods for understanding and curing his patients.

One important theme is Vienna’s virulent  antisemitism.  Max is the eldest son of an observant Jewish family.  As a subplot, Max is engaged to one woman (a Jewess) but falls in love with one of his patients (a gentile) whom he cured using Freudian methods.

Oskar is in constant mourning over the death of his young daughter. As a result his wife has at least temporarily left him.

In each of the 3 murder cases, Oskar stands fast against the prejudices and rush to judgement of his superiors.  Similarly Max stands fast against the malpractice of his own superiors.

Be at least warned that the third story leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

Old-fashioned and well-done drama.

1987, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Art appreciation, Art History, Art Treasures, Basically Sad, British, British Drama, Church of England, Classic, Drama, Ethical struggles, Homophobia, Hopeless Love, Love Story, Old-Fashioned, PTSD, Quiet, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Sexual Tension, Slow, Small British village, Small gem of a film, Stuttering, Things Left Unsaid, Vintage Film, Wonderful acting, WWI Veteran, Yorkshire Accents, Yorkshire setting

A Month In The Country (1987)

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From Amazon Prime:

Five centuries ago, a mural was created in a country church in the north of England, and then hidden under layers of white paint. Looking at it again will be a distraction, the Reverend Mr. Keach tells World War I veteran Tom Birken, who will spend a month in the country restoring the mural.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this beautiful but sad classic British film which lasts 1 hour 36 minutes.

Direct quote from Wikipedia:

A Month in the Country is a 1987 British film directed by Pat O’Connor. The film is an adaptation of the 1980 novel of the same name by J. L. Carr, and stars Colin Firth, Kenneth Branagh, Natasha Richardson and Patrick Malahide. The screenplay was by Simon Gray.

Set in rural Yorkshire during the summer of 1920, the film follows a destitute World War I veteran employed to carry out restoration work on a Medieval mural discovered in a rural church while coming to terms with the after-effects of the war.

The film was shot during the summer of 1986 and featured an original score by Howard Blake. The film has been neglected since its 1987 cinema release and it was only in 2004 that an original 35 mm film print was discovered, due to the intervention of a fan.

34 years ago Colin Firth and Kenneth Branagh were a mere 27 years old while Natasha Richardson was even younger at 24 years of age.  (Sad note: Richardson died in 2009 from a head injury while skiing.) Has Jim Carter, the head butler in Downton Abbey, always looked the same age his entire life?

For some reason the above quoted summaries fail to mention that the character James Moon (Kenneth Branagh) was also suffering PTSD from World War I.

BEAUTIFUL BUT SAD! (Gooseflesh anyone?)

1998, Abandoned child, Abortion, Acceptable for teenagers, Adultery, Amazon Prime, Cold Cases, Conspiracy, Corruption, Courtroom scenes, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, False Imprisonment, Flashbacks, Frame someone for a crime, Harmful Medicine, Lawyers, Marital Infidelity, Medical Theme, Murder Trial, Mystery Film, Old-Fashioned, Quiet, Romance, Small Town, Small Town Atmosphere, Unjust crime conviction, Vintage Film

Evidence of Blood (1998)

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From Amazon Prime:

An award winning author of stories of real crimes returns to his hometown where he becomes involved in a 40 year old case of a murdered teenager.
From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 49 minute complete film.
In 22 years film making has changed a great deal.  You know you are watching older film techniques when the tool available to distinguish between the film’s present and past is a change in the hue of the picture.  Another clue is that David Strathairn (who plays the author Jackson Kinley) was a young 49 years of age (and is now 78 years old).  Mary McDonnell  (who plays Dora Overton)  played Ruby Goldfarb  in Fargo.
Because his friend Ray dies, Kinley goes back to his home town, driven by a capital punishment case that never felt correct.  Little by little his dogged persistence finally discovers the truth. Along the way he brushes up against an elaborate town wide cover-up and riles up alot of the townsfolk.  Also he falls in love with Dora.
Note that Jackson does his work “by hand” so to speak. He doesn’t have modern tools such as DNA forensics. Dora doesn’t even have a telephone.  All stored data is on paper.  Was 1998 really that long ago?
Watching a vintage film in which Jackson slowly assembles the puzzle pieces  is not a waste of time.   And there is no violence.
1955, Action Hero, Based on a Book, Crime thriller, Detective, Murder Investigation, Old-Fashioned, Suspense, Terrible acting, Thriller, Unusual, Violent

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

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From Netflix:

Shortly after sleazy detective Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) picks up a scantily clad hitchhiker (Cloris Leachman), his car is forced over a cliff. He awakens from unconsciousness to find his passenger dead — but it wasn’t the fall that killed her. As Hammer sets out to uncover the woman’s deadly secret and find her unknown assassins, he ignores explicit signs that he should mind his own business. This film noir was adapted from Mickey Spillane’s novel.

PBS showed this 106 minute black-and-white film from 1955. You can also get it from Netflix. To think that I was only 15 when this film came out – how films have changed. Nonetheless, despite the old style stiff way of acting (at times seemingly mere line reading), the film is fascinating, if only from a historical perspective.

The Wikipedia article has this to say:

Kiss Me Deadly is a 1955 film noir drama produced and directed by Robert Aldrich starring Ralph Meeker. The screenplay was written by A.I. Bezzerides, based on the Mickey Spillane Mike Hammer mystery novel Kiss Me, Deadly. Kiss Me Deadly is often considered a classic of the noir genre. The film grossed $726,000 in the United States and a total of $226,000 overseas. It also withstood scrutiny from the Kefauver Commission which said it was a film designed to ruin young viewers — leading director Aldrich to write against the Commission’s conclusions.

Kiss Me Deadly marked the film debuts of both actresses Cloris Leachman and Maxine Cooper.[2]

As you approach the surprising end of the film you will understand the comment from the same Wikipedia article:

Critical commentary generally views it as a metaphor for the paranoia and nuclear fears of the Cold War era in which it was filmed.

Ralph Meeker, the lead actor, has a huge resume even though I never heard of him before seeing this (to me) unusual film.

Even the orchestral music seems old-fashioned.

2011, British Mystery Series, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Crime, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Murder Investigation, Old-Fashioned, Politicians, TV Series

The Hour (2011)

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From NetFlix:

This six-part political thriller focuses on the launch of a new BBC news program in June 1956, as the Suez Crisis is unfolding in the Middle East. The story follows the efforts of the show’s staff to reveal the tangled politics of the era.

Rather than being gritty, this easy-to-watch British TV series features several themes: The 1956 Suez Canal crisis; Producing a TV news hour that can tell the truth despite political efforts to stifle that news; Political intrigue involving murder; Freddy’s love for the beautiful young TV news producer Bel; Bel’s infatuation with the married Hector.

Made in 2011, this series reproduces faithfully the era of the 50’s. Hence the actors look as they do in 2011 rather than being young actors. Some of the more recognizable actors are:

  • Dominic West (plays Hector) is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Jimmy McNulty in the HBO drama series “The Wire”.
  • Anna Chancellor (plays Lix Storm) was Lucy Christie in “Waking the Dead”.
  • Juliet Stevenson (plays Lady Elms) has been in so many presentations that I arbitrarily remind you that she was “The Politician’s Wife”.

My wife Kathy thought the 6 episodes made the story too long although I did not mind the length. At least it is a nice escape from grim.

1956, Black and White Film, Car Chase, Classic, Conspiracy, Dark, Flirting, Grim, Horror, Old-Fashioned, Sci-Fi, Suspense

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

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From NetFlix:

Something is amiss in the sleepy California hamlet of Santa Mira. Initially, Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) dismisses reports from the citizenry accusing friends and family of behaving like automatons. But the doctor soon makes a startling discovery. Extraterrestrials capable of replicating humans and assuming their identities have invaded Santa Mira. It’s up to Bennell to sound the alarm and almost single-handedly battle the alien forces.

Suppose you could trust no one around you, could you survive ? Of course, wartime spies are somewhat in that position. But this story is a famous extreme example. As an experiment in film comparison (which I also did with True Grit (1969) and True Grit (2010)) I decided to watch at least two if not three versions of this film.

For those of you too young to remember, Kevin McCarthy played many roles in the 1960 TV series “Twilight Zone”. Dana Wynter (the female lead) played Eva Wainwright in the 1966 TV series “The Man Who Never Was”.

What makes this film seem old ?

  • Black and white
  • Real orchestra music composed by Carmon Dragon that seems corny by today’s standards.
  • Precious few special effects except for the pods bursting open
  • The actors themselves actually had to run on streets and hills
  • Unfortunately in this version, the ending is a terrible cop-out

Following is an excellent review that I found in IMDB attributed to someone billed as InfoFreak:

‘Invasion Of The Body Snatcher’s is my favourite 1950s science fiction movie alongside ‘Forbidden Planet’. Both are very different movies. ‘Forbidden Planet’ is arguably the first SF blockbuster, an intergalactic adventure, in colour, with a large budget and impressive special effects. ‘Invasion Of The Body Snatcher’s is a smaller movie, a low budget black and white paranoid thriller that is a classic of its type. Many subsequent movies have been influenced by this one, and there have been at least two remakes (Philip Kaufman, Abel Ferrara), but it still takes some beating! Director Don Siegel is best known for tough guy crime dramas like ‘The Killers’ and ‘Dirty Harry’, but shows his versatility with this extremely effective and disturbing horror story. The legendary Sam Peckinpah had an uncredited hand in the script, and (keep an eye open for) a small cameo as a meter reader. Kevin McCarthy is terrific as the small town doctor turned hero. His performance is excellent, and made him a legend to SF and horror fans everywhere (he reprises it briefly in Kaufman’s excellent 1970s remake by the way). The lovely Dana Wynter leads a strong supporting cast, and buffs will get a particular kick out of seeing Carolyn Jones (a.k.a. Morticia Addams) and Whit Bissell. (‘I Was A Teenage Werewolf’, ‘Creature From The Black Lagoon’ and too many others to mention!) This movie has aged very well, much better than say, ‘The Thing From Another World’, and still stands as THE 1950s paranoid SF/horror movie. An absolute classic that I guarantee still packs a punch! Highly recommended!

Have fun!

2008, Acceptable for children, British Mystery Series, Car Chase, Corny, Drama, Flirting, Love Story, Made For TV, Melodrama, Mystery Film, Old-Fashioned, Plot Twist, Suspense, Trains, Wonderful photography

The 39 Steps (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Richard Hannay (Rupert Penry-Jones) has his holiday interrupted when secret agent Scudder (Eddie Marsan) bursts into his apartment, staying alive just long enough to deposit a notebook. Pegged with murder, Hannay must decode the book and nab the culprits — before they find him first. In this nimble BBC update of John Buchan’s novel, German spies and British police give chase as Hannay races to deliver the coveted code and avert a world war.

Rupert Penry-Jones and Matthew MacFadyen take turns starring in the excellent British TV series MI-5 . That series started in 2002. Since this Masterpiece Classic was made in 2008, I assume these two actors rotate in order to give them time to do other acting.

Think of “The 39 Steps” as a Harlequin Spy Romance with possibly its tongue in its cheek. Penry-Jones is accidentally thrust into an effort to prevent Germany from attacking the British navy just prior to World War I. He gets to run up and down hills, run through woods, drive vintage cars in exciting 20 mph car chases, solve encrypted messages, discover spies, and woo a winsome maiden, all the while remaining a presentable handsome Brit with a flare for witty comebacks.

If you can stand not having digital special effects enhance the performance of the actors, then you might enjoy this melodrama, despite a few “aw shucks!” moments.

1969, Acceptable for children, Cowboy, Gangs, Old-Fashioned, Revenge, Violent, Western

True Grit (1969)

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From NetFlix:

John Wayne landed one of his last great screen roles as crusty lawman Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn, who reluctantly helps teenager Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) pursue her father’s killer. True Grit is more a character study than many of Wayne’s formulaic Westerns. The rousing final showdown between Wayne and the villains adds to the Duke’s long list of outstanding movie moments.

After seeing the 2010 version with Jeff Bridges I wanted to compare the two versions. By and large the two stories are the same with some differences:

  • Instead of the formal, flowery, exaggerated speech patterns of 2010, the language in 1969 is more down to earth.
  • In 1969 Mattie Ross is immediately attracted to La Boeuf played by Glen Cambell. Sad to think that now Glen Cambell suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.
  • There are boarding house scenes in 1969 missing from 2010
  • The endings are very different in 2010 Mattie Ross is a dried up old maid come to claim Rooster’s body. In 1969 the film ends with Rooster and Mattie looking at the family burial site that Mattie has prepared for her family, including herself. She then invites Rooster to be buried there as well, seeing as how he has no one else. Our hero then jumps on his horse “strong enough to jump a four rail fence” and rides off after jumping a four rail fence. This was truly an “aw shucks” moment in history.

Given the energy I will try to get a copy of the book by Charles Portis to at least learn just how the characters did speak. Still, writing is not speaking and I wonder if we can ever know how Americans spoke in our early history.