Tag: 1950’s

Feb 15 2018

Episode 109 – High Noon

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High NoonKyle Dekker joins us to watch a Western that is a not even a little bit subtle allegory for the behavior of Hollywood during the House UnAmerican Activities Committee hearings – High Noon! Gary Cooper won an Oscar for his powerful portrayal of a man who slowly comes to realize that nobody will stand up for him in his time of greatest need. We talk a lot about how much John Wayne hated this film because John Wayne really hated this film. Screenwriter Carl Foreman had to leave the country for England while this movie was filming so he had some knowledge of the damage the HUAC could do. We had a ball watching the movie and we hope you enjoy it as well!

Coming up next: Goonies! This time for sure!

High Noon (1952)
High Noon poster Rating: 8.0/10 (109,429 votes)
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Writer: Carl Foreman, John W. Cunningham
Stars: Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Thomas Mitchell
Runtime: 85 min
Rated: PG
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Western
Released: 30 Jul 1952
Plot: A town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon tr...

Mar 15 2017

Episode 89 – The Quiet Man

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The Quiet ManFor our newest episode, we take a look at a project that was something of a dream project for John Wayne – The Quiet Man!  Directed by John Ford and featuring Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, this film is surprisingly unlike what most would expect from names like John Wayne and John Ford.  We are re-joined by Noel Thingvall, who has a better experience with us than he did when we watched La Dolce Vita.  We hope you sit back and enjoy this classic love story about a man, a woman, and a whole lot of tradition.

Next up, we’ll be watching the 2017 winner of the Oscar for Best Picture, La La Land Moonlight!

The Quiet Man (1952)
The Quiet Man poster Rating: 7.7/10 (42,001 votes)
Director: John Ford
Writer: Frank S. Nugent, Maurice Walsh, John Ford
Stars: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald
Runtime: 129 min
Rated: Passed
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Released: 14 Sep 1952
Plot: A retired American boxer returns to the village of his birth in 1920s Ireland, where he falls for a spirited redhead whose brother is contemptuous of their union.

Jan 07 2016

Episode 61 – Horror of Dracula

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Horror of DraculaFor this episode, we take a look at one of the most famous films out of the Hammer Horror studio – Horror of Dracula!  We decided to watch the movie because Sir Christopher Lee was in Hugo and this film is one of his breakout roles.  We explore his career as well as that of Peter Cushing.  For some reason, we spend a long time talking about The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Our next film is, somewhat predictably, Dracula!

Horror of Dracula (1958)
Horror of Dracula poster Rating: 7.2/10 (27,881 votes)
Director: Terence Fisher
Writer: Jimmy Sangster, Bram Stoker
Stars: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough
Runtime: 82 min
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Drama, Horror
Released: 16 Jun 1958
Plot: When Jonathan Harker rouses the ire of Count Dracula for accepting a job at the vampire's castle under false pretenses, his friend Dr. Van Helsing pursues the predatory villain.

Jul 01 2015

Episode 50 – Godzilla

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GodzillaOur latest episode is so big, we couldn’t do it with just three hosts!  For our viewing of Godzilla, we brought in Matt Kessen, who is an expert on all things Godzilla.  We watched a man in a suit rampage through Tokyo and it was awesome!  We talk about the cultural impact of the film, the political undertones of the film, and we even fill Jena in about the super dumb shit they did in the American remakes.

Our next episode will be…something.  We haven’t figured it out yet.  You’ll be surprised!!!!

Godzilla (1954)
Godzilla poster Rating: 7.5/10 (39,243 votes)
Director: Ishirô Honda
Writer: Takeo Murata, Ishirô Honda, Shigeru Kayama
Stars: Takashi Shimura, Akihiko Hirata, Akira Takarada
Runtime: 96 min
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Released: 07 May 2004
Plot: American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable dinosaur-like beast.

May 15 2015

Episode 47 – Rashomon

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RashomonOur exploration of the unreliable narrator brings us to the film that is, quite literally, all about unreliable narration.  Rashomon is the film that introduced the world to Akira Kurosawa and is easily one of the most influential films ever made.  It is also ever so much shorter than The Seven Samurai.  So that’s a bonus.  Enjoy the special musical interlude Tim selected because he couldn’t find an mp3 of the music online.

Our next episode will be recorded live at the Trylon theater.  We’ll be watching The Lady from Shanghai!

Rashomon (1950)
Rashomon poster Rating: 8.2/10 (179,958 votes)
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Writer: Ryûnosuke Akutagawa, Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto
Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori
Runtime: 88 min
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Released: 26 Dec 1951
Plot: The rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.

Mar 17 2015

Episode 43 – All About Eve

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All About EveHaving recently watched The Ten Commandments, we decided that Jena needed more Anne Baxter in her life.  What better way to mainline Anne Baxter than with All About Eve!  A delightfully witty script and fantastic performances by five great actresses are all you need to know.  If you haven’t watched this movie yet, you should rush out and fix that as soon as possible!

Our next episode will be about Persepolis!

All About Eve (1950)
All About Eve poster Rating: 8.2/10 (138,474 votes)
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Writer: Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Mary Orr
Stars: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders
Runtime: 138 min
Rated: Passed
Genre: Drama
Released: 27 Oct 1950
Plot: A seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle of theater friends.

Feb 01 2015

Episode 40 – The Ten Commandments

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The Ten CommandmentsOn our latest episode, we explore the world of the Biblical epic via Cecil B DeMille’s Ten Commandments!  Charlton Heston is our guide as we explore a time of plagues, lust and burning bushes!  We are once again reminded of the awesomeness of Vincent Price and, finally, get to introduce Jena to Anne Baxter.  We also spend a little time talking about Exodus: Gods and Kings. Join us for this rollicking trip through the old testament complete with water turning to blood!

At the end of the episode, we claim our next episode will be Murder on the Orient Express.  That’s totally wrong.  It will be L.A. Confidential.

The Ten Commandments (1956)
The Ten Commandments poster Rating: 7.9/10 (76,580 votes)
Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Writer: Dorothy Clarke Wilson, J.H. Ingraham, A.E. Southon
Stars: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter
Runtime: 220 min
Rated: G
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family
Released: 05 Oct 1956
Plot: Moses, raised as a prince of Egypt in the Pharaoh's household, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people from slavery.

Jan 15 2015

Episode 39 – House of Wax

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House of WaxHaving recently watched Mystery of the Wax Museum, we needed to take the time to watch the more famous remake, House of Wax.  Once again we enjoy the screen presence of the great Vincent Price while we experience the birth of 3D!  We also run into Reel Education favorite Charles Bronson.

Our next episode will take a closer look at the biblical epic The Ten Commandments!

House of Wax (1953)
House of Wax poster Rating: 7.0/10 (20,151 votes)
Director: André De Toth
Writer: Crane Wilbur, Charles Belden
Stars: Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk
Runtime: 88 min
Rated: GP
Genre: Horror
Released: 25 Apr 1953
Plot: An associate burns down a wax museum with the owner inside, but he survives only to become vengeful and murderous.

Sep 02 2014

Episode 30 – Plan 9 From Outer Space

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Plan 9 from Outer SpaceHaving tackled Tim Burton’s Ed Wood, we used our latest episode to look at Ed Wood’s magnum opus, Plan 9 From Outer Space!  The film, rightly or wrongly, is hailed as the worst movie of all time.  Our friend and bad movie aficionado Kelvin Hatle joins us once again to explore what will forever be known as Bela Lugosi’s last film.  Listen as we talk about how this film got made and how it went from obscurity to cult classic.

Our next episode will be all about one of the best movies ever made: Citizen Kane!

Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)
Plan 9 from Outer Space poster Rating: 3.9/10 (40,335 votes)
Director: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Writer: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Stars: Gregory Walcott, Tom Keene, Mona McKinnon
Runtime: 79 min
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Released: 22 Jul 1959
Plot: Evil aliens attack Earth and set their terrible "Plan 9" into action. As the aliens resurrect the dead of the Earth, the lives of the living are in danger.

 

May 15 2014

Episode 23 – The Bridge on the River Kwai

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Bridge on the River KwaiThis month, we began our new relationship with the Trylon microcinema in Minneapolis!  They have great popcorn!  For our first film, we watched David Lean’s epic masterpiece The Bridge on the River Kwai featuring Sir Alec Guiness and William Holden.  There was much whistling and a bridge was destroyed!  Nary a lightsaber was to be seen! We had great fun talking about this movie with the attendees of the film and you can hear how much fun if you only listen to the episode!

Our June 1st episode will feature guests Kelvin Hatle and Jerry Belich as we talk about the David Lynch’s failed epic, Dune!

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
The Bridge on the River Kwai poster Rating: 8.1/10 (232,886 votes)
Director: David Lean
Writer: Pierre Boulle, Carl Foreman, Michael Wilson
Stars: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins
Runtime: 161 min
Rated: PG
Genre: Adventure, Drama, War
Released: 14 Dec 1957
Plot: British POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors in occupied Burma, not knowing that the allied forces are planning a daring commando raid through the jungle to destroy it.