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jperkins
Reviews
Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (1922)
Original film noire
This, AFAIK, is the original film noire. The themes that Lang brings out in the German Mabuse trilogy are honored and imitated by Hollywood, particularly by Anthony Mann (Railroaded, Raw Deal), Robert Aldrich (Kiss Me Deadly) and Howard Hawks (The Big Sleep). Der Spieler is a must see for those interested in the history of film.
Northern Lights (1978)
NPL
A dramamentary of the forming of the Non-Partisan League in North Dakota -- this stark, loving film portrays the struggle of the local NoDaks versus the railroads, banks and granaries controlled by distant Minnesotans. This is a classic that reaches toward the level of "Salt of the Earth."
El Cid (1961)
The worst movie for TV
This is Cinemascope at it's best, and it does not work on tv. There's a famous scene where Heston and Loren are having words from opposite ends of a banquet table as the large fireplace in the middle mimics the dialogue. On tv, we see soap opera style close-ups of the speaker, with no reaction shots, seemingly a small table, sans fire. The same problem happens in the jousting scenes.
See it in the theatre, or buy it masked.