What a nicely diverse set of films. Several I have seen, and a new one to me that looks very intriguing (Zone of Interest). I’ve just added it to my Prime video watchlist on your recommendation, but I will want to do some further reading about it. Looks like I will need to be in a certain frame of mind, so it may be a little while before I see it. You are so right about the music for ‘Murder by Contract’. I hadn’t made the association with ‘Third Man’ before but it does remind one of that score. I love B films like this, that are filmed so simply. It looks like a French New Wave film (a favorite genre of mine). I love the location shots in this. Although if I remember it correctly, there is a scene where Vince Edwards is riding in a car with two fellow bad guys, and rear projection is used. I hate when a superbly shot location film does that! Really ruins the feel of the film for me when that happens. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on these films! And happy new year to you!
Hi JW. I hope you and your family have had a great start to the new year. Thank you for the mini-reviews. You mentioned several movies that are brand new to me. I always appreciate discovering lesser known films. Because I was busy with work the last half of 2024, I didn't watch very many movies. One that I did see recently might interest you. It's called Farewell to Rabaul (1954), and was directed by Ishiro Honda, the last film he did before Godzilla. The story concerns a squadron of pilots stationed at Rabaul (on Papua New Guinea) and their struggles in the waning days of World War II. The movie stars Ryô Ikebe as the squadron commander, known by many of the locals as Captain Oni ("devil"). His harsh attitudes change as he realizes the futility of their mission. Ikebe would also work with Honda on Gorath (1962) and Battle in Outer Space (1959). One of the pilots under his command is played by Akihiko Hirata, who would, of course, go on to appear in over a dozen Honda films. Also notable in the cast is Akemi Negishi, a very beautiful actress who never became a huge star. She often played "exotic' non-Japanese roles, working with Honda again on Half Human (1955) and King Kong vs Godzilla (1962). Eiji Tsuburaya and his team handle the aerial effects, with actual war footage mixed in. Overall, a very worthwhile watch, especially if you're interested in seeing Honda do something other than science fiction. The movie is available on Internet Archive. If you're on IA you can also look for these other Honda movies: The Blue Pearl (1951), Honda's first feature length film; Skin of the South (1952), a movie I haven't watched yet; Eagle of the Pacific (1953), a bio pic of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto; Good Luck to These Two (1957), starring frequent Honda actors Hiroshi Koizumi and Yumi Shirakawa as a newly married couple facing various problems; and Come Marry Me (1966), a more lighthearted (and musical) romantic film, and Honda's final non-kaiju picture. Thanks again for your hard work. Have a very happy and healthy 2025.
An interesting collection, as your usual. Christmas Vacation is my favorite Christmas movie. It is possible to do a deep dive with this movie and take out some valuable lessons. I don't known if these lessons were intentionally put there. Yes, Clark borders on unlikeable. On the lighter side I can't hear Mele Kalikimaka or Here Comes Santa Claus without visualizing the scenes from Christmas Vacation.
I love, love, love "Miller's Crossing". It is a nasty piece of work, beautifully done. It does help to be very familiar with noir and crime movies of the past as well as the works of Dashiell Hammett (this story is a loose retelling of two of his stories). Great quotes throughout. "Look into your heart." "What heart?" "Always put one in the brain." Great Coen movie. Beautiful score. "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: Word was that Beverly D'Angelo signed on because she wanted to work with all four of the grandparents/parents - great actors all. Loved the varied list. I look forward to your reviews in 2025!! Bye!
Nice review of "Zone of Interest." It handles its topic superbly. I liked "Meet John Doe" and was surprised to learn how problematic the ending was. If you haven't read "Five Came Back" by Mark Harris ( the story of Capra, Wyler, Huston, Stevens and Ford during and after WW2 ) you are missing out. It's great information.
Hello J, happy January 5! I noticed a familiar name in the first review: “That's Richard Kiley - we spared no expense.” Interesting to see him at a young age. I am intrigued by Miller's Crossing since I'll watch almost anything with Marcia Gay Hardin in it. Also, I recognized one actor as the Hot Dog King from an episode of Monk, lol. All is Lost is a great film, it really earned it's reputation. I was transfixed and I'm not a nautical person either. Chevy Chase I can take or leave, I guess the film was entertaining, may give it another chance some day. I enjoyed this end of month wrap up and review, thanks so much.
Happy New Year, dear Jerome! I rewatched Meet John Doe this Christmas too, and I agree with everything you said. It isn't a favorite of mine either and this rewatch didn't change that. For me, it's like if the final result is less than the sum of all its parts. Stanwyck is good, Cooper steals the show, some plot points are really disturbing (like Edward Arnold's fascist nephew), Regis Toomey's speech is touching... but the movie itself, as a whole, lacks something I don't quite know how to name.
Hi JW, hope you had a great Christmas and New Year. Wow, you've actually reviewed one of my all time favourite movies here with This Happy Breed. In my life I've never seen a film that more encapsulates what it is to be a Londoner, which I am. Totally adore this movie and I do own the restored version of it on Bluray, which is every bit as good as you said. Apart from the odd cringe at olden day attitudes, this film is just fantastic and actually ranks in my all time top10, I really think it's that good. The scene towards the end when John Mills relates his experience of meeting up with Queenie, the love of his life and Robert Newton and Celia Johnson's daughter, which culminates with: She's next door with my mum and dad, brings a tear, well several actually, to my eye every time. Miller's Crossing is great too, the John Turturro scene in the forest alone is worth the admission price, so to speak. I think your mum may have been thinking about the film The Crossing, or maybe not. The first film on your list The Sniper, which I hadn't heard of at all, sounds like a great watch - if a little bit creepy - I'll try and find a copy of it. Sounds a bit like Peter Bogdanovich's Targets (1968), although even more disturbing. OK nice to see your latest list and look forwards to the next one.
I'm glad you saw Zone of Interest. I don't know of any other film made in the same way. The actors playing the family were alone in the house without any crew present. There were cameras left in the house to record them.
Thank you. I am still discovering your previous videos, so most are new to me. Suggesting: 1. Fate Is The Hunter, w/ Glenn Ford, Rod Taylor. 2. Experiment in Terror, w/Glenn Ford, Stephanie Powers. 3. Eiger Sanction, w/ Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy. Your channel is fun. Thank you.
Happy New Year to you! I did not know about the 1940's "Christmas Eve" movie that you reviewed. I have seen one from 1986 with Loretta Young and Trevor Howard. So, the 1986 film is a remake, unbeknownst to me about the 1940's original. The remake is very sentimental, but a good watch. A very interesting Christmas sign that you have on the shelf behind you.
I probably will never see Zone of Interest, but as you described it, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas flashed through my memory. The latter was more explicit than the first, from what you say. Thank you for including it.
Hey, Jerome. I hope you had a great holiday weekend and as a fan of the Coen brothers, I've been meaning to watch Miller's Crossing. Speaking of the Coens, I had actually watched one of my favorites of theirs, The Hudsucker Proxy as part of my New Year's Eve lineup. Take care, J and have a wonderful 2025!
Thanks Jerome, for more interesting reviews. The Zone of Interest is on a similar theme to the 1963 book A Report on the Banality of Evil by the philosopher and political thinker Hannah Arendt. The book is about the trail she witnessed of Adolph Eichmann, the Nazi officer responsible for organizing the transportation of millions of Jews and other people to their horrible deaths in concentration camps. Hannah was expecting a monster but found a dull, unimaginative bureaucrat who claimed to have simply "followed orders". Her point is that it is surprisingly easy to fall into evil, if we don't consider what the true meaning of the situation that we find ourselves in is and what our following actions could do. On a happier note, after following your review of A Canterbury Tale I found a copy of the movie and loved it. That led me down the path of watching and enjoying other films made in WW2. So, I'm now looking for a copy of Hers to Hold next. Recently I found a British WW2 film The Halfway House that you might find interesting to review. You could see it as WW2 propaganda, but like A Canterbury Tale and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp it is much more than that.
As always , an interesting cross section of films that you have discussed in a comprehensive and entertaining fashion . This time around I have seen most of the films that you featured , but I have had Zone of Interest on my to watch list for awhile . Thank you for reminding me that I need to do so . Oh , and Happy New Year ! Cheers !
Happy New Year, JW. ♥ I always try to watch both "A Christmas Carol" (1941), and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" during the Christmas holidays. Almost a personal tradition.
Thank you for sharing this video! Another great list of videos. Christmas Vacation is my favorite Christmas movie! Wow that is a huge contrast with the movie you saw after it. Happy New Year to you and your family! I hope all the best and much success for you in 2025!
I love your reviews! They are so insightful and entertaining! Have you seen "The Sterile Cuckoo" from 1969? I would love it if you could do a review of that film.
Happy New Year, I hope you 2025 brings you and your loved ones all that your hearts desire. Take care and much love from the U.K. Have you seen "The Bishop's Wife" it's an often overlooked Christmas film? As for the films reviewed, you've given me a few to check out. Two of them I haven't seen in a long time, two of them I have on DVD, "Miller's Crossing", I think the film which your Mother might be thinking of instead of this one could be, "Road to Perdition" 2002, and "Meet John Doe", I like both of these films (obviously), but I agree with you about the latter not being engaging at times.
Thank you! Yes, I've seen The Bishop's Wife. I know a lot of people love that one, but I found it surprisingly dull. (Sorry!) No, it wasn't Road to Perdition (which I also really liked); it was definitely something Gabriel Byrne was in.
Happy New Year Ms. Jerome! We made another trip around the sun. I got to watch very few flicks during the holidays, but one that I did see was "My dad's Christmas Date" I really like Piven's work, and he was excellent, but the movie itself made me feel completely horrible. One flick I really enjoyed from Netflix was "The Bank of Dave", but I always like to see your reviews because you've got interesting takes on movies I've never heard of before. Oh you know what - Gerald Mohr was fantastic in the radio show Philip Marlowe so I'm definitely checking out The Sniper! Cheers to the new year my friend!
"This Happy Breed" certainly brings a lump to the throat and a tear to the eye. Robert Newton at his most restrained. Celia Johnson suffering beautifully and stoically as ever, albeit a level or two down the social scale from her more usual roles. Her emotionally complex welcome to her prodigal daughter really packs a punch. And that cutting of the sound when bad news is imparted is worthy of Hitchcock. The title comes from John of Gaunt's famous speech in Shakespeare's Richard II, "This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle...This happy breed of men...This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England".
Happy New Year Ms Weiselberry. It's wonderful to see you back. 'The Zone of Interest' looks fascinating. I will bet that it's based on the book 'Commandant of Auschwitz' by Rudolf Hoess (the actual last commandant of Auschwitz - written while he was in prison awaiting execution.) The book is fascinating, riveting and horrifying, particularly for its honesty and frankness - this was a man with absolutely nothing to lose. Joseph Cotten and Deanna Durbin are a winning duo for me, so 'Her's To Hold' is now on my list and some of the others sound great too. Cheers.
The film is actually based on the novel of the same title by the late Martin Amis. I haven't read the book, but I know that many people who know the novel consider that the film actually has little in common with it.
@@peterkarargiris4110 But films rarely follow the plot of a novel closely - it's more a matter of the central idea of the book inspiring the film. Hitchcock often used novels (or in the case of 'The Birds', a short story by Daphne du Maurier) as the starting point of the film but developed something very different. I think sometimes the film turns out to be greater than the original book - Truffaut's 'Shoot the Piano Player' and Cuarón's 'Children of Men' come to mind. However no director has yet tackled 'Wuthering Heights' in a way that does the novel justice.
Happy New Year...even though you might not have had time to watch many movies you've still done some great varied reviews. I saw Miller's Crossing absolutely ages ago so I must be due for a rewatch of that because I did think it was great. And All is Lost I thought was a simple story but very effective. I might check out The Sniper after your recommendation as well. Here are some movies I saw last month: Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978) Repo Man (1984) on archive From Hell It Came (1957) on archive Yule Log (2022) Yule Log 2: Branchin' Out (2024) Righting Wrongs aka Above the Law (1986) on archive Nosferatu (1922) on youtube Rosaline (2022) Nightmare Alley (2021) The Impossible Kid (1982) on tubi Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977) Bullet Train (2022) Lady Snowblood (1973) on archive Little Monsters (2019) Black Christmas (1974) on youtube Romeo & Juliet (1968)
Nice list, JW! I've been on the fence about getting a Criterion subscription for a while, I think you've helped me make up my mind to just do it already... Happy new year - looking forward to seeing what you watch in 2025!
I believe you can buy Criterion for a month at a time instead of a full year's subscription. That might be a good option if you want to just check it out first. Thank you!
Great reviews. I hope you had a great holiday season. Btw, I couldn't find an entry on your channel for this, have you ever reviewed, "The Thin Man," because I think you'd like. I can't imagine you've never seen it, given your vast media experience, but maybe you just never reviewed it? Or maybe it's buried inside of a a video where the video itself doesn't come up with a search?
I've seen The Thin Man a couple times, and I may have mentioned it once or twice in passing, but no, I haven't reviewed any of the Thin Man films to date. Very fun movie. :)
@@Weiselberry Well, if you ever feel like reviewing them, I'd love to get your take. Personally, I love the relationship between the two leads. Especially in the first movie, they compliment each other super well. Rather than focusing on a love triangle, or a "meet cute" or whatever, they're just two married people who totally get each other, big each other up all the time, and know how to inspire the best in each other. I wish more movies portrayed that kind of relationship.
I’m thrilled you decided to re-up your subscription to CRITERION! Love Miller’s Crossing. Hey, How do I find out what movies you’ve reviewed already? I would love to recommend more movies but feel like a dope when you’ve already done them. Terry Gilliam’s BRAZIL, for example. Happy New Year and keep up the brilliant reviews!
Thanks! No need to feel like a dope, ha. You can always try going on my channel's main page and typing a title into the search box. It's not a perfect science, but if I've done a review of that film, it should come up first. Otherwise, I do have a spreadsheet listing all the movies I've talked about, but I keep access restricted to my Ko-fi page.
Zone Of Interest is a masterpiece, nothing less. I thought a key scene involved a group of affable men holding a meeting to discuss a plan to make the process of gassing and burning prisoners more efficient. The companies that provide us with the material goods we want don't really care about the working conditions in which those items are made.. We're all living on the right side of a wall - behind which we know unspeakable acts are committed. Oh, and I consider All Is Lost to also be beyond reproach. The film would not work with a younger man in the lead. It's a beautiful meditation on death.
I often talk to myself and it's the only intelligent conversation I have and sometimes I talk to myself because I need expert advice. I prefer Barbara Stanwyck in Christmas in Connecticut. In Christmas Vacation the scene that made me laugh out loud was when the old lady picked to say grace comes out with the Pledge of Allegiance. 🎉🎉🎉
Miller's Crossing is a favourite of mine. 1990 was kind of a year for gangster movies. GoodFellas, The Godfather part 3, King of New York, State of Grace. Cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld was in the Criterion closet recently. He told an amusing story about getting married at the wrap party of this film and Albert Finney dropping 7 grand on surprise fireworks. Sam Raimi has a cameo. My sister watches Christmas Vacation 1989. Every year. At Christmas. The most chilling thing about The Zone of Interest 2023 is how the family are so utterly indifferent to what is happening next door. They might as well be running a shoe factory. The fly on the wall approach and the antiseptic digital photography add to the effect. If you want an inhumane society. Just tell the people that some of the people are less than human. Thank you for recommending The Lost King 2022. That was a good one.
Ha, that's a neat story about the fireworks! I got the impression Finney had a good time making this movie. I kind of caught the Raimi cameo, in that I saw him and thought, "Who is that? He looks so familiar." But I didn't realize it was him.
@@Weiselberry Albert Finney is fantastic in Miller's Crossing. I love his " Danny Boy" shootout scene. Sam Raimi and the Coen brothers go way back. Joel Coen was an assistant editor on The Evil Dead. All three collaborated on the screenplays for Raimi's slapstick noir Crimewave 1985 and the Coen's hula hoop screwball comedy The Hudsucker Proxy 1994. Thank you for your reply.
You should read about the Capra's sufferings on Meet John Doe, in Joseph McBride's bio for example.. It will help you understand your resistance to Meet John Doe. There's a lot of reasons for it, most of all the cowardly ending.
J.W. a really interesting group of films! Need to see Sniper. Miller's Crossing was so hyped when it first came out. Found Gabriel Byrne's character, and his acting, quite off-putting, but still ended up liking the film quite a bit. Still don't know why Hers to Hold isn't on dvd/blu in North America. Would love to see it. Have you seen....It Started With Eve? Such a fun film, that starts off so dour...I see others agree with you on Meet John Doe, I do too ;) I think the suicide talk + spoiler alert...cutting his mike during his speech...ugh...hated that. Christmas Eve...was very disappointed with it, when it ran on TCM years ago. Good cast, and director, but just a mess. Randolph Scotts last non western role. Wow, just read it was remade with Loretta Young in 1987 . Had no idea .
Yes, the lack of accessibility for Hers to Hold is a shame. The print I watched wasn't the best quality either, so it could use a restoration. Perhaps someone will release one sometime. I did see It Started with Eve a few years ago; I enjoyed this a lot more. :) I agree, there was so much about Meet John Doe that was depressing and frustrating. I liked it well enough in its fun, lighthearted moments, but predominantly it gave me a feeling of melancholy. Same with Christmas Eve, to a lesser degree. I think it aired on TCM this year, plus it seems to be on several streaming services and RUclips. No problem with availability for that one!
@@Weiselberry well...hopefully, you will revisit It Started With Eve, down the road. I know Bob Cummings isn't Joseph Cotten, but I thought they actually had a fair bit of chemistry together, and thought it was cute that they kept her from showing off her singing voice, for so much of the film.
@illbebad Oh, did I give it a not-positive review? Sorry. That must have been disappointing. :/ Yes, I may revisit it sometime in the future, even though, as you say, Cummings is no Cotten.
@@Weiselberry wow...harsh! ;) It was disappointing. I just think it's on of those fairly rare, great rom com and Laughton's hammy-ness is a real asset in this film. I'll be sure to check back in a decade or so when you watch it again and admit it's a true classic....
THE SNIPER is one of those movies that I find unsettling and magnetic at the same time ; it shows up on MOVIES! frequently, and I find myself watching it each time.
Discovered Tubi has an enormous amount of documentaries regarding German military/ business /nazi cooperation before/ during/ after the war and their protectors.
I loved your take on the griswolds I think I have spelled that correctly. And yes it is quite a juxtaposition to go to the next movie but thank you for another wonderful video. I had a question and I wondered if you had ever reviewed THX 1138 I ran into it the other day and have a copy which although I have seen it several times I am holding off watching it again I would love to hear your opinion on it should you ever have time to watch it. Anyway thanks again.
Hi Jerome, you're probably already aware of this but this is just a suggestion to put the start time for the discussion of each movie in your "Movies mentioned:" list in front of the title. RUclips will automatically create chapter breaks at those times, making it easy for your viewers to jump straight to the discussion of a particular movie.
Happy New Year pretty lady. You mentioned a few movies that I may be interested to see. My first movie of the year was Nosferatu. I have mixed feelings about it.
I must ask, have you ever seen "Harold and Maude?" It is a very flavorful film, and among my five favorites. I have watched it a dozen times, and I own The Criterion version. I have couple of ""Harold and Maude" t-shirts I regularly wear. One thing you and I share, we can intensely love certain films.
Hi again for another year and Happy Sunday :) I hope you don’t mind if I continue to post comments on your videos for a while longer? maybe months or 40/50 years lol, It’d be funny if you said well actually maybe it’s time for you to stop haha. I’ve had so much trouble with RUclips since mentioning I was thinking about going underground, coincidence I’m sure but it’s felt like a Christmas George Bailey situation, Clarence RUclips has shown me what it’s like when posting comments on your channel isn’t possible. I was thinking about how to say goodbye in an email and it made me sad until I remembered i could post a comment on Ko-Fi. I hope this comment will post, please post! 🙏🏻 I’m probably not helping myself by making my comments unnecessarily longer by adding all this extra chit-chat. I wish the Criterion channel was available over here :( on the subject of streaming apps Apple TV is apparently free to everyone this weekend. I wasn’t able to see much during Christmas either but ITV did play some Bond again but strangely no Goldfinger this year. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) aired twice, Spectre (2015) twice and No Time to Die (2021) There was a Pride and Prejudice (1995) marathon and a few versions of A Christmas Carol, the Alastair Simm adaptation three times, Scrooge (1935) twice but the George C. Scott (1984) film aired four times I think. Oliver Twist (1948) played once and Oliver (1968) aired three times on different channels. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (1999) aired a couple of times over Christmas on Sky Arts too lol. Christmas flew by this year. I’ve seen six of the films on your list. This Happy Breed- I liked this one. I was reminded of family gatherings at my grandparents while watching and although the characters opinions and actions could at times be foreign the atmosphere felt familiar. I think I read John Boorman was inspired by this film when he made Hope and Glory and I could see it. Miller’s Crossing- I love the hat intro and the score by Carter Burwell. I’d like to imagine the hat from Miller’s Crossing and the white bag from American Beauty had a meet cute on a gusty day and their story will be told eventually in a Hallmark film. Miller’s Crossing is a strange one for me, at times I really like it and other times I think it’s okay and it’ll change back and forth, right now I really like it again and the Danny Boy sequence is great! It has that Coen brothers offbeat humour and maintains a feeling of real threat. My older brother met Gabriel Byrne and his ex-wife Ellen Barkin about 9 times during the 90s and they knew him by name. Hers to Hold- I loved this film and watched it at a perfect time. I remember things being stressful and couldn’t sit still to watch anything but forced myself to watch this and the pressure evaporated, I smiled and chuckled and the film gave me a warm feeling. It was very sweet. Joseph Cotten and Deanna Durbin were a great pairing. All is Lost- I may have mentioned seeing this film in a past comment. I’m also drawn to stories of survival, or even stories of tragedy like White Squall (1996) and The Perfect Storm ( 2000) I liked this film but think I’d need to be in the right mood to watch it again, I watched it late at night and was a bit tired so laid my head against a cushion, not advisable! the ocean sounds, the rocking and very little dialogue meant while Redford’s character was battling the ocean I was battling against falling sleep. I did succeed and was glad I stayed awake because the film does capture you if you let it. Redford was very impressive in it. The ocean can be very scary, I saw a documentary series on BBC years ago titled Through Hell and High Water and it followed two rowers named Ben Fogle and James Cracknell as they crossed the Atlantic in a two man boat. It was an interesting watch. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation- I love the squirrel scene ( squirrelly likes squirrel scene, there’s a shocker lol) and I liked the bits you’ve mentioned when the family all interact. I’m really glad putting lights on house exteriors isn’t a thing over here lol, you may see one or two houses with some lights but not to the extent of houses in Christmas Vacation, more often there’ll be lights in trees and for a few years anchored sail boats at the bay have strewn the masts with festive lights and it looks beautiful. Chevy Chase was in another film I saw years ago on TV titled Funny Farm and if I remember correctly it has similar humour to Christmas Vacation. I may have liked Funny Farm more but I can’t be sure because I haven’t seen it in years, maybe it’s the reverse, I’d need to see it again. The Zone of Interest- Wow, you reviewed this film beautifully. It is a powerful film and it tells such a loud story in its silence. There was a horrific incident on a train on Dec 22 where a woman was burnt alive ( RIP Debrina Kawam 🙏🏻) I saw a video of the incident and it’s really affected me, if you haven’t seen it you’re better off not looking it up. When I saw the video I was horrified that a human being could do this to another and was equally horrified by the extreme apathy from witnesses and it made me think about The Zone of Interest, I thought about how something like that could happen again in modern times if a police officer could see someone in extreme agony and walk by like it was nothing and passers-by’s could see someone suffering and instead of running to help they’d pull out their phones to film and make light of the incident, if situations like this happen during Christmas in New York in 2024 then how easily would it be for a family to happily live their day to day lives right next to a concentration camp in 2025 and I fear the answer would be very easily. The Zone of Interest was very haunting. I haven’t seen any of the others but I’d like to, The Sniper, Murder by Contact and Meet John Doe in particular. Christmas Eve I’m torn on because it’s got George Brent, he’s an actor I like well enough but was never a favourite, he’s Irish though so I should probably give the film a go. Excellent collection of reviews and a fun beginning to film discussion 2025. ~ Thank you Ms Weiselberry ~
I'm sure you must be relieved! I'm glad it worked for you this time. Let's hope this trend continues and whatever the issue has been was a final fluke of 2024. I'm going to reply here, just so it will be less disjointed. I know what you mean about going back and forth on Miller's Crossing. Even in the comments here, I see vastly different responses to it, people for whom it's a favorite and others who didn't like it or couldn't finish it. And then there's me: my reaction to the first half was the opposite of my reaction to the second half. But the more positive reaction is what is sticking. I agree, Cotten and Durbin made a great on-screen couple. It's too bad they never did another film together. I wonder if that was ever a possibility? (I should check Cotten's autobiography.) Oh, really? You guys don't put lights on your houses? I guess that is kind of a flashy American thing, ha. My family doesn't actually do it, but I like driving around and seeing everyone else's lights. I seldom see ANYONE even close to the house in Christmas Vacation, though. Yes, I'm aware of that incident, which was a horrifying and disturbing case. I wish I could say things like that were a rarity here, but if you pay attention to the news, the real news, you realize there's a lot of messed-up, depraved things going on. There certainly is an epidemic of apathy and a lack of compassion out there, as well as a fear of getting involved to help when there's a possibility you may face penalization yourself. I can totally understand how society can be manipulated by the state and state-run media into accepting and participating in appalling behavior. I hope you get to check out those other films sometime. As George Brent movies go, Christmas Eve isn't a great one. While he's a friendly guy in it, it's still kind of a caddish role. He was entertaining, though, so... I'll leave that decision up to you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on all these films! I'm glad it worked out. :)
Re: "Zone of Interest." I saw it in our Winston-Salem "art-house" theater. Sometimes it is healthy to examine our own human nature, how horror might become an everyday acceptance. It happened in modern Germany, and our human nature, in total, never really changes. It reminds me to appreciate my good luck, to have been born into a decent family in a decent society.
Happy New Year Jerome Weiselberry. Well, Miller's Crossing is one of the famous Coen Brothers movies however way way better ones to watch are Blood Simple, Raising Arizona (absolutely bonkers featuring the Cage, as in Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter). Fargo and No Country For Old Men, based on the book by Cormac Mc Carthy with Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin, but it's Javier Bardem that steals the movie with his Academy Award winning portrayal of a merciless killer. Of course, there's the Coen Brothers The Great Lebowski and O Brother Where Art Thou also you should also check out. Again Happy New Year!!
Schindler's List was a well made film that was disturbing in it's "frankness" to the point where I have a hard time calling it entertainment. I'm glad to have seen it but won't rewatch it again without a reason (e.g. watch with a friend or relative who never saw it).
Yes, I feel pretty much the same way about Schindler's List. It felt necessary to see it and I'm glad I did, but I'm not sure if/when I'll ever be willing to sit through it a second time.
I'm a big fan of Frank Capra, but I could never get into "Meet John Doe" either. Gary Cooper generally bores me, and something about Barbara Stanwyck puts me off, so maybe it ever had a chance. Ms J, have you ever seen 1939's "On Borrowed Time" with Lionel Barrymore?
I don't know if you're familiar with Robert Meyer Burnett but he's a film RUclipsr with a level of knowledge about film history, science fiction and classic literature that is second to none. Basically the closest thing RUclips and geek culture has to an actual film academic as far as I'm concerned. I think he would absolutely love to talk to you about film and books as a guest on his live show.
As always, interesting, JW. Please forgive us if you've done this already - we're slowly making way through you extensive catalog- but have you reviewed movies which use old films in the modern narrative? Two come to mind: Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, a comedy. We've never found Steve Martin funny, but the movie itself is clever. The other is The Dreamers, serious, European, with some nudity. If you've done these, sorry ! We'll find them. Best 😊
If I had to guess which movie she thought it was, perhaps it was Crossing Delancey (1988), Mccabe and Mrs Miller, or The Crossing Guard (1995). Thank you very much.
Meet John Doe should have been called Meet John Bore. Cooper has all the emotional range of a Rodin Sculpture. Perhaps Capra’s go to guy James Stewart would have been a better fit.
Your take on Meet John Doe fascinated me. I felt the same way about it, but I feel pretty much the same about most of Capra’s films. Although there are great things in some of his films. It’s A Wonderful Life and It Happened One Night are his best IMO, but even they suffer from his cornball overdone sentimentality and his simplistic political.views. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington suffers from this the most, and even James Stewart’s genuine nice guy routine grows tiring, but it’s not as bad as Arsenic and Old Lace, which annoys me no end. Cary Grant’s overacting is insufferable. So I was pleased to find that someone else didn’t think Meet John Doe was all that great. Thanks again for your honest takes on movies.
Three very good films that I watched last month were Gideon's Day [1958], Charade [1963], and Sacred Hearts [1984]. I finally gave Charade a real chance and was pleasantly surprised. Hey, I finally like a film starring Audrey Hepburn.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
What a nicely diverse set of films. Several I have seen, and a new one to me that looks very intriguing (Zone of Interest). I’ve just added it to my Prime video watchlist on your recommendation, but I will want to do some further reading about it. Looks like I will need to be in a certain frame of mind, so it may be a little while before I see it.
You are so right about the music for ‘Murder by Contract’. I hadn’t made the association with ‘Third Man’ before but it does remind one of that score. I love B films like this, that are filmed so simply. It looks like a French New Wave film (a favorite genre of mine). I love the location shots in this. Although if I remember it correctly, there is a scene where Vince Edwards is riding in a car with two fellow bad guys, and rear projection is used. I hate when a superbly shot location film does that! Really ruins the feel of the film for me when that happens.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on these films! And happy new year to you!
Hi JW. I hope you and your family have had a great start to the new year. Thank you for the mini-reviews. You mentioned several movies that are brand new to me. I always appreciate discovering lesser known films.
Because I was busy with work the last half of 2024, I didn't watch very many movies. One that I did see recently might interest you. It's called Farewell to Rabaul (1954), and was directed by Ishiro Honda, the last film he did before Godzilla. The story concerns a squadron of pilots stationed at Rabaul (on Papua New Guinea) and their struggles in the waning days of World War II. The movie stars Ryô Ikebe as the squadron commander, known by many of the locals as Captain Oni ("devil"). His harsh attitudes change as he realizes the futility of their mission. Ikebe would also work with Honda on Gorath (1962) and Battle in Outer Space (1959). One of the pilots under his command is played by Akihiko Hirata, who would, of course, go on to appear in over a dozen Honda films. Also notable in the cast is Akemi Negishi, a very beautiful actress who never became a huge star. She often played "exotic' non-Japanese roles, working with Honda again on Half Human (1955) and King Kong vs Godzilla (1962). Eiji Tsuburaya and his team handle the aerial effects, with actual war footage mixed in. Overall, a very worthwhile watch, especially if you're interested in seeing Honda do something other than science fiction. The movie is available on Internet Archive.
If you're on IA you can also look for these other Honda movies: The Blue Pearl (1951), Honda's first feature length film; Skin of the South (1952), a movie I haven't watched yet; Eagle of the Pacific (1953), a bio pic of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto; Good Luck to These Two (1957), starring frequent Honda actors Hiroshi Koizumi and Yumi Shirakawa as a newly married couple facing various problems; and Come Marry Me (1966), a more lighthearted (and musical) romantic film, and Honda's final non-kaiju picture.
Thanks again for your hard work. Have a very happy and healthy 2025.
An interesting collection, as your usual. Christmas Vacation is my favorite Christmas movie. It is possible to do a deep dive with this movie and take out some valuable lessons. I don't known if these lessons were intentionally put there. Yes, Clark borders on unlikeable. On the lighter side I can't hear Mele Kalikimaka or Here Comes Santa Claus without visualizing the scenes from Christmas Vacation.
Just subscribed, my very first movie review of yours
I also love Christmas Vacation and have to watch every December. Looking forward to another year of your reviews.
I love, love, love "Miller's Crossing". It is a nasty piece of work, beautifully done. It does help to be very familiar with noir and crime movies of the past as well as the works of Dashiell Hammett (this story is a loose retelling of two of his stories). Great quotes throughout. "Look into your heart." "What heart?" "Always put one in the brain." Great Coen movie. Beautiful score. "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: Word was that Beverly D'Angelo signed on because she wanted to work with all four of the grandparents/parents - great actors all. Loved the varied list. I look forward to your reviews in 2025!! Bye!
Nice review of "Zone of Interest." It handles its topic superbly. I liked "Meet John Doe" and was surprised to learn how problematic the ending was. If you haven't read "Five Came Back" by Mark Harris ( the story of Capra, Wyler, Huston, Stevens and Ford during and after WW2 ) you are missing out. It's great information.
Hello J, happy January 5! I noticed a familiar name in the first review: “That's Richard Kiley - we spared no expense.” Interesting to see him at a young age. I am intrigued by Miller's Crossing since I'll watch almost anything with Marcia Gay Hardin in it. Also, I recognized one actor as the Hot Dog King from an episode of Monk, lol. All is Lost is a great film, it really earned it's reputation. I was transfixed and I'm not a nautical person either. Chevy Chase I can take or leave, I guess the film was entertaining, may give it another chance some day. I enjoyed this end of month wrap up and review, thanks so much.
Haha, that's what I said as soon as Kiley came onscreen! :D
Happy New Year, dear Jerome!
I rewatched Meet John Doe this Christmas too, and I agree with everything you said. It isn't a favorite of mine either and this rewatch didn't change that. For me, it's like if the final result is less than the sum of all its parts. Stanwyck is good, Cooper steals the show, some plot points are really disturbing (like Edward Arnold's fascist nephew), Regis Toomey's speech is touching... but the movie itself, as a whole, lacks something I don't quite know how to name.
Happy New Year JW! I hope you and your family had a Wonderful Christmas. I love your mini-reviews. I look forward to them. Have a nice week. 👋
Hi JW, hope you had a great Christmas and New Year.
Wow, you've actually reviewed one of my all time favourite movies here with This Happy Breed. In my life I've never seen a film that more encapsulates what it is to be a Londoner, which I am. Totally adore this movie and I do own the restored version of it on Bluray, which is every bit as good as you said. Apart from the odd cringe at olden day attitudes, this film is just fantastic and actually ranks in my all time top10, I really think it's that good. The scene towards the end when John Mills relates his experience of meeting up with Queenie, the love of his life and Robert Newton and Celia Johnson's daughter, which culminates with: She's next door with my mum and dad, brings a tear, well several actually, to my eye every time.
Miller's Crossing is great too, the John Turturro scene in the forest alone is worth the admission price, so to speak. I think your mum may have been thinking about the film The Crossing, or maybe not.
The first film on your list The Sniper, which I hadn't heard of at all, sounds like a great watch - if a little bit creepy - I'll try and find a copy of it. Sounds a bit like Peter Bogdanovich's Targets (1968), although even more disturbing.
OK nice to see your latest list and look forwards to the next one.
Completely agree with you about John Turturro’s performance in ‘Miller’s Crossing’ !
I'm glad you saw Zone of Interest. I don't know of any other film made in the same way. The actors playing the family were alone in the house without any crew present. There were cameras left in the house to record them.
Happy new year. All your positive reviews give me more classics that I can add to onto my list. Thank you so much.
Thank you. I am still discovering your previous videos, so most are new to me. Suggesting:
1. Fate Is The Hunter, w/ Glenn Ford, Rod Taylor.
2. Experiment in Terror, w/Glenn Ford, Stephanie Powers.
3. Eiger Sanction, w/ Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy.
Your channel is fun. Thank you.
Thanks! I've seen Experiment in Terror: it's a great underrated thriller.
😊😊😊excited
Happy New Year to you! I did not know about the 1940's "Christmas Eve" movie that you reviewed. I have seen one from 1986 with Loretta Young and Trevor Howard. So, the 1986 film is a remake, unbeknownst to me about the 1940's original. The remake is very sentimental, but a good watch.
A very interesting Christmas sign that you have on the shelf behind you.
I probably will never see Zone of Interest, but as you described it, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas flashed through my memory. The latter was more explicit than the first, from what you say. Thank you for including it.
Yes, I was reminded of it as well. Ugh, that movie's ending...
Hey, Jerome. I hope you had a great holiday weekend and as a fan of the Coen brothers, I've been meaning to watch Miller's Crossing. Speaking of the Coens, I had actually watched one of my favorites of theirs, The Hudsucker Proxy as part of my New Year's Eve lineup. Take care, J and have a wonderful 2025!
Thanks Jerome, for more interesting reviews.
The Zone of Interest is on a similar theme to the 1963 book A Report on the Banality of Evil by the philosopher and political thinker Hannah Arendt. The book is about the trail she witnessed of Adolph Eichmann, the Nazi officer responsible for organizing the transportation of millions of Jews and other people to their horrible deaths in concentration camps. Hannah was expecting a monster but found a dull, unimaginative bureaucrat who claimed to have simply "followed orders". Her point is that it is surprisingly easy to fall into evil, if we don't consider what the true meaning of the situation that we find ourselves in is and what our following actions could do.
On a happier note, after following your review of A Canterbury Tale I found a copy of the movie and loved it. That led me down the path of watching and enjoying other films made in WW2. So, I'm now looking for a copy of Hers to Hold next. Recently I found a British WW2 film The Halfway House that you might find interesting to review. You could see it as WW2 propaganda, but like A Canterbury Tale and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp it is much more than that.
As always , an interesting cross section of films that you have discussed in a comprehensive and entertaining fashion .
This time around I have seen most of the films that you featured , but I have had Zone of Interest on my to watch list for awhile . Thank you for reminding me that I need to do so .
Oh , and Happy New Year !
Cheers !
Cheers!!
Happy New Year, JW. ♥
I always try to watch both "A Christmas Carol" (1941), and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" during the Christmas holidays. Almost a personal tradition.
Happy New Year, wonderful lady!
you're giving me the high hat!
Damn, you nearly broke my heart when you started talking about Miller's Crossing, one of my favourite films.
Good thing the review kept going!
@@Weiselberrytrue although I was going to ask your opinion on White Squall but now I'm not sure you would get on with it. 😅
Great upload Happy New year
Loved "The Sniper". One of the best of it's kind.
I'm glad you enjoyed Miller's Crossing. It's a really good movie.
I always get Miller’s crossing confused with the romcom crossing Delancey
Happy New Year, Sister Jerome. Glad to spend time with you every weekend.
Thank you for sharing this video! Another great list of videos. Christmas Vacation is my favorite Christmas movie! Wow that is a huge contrast with the movie you saw after it.
Happy New Year to you and your family! I hope all the best and much success for you in 2025!
HAPPY NEW YEAR JEROME!!!!
Big Jerome Weiselberry fan btw
I love your reviews! They are so insightful and entertaining! Have you seen "The Sterile Cuckoo" from 1969? I would love it if you could do a review of that film.
Thank you! No, I haven't seen that.
@@Weiselberry I forgot to say Happy New Year!
Indeed i did enjoy the reviews, as always. Happy New Year and all the best for 2025
Nice mix of the older films with the new. I've never seen any of them. Happy New Year, Miss Weislberry!
Happy New Year, I hope you 2025 brings you and your loved ones all that your hearts desire. Take care and much love from the U.K.
Have you seen "The Bishop's Wife" it's an often overlooked Christmas film?
As for the films reviewed, you've given me a few to check out. Two of them I haven't seen in a long time, two of them I have on DVD, "Miller's Crossing", I think the film which your Mother might be thinking of instead of this one could be, "Road to Perdition" 2002, and "Meet John Doe", I like both of these films (obviously), but I agree with you about the latter not being engaging at times.
Thank you!
Yes, I've seen The Bishop's Wife. I know a lot of people love that one, but I found it surprisingly dull. (Sorry!)
No, it wasn't Road to Perdition (which I also really liked); it was definitely something Gabriel Byrne was in.
Happy New Year Ms. Jerome! We made another trip around the sun. I got to watch very few flicks during the holidays, but one that I did see was "My dad's Christmas Date" I really like Piven's work, and he was excellent, but the movie itself made me feel completely horrible. One flick I really enjoyed from Netflix was "The Bank of Dave", but I always like to see your reviews because you've got interesting takes on movies I've never heard of before. Oh you know what - Gerald Mohr was fantastic in the radio show Philip Marlowe so I'm definitely checking out The Sniper! Cheers to the new year my friend!
"This Happy Breed" certainly brings a lump to the throat and a tear to the eye. Robert Newton at his most restrained. Celia Johnson suffering beautifully and stoically as ever, albeit a level or two down the social scale from her more usual roles. Her emotionally complex welcome to her prodigal daughter really packs a punch. And that cutting of the sound when bad news is imparted is worthy of Hitchcock. The title comes from John of Gaunt's famous speech in Shakespeare's Richard II, "This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle...This happy breed of men...This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England".
Happy New Year Ms Weiselberry. It's wonderful to see you back. 'The Zone of Interest' looks fascinating. I will bet that it's based on the book 'Commandant of Auschwitz' by Rudolf Hoess (the actual last commandant of Auschwitz - written while he was in prison awaiting execution.) The book is fascinating, riveting and horrifying, particularly for its honesty and frankness - this was a man with absolutely nothing to lose. Joseph Cotten and Deanna Durbin are a winning duo for me, so 'Her's To Hold' is now on my list and some of the others sound great too. Cheers.
The film is actually based on the novel of the same title by the late Martin Amis. I haven't read the book, but I know that many people who know the novel consider that the film actually has little in common with it.
@@marijo1951 Oh, ok, thanks for that. It kind of defeats the purpose of basing a film on a novel then...not actually following the novel.
@@peterkarargiris4110 But films rarely follow the plot of a novel closely - it's more a matter of the central idea of the book inspiring the film. Hitchcock often used novels (or in the case of 'The Birds', a short story by Daphne du Maurier) as the starting point of the film but developed something very different. I think sometimes the film turns out to be greater than the original book - Truffaut's 'Shoot the Piano Player' and Cuarón's 'Children of Men' come to mind. However no director has yet tackled 'Wuthering Heights' in a way that does the novel justice.
Happy New Year...even though you might not have had time to watch many movies you've still done some great varied reviews.
I saw Miller's Crossing absolutely ages ago so I must be due for a rewatch of that because I did think it was great. And All is Lost I thought was a simple story but very effective. I might check out The Sniper after your recommendation as well.
Here are some movies I saw last month:
Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978)
Repo Man (1984) on archive
From Hell It Came (1957) on archive
Yule Log (2022)
Yule Log 2: Branchin' Out (2024)
Righting Wrongs aka Above the Law (1986) on archive
Nosferatu (1922) on youtube
Rosaline (2022)
Nightmare Alley (2021)
The Impossible Kid (1982) on tubi
Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977)
Bullet Train (2022)
Lady Snowblood (1973) on archive
Little Monsters (2019)
Black Christmas (1974) on youtube
Romeo & Juliet (1968)
Nice list, JW! I've been on the fence about getting a Criterion subscription for a while, I think you've helped me make up my mind to just do it already... Happy new year - looking forward to seeing what you watch in 2025!
I believe you can buy Criterion for a month at a time instead of a full year's subscription. That might be a good option if you want to just check it out first. Thank you!
@@Weiselberry That makes the decision all the easier... thanks!
Happy New Year!
Great reviews. I hope you had a great holiday season. Btw, I couldn't find an entry on your channel for this, have you ever reviewed, "The Thin Man," because I think you'd like. I can't imagine you've never seen it, given your vast media experience, but maybe you just never reviewed it? Or maybe it's buried inside of a a video where the video itself doesn't come up with a search?
I've seen The Thin Man a couple times, and I may have mentioned it once or twice in passing, but no, I haven't reviewed any of the Thin Man films to date. Very fun movie. :)
@@Weiselberry Well, if you ever feel like reviewing them, I'd love to get your take. Personally, I love the relationship between the two leads. Especially in the first movie, they compliment each other super well. Rather than focusing on a love triangle, or a "meet cute" or whatever, they're just two married people who totally get each other, big each other up all the time, and know how to inspire the best in each other. I wish more movies portrayed that kind of relationship.
I’m thrilled you decided to re-up your subscription to CRITERION! Love Miller’s Crossing. Hey, How do I find out what movies you’ve reviewed already? I would love to recommend more movies but feel like a dope when you’ve already done them. Terry Gilliam’s BRAZIL, for example. Happy New Year and keep up the brilliant reviews!
Thanks! No need to feel like a dope, ha. You can always try going on my channel's main page and typing a title into the search box. It's not a perfect science, but if I've done a review of that film, it should come up first. Otherwise, I do have a spreadsheet listing all the movies I've talked about, but I keep access restricted to my Ko-fi page.
Jerome, any Coen Brothers movie is a must-see for me.
Happy New Year. I watched the Twilight Zone fest on H and
I channel and i recommend Hopscotch with Walter Matthau.
I did a mini review of Hopscotch a few years ago: ruclips.net/video/T7EJB822TXQ/видео.html
Zone Of Interest is a masterpiece, nothing less. I thought a key scene involved a group of affable men holding a meeting to discuss a plan to make the process of gassing and burning prisoners more efficient. The companies that provide us with the material goods we want don't really care about the working conditions in which those items are made.. We're all living on the right side of a wall - behind which we know unspeakable acts are committed. Oh, and I consider All Is Lost to also be beyond reproach. The film would not work with a younger man in the lead. It's a beautiful meditation on death.
Happy new year Jerome!
Happy New Year!! I'm very excited to continue my journey with you on what you think about things and such!
I often talk to myself and it's the only intelligent conversation I have and sometimes I talk to myself because I need expert advice.
I prefer Barbara Stanwyck in Christmas in Connecticut.
In Christmas Vacation the scene that made me laugh out loud was when the old lady picked to say grace comes out with the Pledge of Allegiance. 🎉🎉🎉
Miller's Crossing is a favourite of mine. 1990 was kind of a year for gangster movies. GoodFellas, The Godfather part 3,
King of New York, State of Grace. Cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld was in the Criterion closet recently. He told an
amusing story about getting married at the wrap party of this film and Albert Finney dropping 7 grand on surprise fireworks.
Sam Raimi has a cameo.
My sister watches Christmas Vacation 1989. Every year. At Christmas.
The most chilling thing about The Zone of Interest 2023 is how the family are so utterly indifferent to what is happening
next door. They might as well be running a shoe factory. The fly on the wall approach and the antiseptic digital photography
add to the effect. If you want an inhumane society. Just tell the people that some of the people are less than human.
Thank you for recommending The Lost King 2022. That was a good one.
Ha, that's a neat story about the fireworks! I got the impression Finney had a good time making this movie. I kind of caught the Raimi cameo, in that I saw him and thought, "Who is that? He looks so familiar." But I didn't realize it was him.
@@Weiselberry Albert Finney is fantastic in Miller's Crossing. I love his " Danny Boy" shootout scene.
Sam Raimi and the Coen brothers go way back. Joel Coen was an assistant editor on The Evil Dead.
All three collaborated on the screenplays for Raimi's slapstick noir Crimewave 1985 and the Coen's
hula hoop screwball comedy The Hudsucker Proxy 1994. Thank you for your reply.
Love your content
Thank you!
Durbin & Cotten? Count me in. However I will never understand why Raft kept getting leading roles past the 1930s.
You should read about the Capra's sufferings on Meet John Doe, in Joseph McBride's bio for example.. It will help you understand your resistance to Meet John Doe. There's a lot of reasons for it, most of all the cowardly ending.
J.W. a really interesting group of films! Need to see Sniper. Miller's Crossing was so hyped when it first came out. Found Gabriel Byrne's character, and his acting, quite off-putting, but still ended up liking the film quite a bit. Still don't know why Hers to Hold isn't on dvd/blu in North America. Would love to see it. Have you seen....It Started With Eve? Such a fun film, that starts off so dour...I see others agree with you on Meet John Doe, I do too ;) I think the suicide talk + spoiler alert...cutting his mike during his speech...ugh...hated that. Christmas Eve...was very disappointed with it, when it ran on TCM years ago. Good cast, and director, but just a mess. Randolph Scotts last non western role. Wow, just read it was remade with Loretta Young in 1987 . Had no idea .
Yes, the lack of accessibility for Hers to Hold is a shame. The print I watched wasn't the best quality either, so it could use a restoration. Perhaps someone will release one sometime. I did see It Started with Eve a few years ago; I enjoyed this a lot more. :) I agree, there was so much about Meet John Doe that was depressing and frustrating. I liked it well enough in its fun, lighthearted moments, but predominantly it gave me a feeling of melancholy. Same with Christmas Eve, to a lesser degree. I think it aired on TCM this year, plus it seems to be on several streaming services and RUclips. No problem with availability for that one!
@@Weiselberry well...hopefully, you will revisit It Started With Eve, down the road. I know Bob Cummings isn't Joseph Cotten, but I thought they actually had a fair bit of chemistry together, and thought it was cute that they kept her from showing off her singing voice, for so much of the film.
@illbebad Oh, did I give it a not-positive review? Sorry. That must have been disappointing. :/ Yes, I may revisit it sometime in the future, even though, as you say, Cummings is no Cotten.
@@Weiselberry wow...harsh! ;) It was disappointing. I just think it's on of those fairly rare, great rom com and Laughton's hammy-ness is a real asset in this film. I'll be sure to check back in a decade or so when you watch it again and admit it's a true classic....
THE SNIPER is one of those movies that I find unsettling and magnetic at the same time ; it shows up on MOVIES! frequently, and I find myself watching it each time.
Thanks for seeihg so many neat things again!
Will you have a special episode “Jerome Weiselberry’s Dad’s Barber’s Movie Recommendations”?
Great movies for 2025❣
Have you seen KNOCKAROUND GUYS, with John Malcovich and Dennis Hopper?
No.
You seem to gravitate toward older movies, with good reason IMO. Have you seen "The President's Analyst" (1967, James Coburn)?
Yes, I prefer old movies, but no, I haven't seen that.
I would call it a whacky (but not silly) spy comedy full of surprises.
Good choices. All Is Lost and Miller's Crossing are two stand outs.
Discovered Tubi has an enormous amount of documentaries regarding German military/ business /nazi cooperation before/ during/ after the war and their protectors.
I loved your take on the griswolds I think I have spelled that correctly. And yes it is quite a juxtaposition to go to the next movie but thank you for another wonderful video. I had a question and I wondered if you had ever reviewed THX 1138 I ran into it the other day and have a copy which although I have seen it several times I am holding off watching it again I would love to hear your opinion on it should you ever have time to watch it. Anyway thanks again.
Thank you, Mr. Weiselberry, that was of interest.
Hi Jerome, you're probably already aware of this but this is just a suggestion to put the start time for the discussion of each movie in your "Movies mentioned:" list in front of the title. RUclips will automatically create chapter breaks at those times, making it easy for your viewers to jump straight to the discussion of a particular movie.
@@DavidB-yg2wr Yes, I am aware, and I choose not to use that feature.
Happy New Year pretty lady. You mentioned a few movies that I may be interested to see. My first movie of the year was Nosferatu. I have mixed feelings about it.
Hey weisel. The 87 TV movie remake with Loretta Young and Trevor Howard is a wonderful Christmas Eve. same title,much more moving n enjoyable
Love you ❤
I must ask, have you ever seen "Harold and Maude?" It is a very flavorful film, and among my five favorites. I have watched it a dozen times, and I own The Criterion version. I have couple of ""Harold and Maude" t-shirts I regularly wear.
One thing you and I share, we can intensely love certain films.
Hi again for another year and Happy Sunday :)
I hope you don’t mind if I continue to post comments on your videos for a while longer? maybe months or 40/50 years lol, It’d be funny if you said well actually maybe it’s time for you to stop haha. I’ve had so much trouble with RUclips since mentioning I was thinking about going underground, coincidence I’m sure but it’s felt like a Christmas George Bailey situation, Clarence RUclips has shown me what it’s like when posting comments on your channel isn’t possible. I was thinking about how to say goodbye in an email and it made me sad until I remembered i could post a comment on Ko-Fi. I hope this comment will post, please post! 🙏🏻 I’m probably not helping myself by making my comments unnecessarily longer by adding all this extra chit-chat.
I wish the Criterion channel was available over here :( on the subject of streaming apps Apple TV is apparently free to everyone this weekend.
I wasn’t able to see much during Christmas either but ITV did play some Bond again but strangely no Goldfinger this year. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) aired twice, Spectre (2015) twice and No Time to Die (2021) There was a Pride and Prejudice (1995) marathon and a few versions of A Christmas Carol, the Alastair Simm adaptation three times, Scrooge (1935) twice but the George C. Scott (1984) film aired four times I think. Oliver Twist (1948) played once and Oliver (1968) aired three times on different channels. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (1999) aired a couple of times over Christmas on Sky Arts too lol. Christmas flew by this year.
I’ve seen six of the films on your list.
This Happy Breed- I liked this one. I was reminded of family gatherings at my grandparents while watching and although the characters opinions and actions could at times be foreign the atmosphere felt familiar. I think I read John Boorman was inspired by this film when he made Hope and Glory and I could see it.
Miller’s Crossing- I love the hat intro and the score by Carter Burwell. I’d like to imagine the hat from Miller’s Crossing and the white bag from American Beauty had a meet cute on a gusty day and their story will be told eventually in a Hallmark film. Miller’s Crossing is a strange one for me, at times I really like it and other times I think it’s okay and it’ll change back and forth, right now I really like it again and the Danny Boy sequence is great! It has that Coen brothers offbeat humour and maintains a feeling of real threat. My older brother met Gabriel Byrne and his ex-wife Ellen Barkin about 9 times during the 90s and they knew him by name.
Hers to Hold- I loved this film and watched it at a perfect time. I remember things being stressful and couldn’t sit still to watch anything but forced myself to watch this and the pressure evaporated, I smiled and chuckled and the film gave me a warm feeling. It was very sweet. Joseph Cotten and Deanna Durbin were a great pairing.
All is Lost- I may have mentioned seeing this film in a past comment. I’m also drawn to stories of survival, or even stories of tragedy like White Squall (1996) and The Perfect Storm ( 2000) I liked this film but think I’d need to be in the right mood to watch it again, I watched it late at night and was a bit tired so laid my head against a cushion, not advisable! the ocean sounds, the rocking and very little dialogue meant while Redford’s character was battling the ocean I was battling against falling sleep. I did succeed and was glad I stayed awake because the film does capture you if you let it. Redford was very impressive in it. The ocean can be very scary, I saw a documentary series on BBC years ago titled Through Hell and High Water and it followed two rowers named Ben Fogle and James Cracknell as they crossed the Atlantic in a two man boat. It was an interesting watch.
National Lampoons Christmas Vacation- I love the squirrel scene ( squirrelly likes squirrel scene, there’s a shocker lol) and I liked the bits you’ve mentioned when the family all interact. I’m really glad putting lights on house exteriors isn’t a thing over here lol, you may see one or two houses with some lights but not to the extent of houses in Christmas Vacation, more often there’ll be lights in trees and for a few years anchored sail boats at the bay have strewn the masts with festive lights and it looks beautiful. Chevy Chase was in another film I saw years ago on TV titled Funny Farm and if I remember correctly it has similar humour to Christmas Vacation. I may have liked Funny Farm more but I can’t be sure because I haven’t seen it in years, maybe it’s the reverse, I’d need to see it again.
The Zone of Interest- Wow, you reviewed this film beautifully. It is a powerful film and it tells such a loud story in its silence. There was a horrific incident on a train on Dec 22 where a woman was burnt alive ( RIP Debrina Kawam 🙏🏻) I saw a video of the incident and it’s really affected me, if you haven’t seen it you’re better off not looking it up. When I saw the video I was horrified that a human being could do this to another and was equally horrified by the extreme apathy from witnesses and it made me think about The Zone of Interest, I thought about how something like that could happen again in modern times if a police officer could see someone in extreme agony and walk by like it was nothing and passers-by’s could see someone suffering and instead of running to help they’d pull out their phones to film and make light of the incident, if situations like this happen during Christmas in New York in 2024 then how easily would it be for a family to happily live their day to day lives right next to a concentration camp in 2025 and I fear the answer would be very easily. The Zone of Interest was very haunting.
I haven’t seen any of the others but I’d like to, The Sniper, Murder by Contact and Meet John Doe in particular. Christmas Eve I’m torn on because it’s got George Brent, he’s an actor I like well enough but was never a favourite, he’s Irish though so I should probably give the film a go.
Excellent collection of reviews and a fun beginning to film discussion 2025.
~ Thank you Ms Weiselberry ~
I'm sure you must be relieved! I'm glad it worked for you this time. Let's hope this trend continues and whatever the issue has been was a final fluke of 2024.
I'm going to reply here, just so it will be less disjointed.
I know what you mean about going back and forth on Miller's Crossing. Even in the comments here, I see vastly different responses to it, people for whom it's a favorite and others who didn't like it or couldn't finish it. And then there's me: my reaction to the first half was the opposite of my reaction to the second half. But the more positive reaction is what is sticking.
I agree, Cotten and Durbin made a great on-screen couple. It's too bad they never did another film together. I wonder if that was ever a possibility? (I should check Cotten's autobiography.)
Oh, really? You guys don't put lights on your houses? I guess that is kind of a flashy American thing, ha. My family doesn't actually do it, but I like driving around and seeing everyone else's lights. I seldom see ANYONE even close to the house in Christmas Vacation, though.
Yes, I'm aware of that incident, which was a horrifying and disturbing case. I wish I could say things like that were a rarity here, but if you pay attention to the news, the real news, you realize there's a lot of messed-up, depraved things going on. There certainly is an epidemic of apathy and a lack of compassion out there, as well as a fear of getting involved to help when there's a possibility you may face penalization yourself. I can totally understand how society can be manipulated by the state and state-run media into accepting and participating in appalling behavior.
I hope you get to check out those other films sometime. As George Brent movies go, Christmas Eve isn't a great one. While he's a friendly guy in it, it's still kind of a caddish role. He was entertaining, though, so... I'll leave that decision up to you.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on all these films! I'm glad it worked out. :)
Re: "Zone of Interest." I saw it in our Winston-Salem "art-house" theater. Sometimes it is healthy to examine our own human nature, how horror might become an everyday acceptance. It happened in modern Germany, and our human nature, in total, never really changes.
It reminds me to appreciate my good luck, to have been born into a decent family in a decent society.
14:53 RANDOLPH SCOTT??
Happy New Year Jerome Weiselberry. Well, Miller's Crossing is one of the famous Coen Brothers movies however way way better ones to watch are Blood Simple, Raising Arizona (absolutely bonkers featuring the Cage, as in Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter). Fargo and No Country For Old Men, based on the book by Cormac Mc Carthy with Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin, but it's Javier Bardem that steals the movie with his Academy Award winning portrayal of a merciless killer. Of course, there's the Coen Brothers The Great Lebowski and O Brother Where Art Thou also you should also check out. Again Happy New Year!!
Schindler's List was a well made film that was disturbing in it's "frankness" to the point where I have a hard time calling it entertainment. I'm glad to have seen it but won't rewatch it again without a reason (e.g. watch with a friend or relative who never saw it).
Yes, I feel pretty much the same way about Schindler's List. It felt necessary to see it and I'm glad I did, but I'm not sure if/when I'll ever be willing to sit through it a second time.
This video format reminds me of the opening scene from Long Legs. I kept waiting for Nicolas Cage to jump out. 😁
I wanted to like Millers Crossing.
I'm a big fan of Frank Capra, but I could never get into "Meet John Doe" either. Gary Cooper generally bores me, and something about Barbara Stanwyck puts me off, so maybe it ever had a chance. Ms J, have you ever seen 1939's "On Borrowed Time" with Lionel Barrymore?
No, I've had On Borrowed Time on my list for years, but I haven't gotten to it yet.
Excellent as usual. Great way to start off 2025 movie-watching. Just one question though. Are you out of focus or are my eyes going?
I choose to film in lower resolution instead of HD. But there's nothing different about this video compared to the hundreds of others I've made.
I tried SO HARD to like Miller’s Crossing, but it was so needlessly confusing
I don't know if you're familiar with Robert Meyer Burnett but he's a film RUclipsr with a level of knowledge about film history, science fiction and classic literature that is second to none. Basically the closest thing RUclips and geek culture has to an actual film academic as far as I'm concerned. I think he would absolutely love to talk to you about film and books as a guest on his live show.
Suprised you saw The Sniper & Miller's Crossing. Happy 2025.
Beautiful lady love your videos :)
As always, interesting, JW. Please forgive us if you've done this already - we're slowly making way through you extensive catalog- but have you reviewed movies which use old films in the modern narrative? Two come to mind: Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, a comedy. We've never found Steve Martin funny, but the movie itself is clever. The other is The Dreamers, serious, European, with some nudity. If you've done these, sorry ! We'll find them. Best 😊
OURGIRL
If I had to guess which movie she thought it was, perhaps it was Crossing Delancey (1988), Mccabe and Mrs Miller, or The Crossing Guard (1995).
Thank you very much.
Meet John Doe should have been called Meet John Bore. Cooper has all the emotional range of a Rodin Sculpture. Perhaps Capra’s go to guy James Stewart would have been a better fit.
Good point. Jimmy Stewart might have been in the armed forces at this time.
Which figurative sculptor made statues with an emotional range? Genuinely curious.
"Boo-skeemi" , by the way, from his own l i p s .
Your take on Meet John Doe fascinated me. I felt the same way about it, but I feel pretty much the same about most of Capra’s films. Although there are great things in some of his films. It’s A Wonderful Life and It Happened One Night are his best IMO, but even they suffer from his cornball overdone sentimentality and his simplistic political.views. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington suffers from this the most, and even James Stewart’s genuine nice guy routine grows tiring, but it’s not as bad as Arsenic and Old Lace, which annoys me no end. Cary Grant’s overacting is insufferable. So I was pleased to find that someone else didn’t think Meet John Doe was all that great. Thanks again for your honest takes on movies.
I made a video to this but much longer✌
Three very good films that I watched last month were Gideon's Day [1958], Charade [1963], and Sacred Hearts [1984].
I finally gave Charade a real chance and was pleasantly surprised. Hey, I finally like a film starring Audrey Hepburn.