Tag Archives: Look Back in Anger

Howlin’ at the Moon

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Movie night!

I’m sneakin’ out tonight with my lunatic pup (Chloe) to gaze at the promised micro blue moon. We may howl. We may discuss the opening chapter of Neil Stephenson’s fascinating book; SEVENEVES. It’s my favorite of Stephenson’s novels, but Chloe quibbles with the last third of the piece. She has a fair point.

Then, we shall scurry to the library to watch the 1964 version/vision of H. G. Wells’ FIRST MEN IN THE MOON.

The personnel involved are the main reason to watch this film (Chloe suspects my shallowly buried hope of being chosen the next 75-year-old astronaut might also be a motivating factor).

Nathan Juran is the director. Mr. Juran is an Oscar winner for…Art Direction…for the HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY, a beautiful film, but nothing like his directing career. He directed some of my favorite guilty pleasures; THE DEADLY MANTIS (1957) – big bugs…never misses, 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (1957), and ATTACK OF THE 50-FOOT WOMAN (1958) – 50-foot Alison Hayes…never misses.

Nigel Kneale is our screenwriter. Mr. Kneale wrote screenplays for serious stuff; THE ENTERTAINER (1960) and LOOK BACK IN ANGER (1959), disturbing British sci-fi; THE STONE TAPE (1972) and FIVE MILLION MILES TO EARTH (1967), and a truly terrifying ghost story; THE WOMAN IN BLACK (1989), not the Radcliffe remake.

Valentine Dyall, the narrator was memorable in HORROR HOTEL (1960), a fine, foggy scare as Jethrow Keane, a hitchhiker to whom you do not want to give a ride. He was also in THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (1963) as one half of the unhelpful caretaker couple; “No one from town will come after dark…in the night…in the dark.”

Our old friend Miles Malleson is also in this film. His is an amazing career; HORROR OF DRACULA (1958), THR HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1959), and THE BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960) for Hammer, and about a hundred more.

We may howl indeed.

Look Back in Puzzlement

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Movie Night!

I’m watching Look Back in Anger on a tape I made from an early 90’s TV broadcast on Bravo.

It’s not a great film and Richard Burton’s performance is quite over the top, but I love this script. I did some scene work from it in college and remember being so mightily impressed even then. It’s an interesting film and well worth the time invested.

Or is it?

Seeing the film again and seeing the quality of Bravo’s 1990’s offerings sent me into a geezer moment.

You’ve been warned.

I am not one to long for the good old days. I am quite happy with how today went and look forward to an even better day tomorrow.

However, I do think I preferred a world where Bravo showed Look Back in Anger and Kagemusha and Picnic at Hanging Rock to a world dominated by Fox and MNBC and six (or even one, for that matter) consecutive episodes of “Love After Lockup”.

I also think I preferred a world where if I disagreed with you about something it didn’t immediately escalate and become labeled as a war on whatever.

I think I preferred a world where bigger wasn’t always better, where louder wasn’t always right, where different was just different and perhaps not to my taste (like Richard Burton in this flick) but OK.

I think I preferred a world where a lie was a lie no matter how loudly or often it was shouted and repeated.

I think I did.

I think I shoulda watched a happier British flick. Maybe a Carry On film should be in the offing.