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#1
Good Movies / Re: Recent Viewings, Part 2
Last post by M.10rda - Today at 11:58:06 PMYou had me at "Crispin Glover" and "surrealist"!
FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938):
Okay, there's four daughters, see... they belong to Claude Rains as an aging widower music professor, which sounds like license for Comic Gold and in fact is why I watched this movie, though Rains is fifth-billed (after the daughters) and probably has the 7th or 8th largest role.
Naturally I don't begrudge him his paycheck, and he's outstanding as always. The film predominantly focuses however on the romantic entanglements of the daughters and their procession of suitors, one of whom is John Garfield in an early role. The four daughters are played by three real-life sisters (one of whom bears no resemblance to the other two) and a fourth unrelated actress (who looks identical to the two real sisters). 
I was looking for something fairly innocuous for the end-of-semester/pre-holiday period, though sort of the mind-deadening Hallmark Christmas movies I've been watching or trying to watch. This fit the bill - for a while. (There's even a Christmas sequence.)
I should mention that FOUR DAUGHTERS is directed by Michael Curtiz, who directed many famous films in the 30s and 40s, including CASABLANCA, my perpetual bugbear. After 20 or so minutes of FOUR DAUGHTERS, I was thinking: Y'kmow, this Michael Curtiz is a pretty good director...! That led me to reflect that I've seen at least a half dozen of his movies and my complaints about those are never related to how the film is shot or edited or anything. FOUR DAUGHTERS bears some understated yet palpable auteurially zest, shall we say, and it moves along engagingly with zingy dialogue and mostly affable performances.
It's only as it enters its third act that FOUR DAUGHTERS begins to show some fundamental problems... some that are similar to those I've had with Curtiz' other pictures. Alas, the guy couldn't be a true auteur if he exercised so little control over (or regard for) his material. By the final stretch of FOUR DAUGHTERS, none of the leads are behaving like realistic human beings with organic needs and emotions... they're just performing a series of choreographed maneuvers demanded to get them from artificial plot point to the next. Yeah, FOUR DAUGHTERS looks nice and it's zing-y, but it's mostly hollow... like a lot of Hollywood product from the era. Also, Garfield plays a one-note pity party princess and the other major male love interest is a glib philanderer, so feh on that.
Still, at least FOUR DAUGHTERS has the dignity to dress up its shallow, empty excuse for a screenplay with a lot of classy fixin's.
3/5
Apparently it was a big hit - there are at least two direct sequels and a spin-off with the same cast as different characters. I can't imagine the contrivances that ensue in order to justify three more movies...
FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938):
Okay, there's four daughters, see... they belong to Claude Rains as an aging widower music professor, which sounds like license for Comic Gold and in fact is why I watched this movie, though Rains is fifth-billed (after the daughters) and probably has the 7th or 8th largest role.
Naturally I don't begrudge him his paycheck, and he's outstanding as always. The film predominantly focuses however on the romantic entanglements of the daughters and their procession of suitors, one of whom is John Garfield in an early role. The four daughters are played by three real-life sisters (one of whom bears no resemblance to the other two) and a fourth unrelated actress (who looks identical to the two real sisters). I was looking for something fairly innocuous for the end-of-semester/pre-holiday period, though sort of the mind-deadening Hallmark Christmas movies I've been watching or trying to watch. This fit the bill - for a while. (There's even a Christmas sequence.)I should mention that FOUR DAUGHTERS is directed by Michael Curtiz, who directed many famous films in the 30s and 40s, including CASABLANCA, my perpetual bugbear. After 20 or so minutes of FOUR DAUGHTERS, I was thinking: Y'kmow, this Michael Curtiz is a pretty good director...! That led me to reflect that I've seen at least a half dozen of his movies and my complaints about those are never related to how the film is shot or edited or anything. FOUR DAUGHTERS bears some understated yet palpable auteurially zest, shall we say, and it moves along engagingly with zingy dialogue and mostly affable performances.
It's only as it enters its third act that FOUR DAUGHTERS begins to show some fundamental problems... some that are similar to those I've had with Curtiz' other pictures. Alas, the guy couldn't be a true auteur if he exercised so little control over (or regard for) his material. By the final stretch of FOUR DAUGHTERS, none of the leads are behaving like realistic human beings with organic needs and emotions... they're just performing a series of choreographed maneuvers demanded to get them from artificial plot point to the next. Yeah, FOUR DAUGHTERS looks nice and it's zing-y, but it's mostly hollow... like a lot of Hollywood product from the era. Also, Garfield plays a one-note pity party princess and the other major male love interest is a glib philanderer, so feh on that.
Still, at least FOUR DAUGHTERS has the dignity to dress up its shallow, empty excuse for a screenplay with a lot of classy fixin's.
3/5
Apparently it was a big hit - there are at least two direct sequels and a spin-off with the same cast as different characters. I can't imagine the contrivances that ensue in order to justify three more movies...
#2
Off Topic Discussion / Re: Random Statements About So...
Last post by pacman000 - Today at 09:35:57 PMHooooray! 
#4
Games / Re: Answer the question with a...
Last post by bob - Today at 08:29:33 PM
Where is the dog?
#5
Off Topic Discussion / Re: Random Statements About So...
Last post by indianasmith - Today at 08:00:47 PMIT'S CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!
#6
Off Topic Discussion / Re: Random Statements About So...
Last post by Rev. Powell - Today at 07:33:58 PMQuote from: claws on Today at 06:08:43 PMQuote from: zombie no.one on December 18, 2025, 09:31:14 AMcurrently eating my lunch and it's 14:30. pretty late for lunch... what are the time-parameters of 'lunch'?
10am is too early for lunch. 3pm is too late
It depends where you are. Lunch at 4pm is normal in Spain. Food times here in Germany:
Breakfast: 5am - 7am
Second Breakfast: 8am - 10am
Dinner: 11am - 1pm
Coffee (and snack) 2pm - 4pm
Lunch: 5pm - 7pm
Did JRR Tolkien base hobbit dining habits on Germans?
#7
Entertainment / Re: Keep Running, Charlie
Last post by pacman000 - Today at 06:49:57 PM #8
Off Topic Discussion / Re: Random Statements About So...
Last post by claws - Today at 06:35:25 PMNot a typo. Germans have Lunch in the evening.
Brunches are popular here. Lots of bakeries offering brunch specials. It is a classic thing to do on Saturday and Sunday, though I haven't had brunch in quite some time.
Brunches are popular here. Lots of bakeries offering brunch specials. It is a classic thing to do on Saturday and Sunday, though I haven't had brunch in quite some time.
#9
Off Topic Discussion / Re: Random Statements About So...
Last post by zombie no.one - Today at 06:23:33 PMso unless that's a typo our Lunch is your evening meal and your Dinner is our Lunch? or something?
Brunch is another one... but I don't know anyone who 'brunches' (and hopefully keeping it that way)
Brunch is another one... but I don't know anyone who 'brunches' (and hopefully keeping it that way)
#10
Off Topic Discussion / Re: Alex's even longer post th...
Last post by Alex - Today at 06:13:41 PMGave Ash one of his big xmas presents today. One of the things about autistic kids is that they do not react well to surprises, so we need to handle the holidays slightly differently and not overwhelm him on the day, so we are spreading his presents out a little. It explains why when he was four he burst into tears over opening his presents.
I wish I knew now what I didn't know back then.
Doing a course on autism to hopefully learn more about his condition. The first part of it was all about what terms to use because some people are offended by being called whatever and should be called this instead... Great, but that really doesn't help me deal with him at all in any way. I see no practical difference between saying an autistic person and a person with autism. Apparently though this is a big deal. I did get a question wrong in an exam based on that, but then again the certificate itself isn't what I am wanting out of this course. I am seeking understanding, not qualifications.
I don't consider myself woke, because based on what I've seen from them wokeism is more about enforcing a certain mindset and allowing no deviation from that. To me that is no different from the facist mindset. Then again I've always felt that if you go far enough on the left or right wing, you end up in the same place. Polically you travel far enough on either side, you end up finding that you are really in a circle.
I wish I knew now what I didn't know back then.
Doing a course on autism to hopefully learn more about his condition. The first part of it was all about what terms to use because some people are offended by being called whatever and should be called this instead... Great, but that really doesn't help me deal with him at all in any way. I see no practical difference between saying an autistic person and a person with autism. Apparently though this is a big deal. I did get a question wrong in an exam based on that, but then again the certificate itself isn't what I am wanting out of this course. I am seeking understanding, not qualifications.
I don't consider myself woke, because based on what I've seen from them wokeism is more about enforcing a certain mindset and allowing no deviation from that. To me that is no different from the facist mindset. Then again I've always felt that if you go far enough on the left or right wing, you end up in the same place. Polically you travel far enough on either side, you end up finding that you are really in a circle.