Robin and Marian...and the rest of today's viewing.

[Deej]

Movies i watched today:

Robin and Marian(1976)- An updating of the legends focusing on the characters in middle age. Robin and Little John come back from the Crusades where they meet up, again, with Friar Tuck, Will Scarlett, and Maid Marian(who has been living in a Nunnery for the last 18 years). Once again they do battle with the Sheriff of Nottingham and his henchmen.

I know this sounds dramatic, but this movie is beautiful. Romance movies should have multiple shootings(Casablanca) or, as in the case here, multiple slashings and stabbings. I feel it keeps the interest up. The scenes between Robin and Marian, and the rest of the old gang, are touching and (for me) a little sad. The movie's focus on the decline of great men, kinda makes me all misty.

The cast is amazing! Sean Connery as Robin, Audrey Hepburn as Marian, Nicol Williamson as Little John. Robert Shaw plays a surprisingly human and somewhat sympathetic Sheriff. Cameos By Richard Harris as King Richard The Lion Heart, and Ian Holm as John Lackland.

The film is directed by Richard Lester in his own particular style, with plenty of humor and sightgags, but not as much slapstick as the Musketeer films. One of my new favorites. The ending really busts me up.

Touch Of Evil(1958)- You know that when Charlton Heston is one of the few actors in the cast who is NOT overacting, you're in for a new experience. Well directed(by Orson Welles), beautifully shot noir film set in a Mexican border town. Amazing film, good story, great suspense and action. But, alot of the acting is horrible. Orson Welles does his best Edward G Robinson, as the dirty police captain. I mean dirty literally and figuratively. I guess it's a tribute to his acting genius that he's so repellant in every scene. Or maybe he's just a nasty bastard. Heston is remarkably subdued, and gives one of his best performances(IMO). Dennis Weaver....oh for the love of Benji....Dennis Weaver. He is SO damned awful in this film that I want to hunt him down wherever he may be and hit him with a shovel. Janet Leigh is good in her role as Heston's wife. This only the second film I've seen her in, but I'm forced to draw the conclusion that she has s**tty taste in motels!

Strangers On A Train(1951)- The original "let's swap murders" movie, sent up in Throw Mama From the Train. Pretty slick suspenser. Robert Walker( who I'm familiar with as a song and dance man from 40's musicals) does a damn good job as the looney bastard who comes up with the plot. Farley Granger( who played a bit of a mincing puss in Hitchcock's ROPE) plays a bit of a mincing puss in this film as well. Solid Hitchcock film....still like The Lady Vanishes best!



Post Edited (03-02-04 19:19)

[daveblackeye15]

I remember watching Robin and Marian in one of my middle school mythology classes and remember liking the movie quite a lot. Glad you like it also.

[Scott]

Deej,

Robin and Marian(1976) caught my curiousity once, but he VHS box cover of the older heros turned me away. Now that I know that is the concept of the story I will definately check it out when an opportunity comes up.

Touch of Evil (1958) This b/w film has a great look to it. I only was able to catch15 minutes of this film last year. With Orson Welles directing and giving it the neat lighting and location. Hope to find it on TV again so I can see the whole thing.

Those are 3 films for my list of films to view.

[Yaddo42]

Seen all three over the years.

"Robin and Marian" - I liked it, although mostly for the first half. I've become of a big fan of Lester's "heroic comedies" over the years, the Musketeer films, this one, even what I've seen of "Royal Flash" was fun. Even his more serious adventure films like "Juggernaut" are worth looking into. Then he had to go make stuff like "Superman 3".

"Touch of Evil" - always loved it, one of those films that maybe shouldn't have worked (Heston playing a Mexican, Welles giving cameos to his friends that walked on the set, his fight with the studio over the editing, etc.) but turned out a classic anyway. I need to see the newer rereleased version with the changes Welles wanted put back in to compared.

"Strangers on a Train" - another classic of the Hitchcock formula of the ordinary man in an extrordinary situation. Very ahead of its time having a protagonist who wasn't pristine to begin with, but still balking at Bruno's scheme.

[Deej]

I'd forgotten about Lester doing Superman 3! And, here I was, thinking what a perfect record he had. Help!, The Musketeers, etc.... Well, I guess they can't all be winners.