Recent Viewings, Part 2

[lester1/2jr]

I had no idea that existed. I might have watched it instead. Yeah, it's not rocket science it's just a conspiracy movie. I wonder if they could use AI to upgrade "Lathe of Heaven". The only version out there is a rusty 2nd gen.

[Dr. Whom]

Der blaue Engel (1930)

The movie that launched the career of Marlene Dietrich. I must admit I am rather underwhelmed by her performance here. For me she doesn't give off as much femme fatale/ewig Weibliche vibes as, say Greta Garbo, but she did become a sensation on the back of this movie, so what do I know. I was impressed by Emil Jannings, however, even though his style may be a little too rooted in the silent movie era for modern tastes. Speaking of which, this was filmed fully a movie with sound, and the foley team certainly does not let you forget it. It was filmed on one of the earliest true sound stages, which might explain why it feels so claustrophobic. A lot of it takes place in enclosed spaces crammed with people.

The general themes have not aged well. Our views on femininity and the relative social status of stage performers vs teachers have shifted dramatically so now it is more of a document of its time than a socially relevant commentary. Still, worth seeing.

[Rev. Powell]

RIFFTRAX LIVE: GIANT SPIDER INVASION: You know this one: spiders from another dimension arrive in a meteor, and only an inbred family of drunken Wisconsin hicks, a couple of unimpressive scientists, and tubby sheriff Alan Hale Jr. stand between them and annihilation of the planet. I'm not crazy about these "re-riffs": there's a lot of pandering (the audience joins in enthusiastically when they replay the famous "Packers!" joke), and it doesn't come close to being as funny as the original. Some of the stuff they cut for MST3K is pretty nasty: some hints of near-incest and near-pedophilia (it's not clear how old the young lady of the family is supposed to be, but she's late high school or just graduated, about 17 or 18, and her stepfather and stepcousin harass her insistently). They do have a new short, though, and a hilarious closing theme song (a spider-invasion-themed parody of a Neil Young song) from Kevin, and the audience's laughter is infectious, so it's a wash. 3/5.