MidCenturyCinema

👍 Never. Enough. Howe.

10/5/45: Billy Wilder's The Lost Weekend (W Billy/Brackett, DP John Seitz) w/Ray Milland, Jane Wyman
More
James Agee (notable given his struggles): thenation.com/article/arch...
@annodracula.bsky.social: www.empireonline.com/movies/revie...
@cinephiliabeyond.org: cinephiliabeyond.org/billy-wilder...

Note my atypical phrasing . . .

My favourite Bond film: Dr No In the second of our Favourite Bond series, Philip French falls for the unselfconscious charm of Dr No: a modest thriller with Sean Connery as the tough, stylish hero

10/5/62: Dr No
w/Sean Connery, Jack Lord, Ursula Andress
@davekehr.bsky.social: "All of the elements of the formula... in pleasing moderation"
@wendyide.bsky.social: "still one of the best"
More:
@denofgeek.bsky.social: www.denofgeek.com/movies/dr-no...
French: www.theguardian.com/film/2012/se...

Opinion | John Frankenheimer Pointed His Camera Toward the Things We Cannot Escape (Published 2023)

10/5/66: John Frankenheimer's Seconds
w/Rock Hudson, John Randolph
DP James Wong Howe🙏
Our take: midcenturycinema.org/node/86
More:
@thehighsign.bsky.social: slate.com/culture/2013...
@mangiotto.bsky.social: filmfreakcentral.net/2013/10/seco...
@jamellebouie.net: www.nytimes.com/2023/05/13/o...

Review: ‘The Weekend’ a charming world premiere at Barrington Stage The multilayered play “The Weekend” by Ben Diskant closes out Barrington Stage Company’s season with a clever, entertaining love story set in Stockbridge.

Just back from catching The Weekend at Barrington Stage Company:
barringtonstageco.org/the-weekend/
Agree with Steve Barnes @timesunion.com review: www.timesunion.com/theater/arti...
"Acted with fluidity and nuance by a faultless cast"
Huge props esp. to MCC favorite Sasha Diamond

Susan Sarandon's BD - MCCT5: 5)The Hunger (Scott) 4)Bull Durham (Shelton) 3)Atlantic City (Malle) 2)Twilight (Benton) 1)Dead Man Walking (Robbins)
More:
Here w/Nice Paul Newman story: variety.com/2018/film/ne...
via @interviewmagazine.com.web.brid.gy:
www.interviewmagazine.com/film/susan-s...

10/4/54: Ingmar Bergman's A Lesson in Love
w/Eva Dahlbeck, Gunnar Björnstrand, Yvonne Lombard, Harriet Andersson
One of the "early funny ones"
More:
@railoftomorrow.bsky.social / @criterioncast.com: criterioncast.com/column/on-th...
Crowther: www.nytimes.com/1960/03/15/a...

‘The Maltese Falcon’: The Little Important Details You Missed This classic detective movie is now available for streaming.

10/3/41: The. Maltese. Falcon.
W/D John Huston
w/Bogie, Astor, Lorre, Greenstreet, Cook Jr.
More:
Danny Huston w/ @showbizsimon.bsky.social: www.forbes.com/sites/simont...
Sragow/ @libraryofamerica.bsky.social:
www.loa.org/news-and-vie...
@mattsinger.bsky.social: screencrush.com/the-maltese-...

10/3/58: Andrzej Wajda's Ashes & Diamonds
To us, his greatest film [DP: Jerzy Wójcik 🙏 ]
More:
@christinalefou.bsky.social on star Zbigniew Cybulski: mubi.com/en/notebook/...
@oleszczyk.bsky.social: www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-co...
@alissawilkinson.bsky.social: www.vox.com/2016/10/12/1...

Deciding Whether to Trust Your Senses. Or Not. (Published 2015)

10/3/65 Otto Preminger's Bunny Lake is Missing
w/Keir Dullea, Carol Lynley, Olivier
Our take: midcenturycinema.org/node/41
More
@tasharobinson.bsky.social: avclub.com/bunny-lake-i...
@tnyfrontrow.bsky.social: www.newyorker.com/goings-on-ab...
@jhoberman.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/m...

Film Review: Early Summer (1951) by Yasujiro Ozu The director’s exceptional ability to tap into universal feelings makes the film an enduring classic that can be appreciated by all. Film Review: Early Summer (1951) by Yasujiro Ozu

10/3/51: Yasujirô Ozu's Early Summer
w/Setsuko Hara & Chishû Ryû
Peak Ozu - on our S&S T10 ATG ballot:
midcenturycinema.org/2022/04/09/n...
More:
@benkenigsberg.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/m...
@therealwilmotski.bsky.social: asianmoviepulse.com/2020/12/film...

Not sure "reboot" is appropriate word here

‘The Maltese Falcon’: The Little Important Details You Missed This classic detective movie is now available for streaming.

10/3/41: The. Maltese. Falcon.
W/D John Huston
w/Bogie, Astor, Lorre, Greenstreet, Cook Jr.
More:
Danny Huston w/ @showbizsimon.bsky.social: www.forbes.com/sites/simont...
Sragow/ @libraryofamerica.bsky.social:
www.loa.org/news-and-vie...
@mattsinger.bsky.social: screencrush.com/the-maltese-...

One of Our Greatest Filmmakers Was Banned From Filmmaking. Now He’s Back With Cannes’ Best Movie. Two years after he went on hunger strike in an Iranian prison, he’s returned with one of the year’s best movies.

really requires no further comment that Iran let dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi out of prison but he can't come to the New York Film Festival because this country won't issue him a visa in time

10/2/74: Taking of Pelham 1-2-3
D Sargent/DP Roizman
w/Matthau/Shaw/Balsam ++
Nails mid-70s NYC
From us/70s Movie Podcast: open.spotify.com/episode/5tSx...
More
Savvy @janetmaslin.bsky.social rev also cool '74 movie time capsule: archive.org/details/sim_...
BLFJ: brightlightsfilm.com/the-taking-o...

Martin Scorsese Has A Favorite Movie From His Career, But He Can't Watch It - SlashFilm Director Martin Scorsese once revealed one of his favorite personal movies, but he doesn't like to rewatch it.

10/2/73: Scorsese's Mean Streets
w/Keitel, De Niro, Amy Robinson
Kael: A triumph of personal film-making
More
@scotttobias.bsky.social: www.theguardian.com/film/2023/oc...
@unclecrizzle.bsky.social: www.pastemagazine.com/movies/marti...
@cevangelista413.bsky.social: www.slashfilm.com/1572783/dire...

10/2/68: Coogan's Bluff
D: Don Siegel, w/Clint Eastwood, Lee J. Cobb, Susan Clark
Gestures at Dirty Harry, but w/more nuance; we disc here: midcenturycinema.org/wp-content/u...
Nice take by Tarantino, whose appreciation of Siegel a rare strength of Cinema Speculation: web.archive.org/web/20200323...

alas . . .

Documentary: “The Graham Greene Trilogy” 1993 BBC doc about the renowned novelist, playwright, and screenwriter.

BOTD Graham Greene!!
Novels source This Gun for Hire, Ministry of Fear
W: Brighton Rock, Our Man/Havana, 3rd Man
More
@kimwillsher.bsky.social: www.theguardian.com/books/2023/s...
Scott Bradfield: newrepublic.com/article/1616...
@gointothestory.bsky.social: gointothestory.blcklst.com/documentary-...

Henry Jaglom, Indie Director Who Mined the Personal, Dies at 87

Late with this:
BBS participant, Orson Welles affiliate, & indie icon Henry Jaglom left us last week
More:
Campbell/ @faroutmagazine.co.uk: faroutmagazine.co.uk/remarkable-c...
Hemphill/ @indiewire.com.web.brid.gy: www.indiewire.com/features/com...
Williams/NYT obit: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/m...

Kim Morgan on Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show Film historian Kim Morgan writes about Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show.

10/2/71: Peter Bogdanovich's Last Picture Show
w/Jeff Bridges, Ellen Burstyn, Cloris Leachman, Cybill Shepherd, Eileen Brennan, Ben Johnson
More
Us: midcenturycinema.org/wp-content/u...
@grahamfuller.bsky.social: www.criterion.com/current/post...
@kimmorgan.bsky.social: thenewbev.com/blog/2017/01...

10/2/74: Taking of Pelham 1-2-3
D Sargent/DP Roizman
w/Matthau/Shaw/Balsam ++
Nails mid-70s NYC
From us/70s Movie Podcast: open.spotify.com/episode/5tSx...
More
Savvy @janetmaslin.bsky.social rev also cool '74 movie time capsule: archive.org/details/sim_...
BLFJ: brightlightsfilm.com/the-taking-o...

Martin Scorsese Has A Favorite Movie From His Career, But He Can't Watch It - SlashFilm Director Martin Scorsese once revealed one of his favorite personal movies, but he doesn't like to rewatch it.

10/2/73: Scorsese's Mean Streets
w/Keitel, De Niro, Amy Robinson
Kael: A triumph of personal film-making
More
@scotttobias.bsky.social: www.theguardian.com/film/2023/oc...
@unclecrizzle.bsky.social: www.pastemagazine.com/movies/marti...
@cevangelista413.bsky.social: www.slashfilm.com/1572783/dire...

BOTD Philippe Noiret!! MCCT5 5)Pointe Courte (Varda) 4)Masks (Chabrol) 3)Judge & Assassin 2)Life & Nothing But 1)The Clockmaker (Tavernier x3)
More:
From us on Clockmaker, via Cineaste: midcenturycinema.org/wp-content/u...
@johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social: www.sfgate.com/entertainmen...

10/1/51: Summer Interlude - Ingmar Bergman's first great film
More:
@jhoberman.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/2019/07/24/a...
@railoftomorrow.bsky.social: criterioncast.com/podcast/crit...
Peter Cowie: www.criterion.com/current/post...

Breezy but amusing. Try it as a double feature with Charley Varrick: open.spotify.com/episode/2nyR...

Walter Matthau: 10 essential films On the centenary of the birth of cinema’s most lovable grump, we recommend 10 of the best films featuring Walter Matthau, an actor always at his finest playing characters hilariously at odds with the ...

BOTD Walter Matthau!!
Key 60s/70s incl Fail Safe, Fortune Cookie, Odd Couple, New Leaf, Charley Varrick, Laughing Policeman, Pelham 123 [just podcasted! open.spotify.com/episode/5tSx...
More
@nikdirga.bsky.social: nikdirga.com/2024/09/02/w...
@chlopinions.bsky.social: www.bfi.org.uk/lists/walter...

10/1/62: Johnny's 1st tonight show
Sure, you can say he was post-rat pack, middle of the road, medium cool - I know I did
But he was a rock, and a master of his craft
Nice take via @jasonzinoman.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/2020/07/26/a...

In the latest episode of That '70s Movie Podcast - The Parallax View!!!
via Alan J. Pakula and Mr. Gordon Willis, starring Warren Beatty
open.spotify.com/show/7bTN0NQ...
Love this New Hollywood landmark
But one reads the chilling written Parallax test with very mixed emotions today . . .