What have you been watching?

What a coincidence. My copy arrived two days ago. I saw a couple of clips on You Tube and wanted to see it.

I just watched "Burnt By The Sun" and "Burnt By The Sun 2" (part one). I'm going to watch the second part of "Burnt 2" (subtitled Citadel) in a couple of days. I loved both films, but I can understand why fans of the first film could be put off by the second. The first reminds me of something like Peter Weir's "Picknic At Hanging Rock" in terms of pace and tone. Bewitching and disurbing with a devastating endind. The second movie is a complete departure into a different direction. But I loved it. I had to take it as a different film, not a direct sequel.

If you haven't seen either I highly recommend them but be warned that they are connected only by the most tenuous story thread.

 

According to Oak Island- a huge breakthrough is contained in the next episode...Last episode- they found a railroad spike in the swamp they drained. yee ha...They also found 1 long wooden plank...how exciting is that...the wood from 'the vault' had circular saw marks. Yeah, so no- they have not found anything that could not have been salted...but i'll watch next episode. It is much more entertaining/informing than the kardashebutts.

 

Operation Pacific with John Wayne and Patricial Neal. A little clunky. I now know why it took me so long to watch it. Just isn't as good as some of John Wayne's other WW2 movies like They Were Expendable or Sands of Iwo Jima.

 

Yet ultimately unsatisfying.

When they use the phrase 'Oak Island theorists' for the fourth time I start having 'Ancient Alien' flashbacks. Their great find was small shards of wood in the 'chamber'.

 

Bella, the commercial for next episode of oak island seems to indicate, unlike all previous episodes -lol- that there is a significant discovery next episode.

 

East/West from 1999. This is a post-war co-production between Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, France, and Spain.

The story is about the Russian emigrants that fled Russia after the revolution and now, post second world war, were invited to return to Russia and become Soviet citizens. Most of those who returned were executed. A well played and interesting film worth watching.

 

Watched Denial last night.

I was concerned that such a movie would not translate to screen but I was very satisfied with their portrayal. Excellent film. Not action packed of course. Not a typical courtroom drama either. There could have been more trial scenes and displaying of the evidence but I feel they achieved the most important aspects of the case. The acting was amazing. Great cast. Weisz and Spall played Lipstadt and Irving flawlessly. I would highly recommend this film for the importance of the message it sends and it's art.

 

Just watched "Tokyo Trial" about the International war crimes tribunal in Tokyo from 1945 to 1948. A deeply flawed process controlled by the American supreme commander and the British judge.

I couldn't help but feel there was more to the story than what was shown - how the 28 men to be judged were selected, how thye three charges were arrived at, all the other Japanese officers who were judged in seperate courts and their stories... ETc.

Nevertheless it was a very well done 4 episode arc.

 

Am half way through the television movie "Naked Among Wolves"

Is it based on the same story as "Son Of Saul"? and "The Grey Zone" Are these three related? Ineach case a child is found and protected by other inmates in a death camp. In two of the cases it seems the incident happens just before a major attempt at revolt against the Germans. Are these three seperate incidents?

 

Which one was is? I am still searching for the films about this story.

To my knowledge there are three films and one mini-series about this event; 1) Tokyo Trial (Tôkyô saiban) a documentary from 1983, 2) The Tokyo Trial (Dong Jing shen pan) from 2006, 3) Tokyo Trial from 2007, and 4) Tokyo Trial, a mini-series from 2016.

 

It's a disturbing look at "what if?". I really enjoy it. And they're been greelit for a third season. Very excited to see what they come up with.

 

The miniseries. Available on Netflix.

 

Just watched "Yükoku" by Yukio Mishima (1966) about the ritual suicides of Lt Shinji Takeyama and his wife Reiko. It's a short (30 minute) film in black and white done in the style of Nö theater. Very disturbing on several levels. I don't recommend it for the faint of heart.

First because of the gore. The protagonist kneeling in a pool of his blood, holding his guts with one hand while he shoves his sword through his own neck is not something I was expecting.

Second because Mishima himself plays the part of Takeyama. Knowing as I did that he killed himself the same way in an act of ritual suicide only four years later held a morbidity that put me off a little.

That said- the first half of the movie is beautiful. A deeply sensual interplay of movement. light and darkness, music and form as the husband and wife make love for the last time.

The dvd extras include interviews from the time with Mishima on the end of the war, Japanese militarism, death, etc. He was an 18 year old factory worker when he heard the words of the emperor announcing the surender to the allies. He expected the world to end, but instead he just sat in a park looking up at the tree branches swaying in the wind. And life went on.

 

My DVD copy of Attack on the Iron Coast.

 

We're in the midst of an ice storm here in Nebraska, so we're housebound for the next two days. I'm not worried - I've got TCM (Turner Classic Movies) on. Next up: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, one of my favorites. And then All About Eve is on.

 

Season 4 finale of Sherlock.

 

Not sure if season 4- but...was disappointed. Sherlocks sister- so many nutty points.
-The opening, where he has the sword, no smart guy would be fooled by little girl/clown.
3 guys drop outside on ropes. Sherlock has to make individual deductions...How did she manage to recruit men to rope them up and drop/cut them.
Final episode stretched things too far.
Just like hollywood- unhappy endings...