Robert Osborne

One year ago today, fans of classic film were hit by the sad news of Robert Osborne's passing.  Apparently one of the most well-liked human beings on the planet (I've never come across a single negative thing said about him), Mr. Osborne was a lifelong ambassador for classic film.  I knew him as the person who intro'd movies every night on TCM.

In watching his introductions, I was immediately struck by his intelligence.  Seeing him speak about old movies was probably one of my first encounters with someone treating film like something that could be taken seriously.  Another thing that nobody who had even a passing familiarity with him could miss was his love of the movies.  As someone who always felt like I ought to apologize for loving film as much as I do, Robert Osborne was a model of the thoughtful, intelligent fandom I wanted to exhibit.

Today, I've seen a lot of tributes to Mr. Osborne.  It might seem strange to the casual onlooker that so much digital ink is being spilled by film lovers over someone who wasn't even a filmmaker.  I think that view really misses the point, though, because the life of a film doesn't end with its release, and a film's post-release life is often as important as its initial run in theaters.

One of my favorite quotes from Before Sunset is the Ethan Hawke character's observation that "...a memory's never finished, if you really think about it."  Robert Osborne's legacy is one of championing, and contextualizing the films he brought to us.  He may not have made Casa Blanca or Gone With the Wind, but he was there to tell us why those movies are great and/or interesting and worthy of our time and to give us a little of the history behind them.  In that way, he became an important part of the "afterlife" of these films.  He kept them in our minds and was integral in framing our memories of them.  As with a memory, a movie's never really finished until we're done thinking of it, and the contribution of people like Mr. Osborne will be felt for decades to come.

Film Discoveries - January 2018

Hello everyone!  This update will cover my top four first time watches for the month of January 2018.  This month's discoveries are a bit uncharacteristic for me, as at least one new film typically breaks into the list.  Don't hold that against them, though; this batch is pretty great.  So, without further ado...

The Narrow Margin - 1952

If there's anything that impresses me about the The Narrow Margin, it's just how jam-packed it is.  The story of a police officer (Charles McGraw) escorting a witness to California by train so that she can testify against the Mob, it's got pathos, suspense, colorful characters, and a couple plot twists that keep everything interesting.  The fact that all of this fits inside a nice 71 minute package is really remarkable and the movie is now among my favorite films noir.

My Letterboxd review:

https://letterboxd.com/carcinogent/film/the-narrow-margin/

Availability

The Narrow Margin is currently available on DVD from the Warner Archive.

The Naked Prey - 1965

Perhaps the inclusion that would generate the most controversy (due in part to its portrayal of a white man on the run from African pursuers), The Naked Prey nevertheless spoke to me in a way I can't deny.  Its unrelenting, existential chase never really lets up and it's a major achievement that the film sustains that momentum (more or less) the length of its runtime.  As far as the more controversial aspects of the film, I actually thought it was uncharacteristically fair to the African tribes it portrays, who are never shown as being morally or intellectually inferior.

My Letterboxd review:

https://letterboxd.com/carcinogent/film/the-naked-prey/

Availability

The Naked Prey is currently available on DVD from the Criterion Collection and on Region B Blu-ray from Masters of Cinema.

Caged - 1950

Caged is a surprisingly dark prison film.  In it, a young woman, played by Eleanor Parker, is locked away for being an accessory to a robbery.  While inside, she meets a variety of well-sketched characters, both criminal and correctional, who populate the prison and fights to maintain her personality and beliefs in a system that seems designed to make the worst out of even the least-guilty inmates.  The film's depictions of corruption and abuse really struck me as they are very frank for a movie from 1950.

Note:  Caged was singled out on the Pure Cinema Podcast for Brian Saur and Elric Kane's discussion of prison films (http://thepinksmoke.com/purecinemapodcast.html), so you don't have to take my word that it's great!

My Letterboxd review:

https://letterboxd.com/carcinogent/film/caged/

Availability

Caged is currently available on DVD from Warner Brothers.

After the Thin Man - 1936

One of the few non-Marvel sequels to make my monthly list, After the Thin Man earns its spot by being a more perfectly-mixed version of The Thin Man's already successful formula.  It's got wit and charm and some good mystery.  It also gets bonus points for having an early Jimmy Stewart performance.  What's not to like?

My Letterboxd review:

https://letterboxd.com/carcinogent/film/after-the-thin-man/

Availability

After the Thin Man is currently available on DVD from Warner Brothers.  This DVD appears to be out of print.  It's still readily available as a digital purchase, though.

Introduction or Me, the Blog, and the Movies

So, a blog, huh?  Why do that?

As a lifelong movie fan, I’ve always enjoyed picking apart films with smart people.  One of my favorite rituals growing up was going to the movies with my brothers.  This would followed by a meal (preferably Tex-Mex or burgers) and a couple hours of goodhearted discussion.  Everything was on the table, so to speak, from the movie's themes, performances, and politics, to the way in which the movie was marketed and the online response to the film.  As time has gone on, these thoughtful, film-centric meals became more rare, so I had to look to the Internet for movie talk.

To put it lightly, online film discussion has left something to be desired.  I found that a lot of the conversation surrounding movies centers on only a few blockbuster titles and often devolves into venemous fan skirmishing.  This kind of negativity was baffling to me.  Why, when we have over one hundred years of good flicks, would we waste so much time on the films that we simply don't like?  I got tired with a culture that seemed to elevate YouTube countdowns of everything wrong with Film X and didn't lift up thoughtful discussion and analysis.  Where was a film fan, someone who actually likes film as a medium and appreciates movies that are older, and weirder, to go?

I joined Letterboxd in 2015 and, despite its flaws, it's been a great resource to help me track my own viewing habits.  One of the site's features is the ability to list four favorite films on one's profile.  Beginning in February 2016, I decided to update these on a monthly basis, for the best first time watches from the previous month.  I've been tracking these at the list here ever since:

https://letterboxd.com/carcinogent/list/monthly-favorites-running-list/

Beginning this year, with my January 2018 favorites, I'm going to start writing up my favorite monthly discoveries, searching for patterns amongst these titles and hopefully highlighting exactly what I find so special about each and every one of them.  As I do this, I’m going to share my personal journey in film.  Look for that first post in the next week or so.

Feel free to follow and comment!  I'm always happy to engage in (respectful) conversation.