[Repo]

TRZ Classics #3. The Grand Illusion (1937)
aka Even Prison does NOT have to be a Prison Sentence

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For me it’s simple. A golf course is for golf. A tennis court is for tennis. And a prison camp? For escaping. – the aristocratic Captain de Boëldieu

von Rauffenstein [the German aristocrat in command of the "inescapable" mountain prison fortress Wintersborn]: Forgive me.
Boëldieu: I would have done the same. French or German, duty is duty.

The war’s too long. – A German prison guard, aka the Good Samaritan

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The Grand Illusion is so much more than a war movie. In fact, it barely pretends to be a war movie. It’s about relationships. And class. And the barriers that class causes in forming relationships on both sides. It’s about the decline of Europe’s aristocracy. It’s about the aristocracy vs. the nouveau rich. It’s about the new middle class that was beginning to emerge in the wake of the industrial revolution. And it’s foreshadows the class resentments <on BOTH sides> this would foster on those who would feel left out in the changing of the tides.

You could spend the rest of your life just analyzing the themes of this movie and how so much of it is relevant to the rise of the Brexit and MAGA today. That, in itself, would make it a remarkable film. But, it transcends mere political science and sociology and captures the joy of life itself and what makes us human.

I even used a clip of this movie as an example of The Good Samaritan Story <from the Gospel of Luke> for my two kids this past Sunday. One of the two main protagonists, the working class Maréchal, is thrown into solitary confinement for insubordination. Without human contact, Marechal starts having a mental breakdown. Luckily for Marechal, an empathetic German prison guard intervenes and probably saves Marechal’s sanity. First he gives him his cigarettes (invaluable in a time a war), and then intuitively realizing that this gesture will not be enough, leaves Marechal his prized harmonica. Once the guard departs, Marechal begins playing. And the guard, now outside the cell, knowingly and approvingly smiles on hearing Marechal play a few bars from his old harp. What could possibly be a greater example of the “good Samaritan” (and humaneness itself), than a P.O.W. being saved and nurtured by his very own prison guard? A wonderful, heartwarming scene.

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But, the overarching theme is that ANYTHING, even the Sisyphean struggle of trying to escaping from a German prison <hundreds of miles from a friendly border!> can give life meaning. It’s not about the end result. It’s about accepting where you are right now and what you can do about it. It doesn’t matter how futile it all ends up being. So what is that for YOU? It can be anything! From making BEA album charts to writing movie reviews that you suspect no one reads. The important thing is to just DO SOMETHING!

The Ranking: One of those timeless movies you could rewatch a gazillion times and still find something new. A showcase for the wondrous nature of life and the magic of movie making.

The TRZ Classics Rankings
1. Rebecca (1940)
2. Casablanca (1942)
3. The Grand Illusion (1937)
4. A Place in the Sun (1951)

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[Repo]

TRZ_38.Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968)
aka I Know What Boys Like

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I went from getting the laundry to directing the picture in three weeks. Altogether, I worked 22 weeks – preproduction, shooting, second unit, cutting, dubbing – I haven't learned as much since. -Peter Bogdanovich on the “Roger Corman School of Directing”

Is this a new world? Or will it consume us all. – Kearns

He was just a metal monster. BUT, when his destruction was imminent, he called my name. – Kearns.
========================================================================================== ====

Oh great Terra. We cry for the flesh that lies before you. … What evil demon has destroyed our God??! – Leader of the "Prehistoric Women"

Um. Our bad!

Well that didn’t take us long, did it? Within a mere half day, we Earthlings manage to kill their God and violate their ancient Holy Place. And you know what? That sounds about right for us, doesn't it?

So... is this a pointed critique about American patriarchy? A biting satire, perhaps?

Probably not! BUT, it’s still a fun movie. Especially if your teenage boy is still very much alive inside you. And Roger Corman, the producer of Voyage to the Planet of the Prehistoric Planet, certainly knows what teenage boys like.

Dinosaurs! Carnivorous plants! Scantily clothed Mer-Woman from Venus! Yes. Yes. And an emphatic YES! Yup. Corman knows what us boys like. That and his boundless ambition were the two keys to his massive success.

BUT, the story and the message isn’t all testosterone and puppy dog tails. It may have been a cheapie designed to make some cash for other projects, but it's not a mere exploitative pic. The narrator is introspective and reflective. And despite being scantily clad, these Mer-Women from Venus are not mere two-dimensional sex objects. Their "simple" culture could teach us "sophisticated" Earthlings boatloads. They don't exploit their planet. They commune with it. They're even able to command the elements of fire and water through communal prayer. In a lot of ways, this film reminds me of The Wicker Man. If only our narrator had been able to find a way to communicate with them, maybe, just maybe, these scantily clad Mer-Women and their "primitive" culture could have been the missing link we so desperately need to save our own planet. But, ... probably NOT!

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The Ranking: One of two films that Roger Corman cannibalized from the incredible sci-fi footage of the Russian film Planeta Bur. It takes savvy & street-smart genius to create not one, but TWO unique stories from someone else's footage. More thought-provoking than Godzilla Raids Again or even The Magnetic Monster. A GREAT cult classic!

The Rating:

Note to self: Watch more Roger Corman! And Peter Bogdonovich’s Targets.

=================== OK, but GREAT FUN! ==========================
23. The Unseen (1945)
24. The Trouble with Harry (1955)
25. The Suspect (1944)
26. Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968)
27. Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
28. The Magnetic Monster (1953)
29. King of the Zombies (1941)
30. Son of Dracula (1943)
31. The Monster That Challenged The World (1957) 1/2
232. Battle Beyond the Sun (1959)

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[Repo]

TRZ_39. The Old Dark House (1932)
aka Family Matters for The Femms!

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As a matter fact taking one thing with another, I’m not sure I want to go to Shrewsbury… Something might happen here, but nothing ever happens in Shrewsbury. -Penderel <Spoiler Alert: Penderel gets his wish!>

You’re afraid. You’re afraid Horace aren’t you? You don’t believe in God yet you’re afraid to die. You’ve heard His anger in the sky. You’ve heard Him in the night. Yet, you’re afraid, afraid , afraid. Where’s your mocking now? - Sister Femm to Brother Femm

========================================================================================== =

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre of the ‘30s. Five innocents seek shelter from the storm only to come upon a family as dysfunctional as those crazy leather-face wearing Texans. More dysfunctional even! At least those Texans had a sustainable business model going.

Beautifully shot by Whale. Meanwhile, Karloff is even more menacing as Morgan than Frankenstein. Pack your bags. Believe me. You’ll want to stay for the night.

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The Rating: 1/2

TRZ Universal's Horror Rankings
================ HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ================
1. The Black Cat (1934) 1/2
2. Dracula's Daughter (1936) 1/2
3. Dracula (1931) 1/2
4. The Old Dark House (1932) 1/2
5. Frankenstein (1931) 1/2
================ RECOMMENDED=====================
5. Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) 1/2
...
6. Son of Dracula (1943)

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[Repo]

Open invitation to all to... Rank The Beach Boys Albums!

Inspired in part by the ongoing conversation in “Threads Keep Disappearing”, and, of course, Brian Wilson’s recent passing, I was thinking this could be a fun little BEA collective exercise. I’ve always liked and respected The Beach Boys, but my knowledge of most of their albums is rather patchy especially the ones prior to Today and after Surf's Up.

I’ll go in chronological order starting with their 1962 debut Surfin’ Safari. Every week, I'll listen to the next Beach Boys album and add it to my rankings. Would love for others to join in with comments, feedback, and rankings of their own. Cheers!

A. Surfin' Safari (1962)
aka The Song Remains The Same


Surfin' Safari by The Beach Boys

Totally far, far better than I expected! The common complaint that I had heard with this debut was that all the songs sound pretty much the same and that there's a lot of filler. BUT, I didn't find that to be the case at all. I easily and quickly found myself singin'-a-long to ALL the songs on this album with just a few spins. AND, I know exactly what lyrics to sing for each & every song. So clearly each song sounds different. At least, no more or no less than those of some my favorite punk rock records. In particular, and this should be no surprise, The Ramones, who were heavily influenced by The Beach Boys early albums.

Anyways, <almost> every song here is a gem. The only song that's skippable to me is "The Shift." Otherwise, every other track is a wonderful time warp to a day in the life of being a teenage boy in 1962 filled with carnivals, root beer floats, and of course, girls.

The Rating: <FAR higher than I thought it'd be!>

The Ranking: Um. Yeah. There’s only one so far so…

Rank 'Em: The Beach Boys
1. Surfin’ Safari (1962)

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Anyone else LOVE this debut?!

[CA Dreamin]

Well, The Beach Boys literally were in their teens when they made Surfin Safari. They had to be ecstatic just to have a record deal. That said, it definitely feels like a debut album from a group of teens. It comes off as immature and somewhat repetitive. But there's never really a dull moment either. I feel they set out to announce who they were and what they sounded like, while providing 12 fun, breezy 2-minute songs. And that's exactly they achieved. It's not a great album, but it's fun and catchy. I particularly like the title track and 409. Surfin' Safari is either my favorite or second favorite pre-Today albums.

[albummaster]

[dihansse]

[Repo]

[CA Dreamin]

[dihansse]

Sorry of course surfin usa is not on this album and i meant surfin’ safari