Lounger's Suggestion

[poetman]

Okay, I'm hoping you loungers who love film can give me some advice.
Borders has a 3 for 2 movie deal; I'm buying the Bourne Ultimatum for the first film, but which two of the following should I get:

Rear Window
Sweet Smell of Success
Angels with Dirty Faces
The Postman Always Rings Twice

I never saw the first two, and can only remember parts of the latter two. There's nothing worse than a bad noir, and the Sweet Smell is a later piece, so I'm shaky, but the reviews were stellar. I never saw Rear Window, but some of Hitchcock's piece aren't as enjoyable for me the second time around. I don't remember The Postman, just the delectable Ms. Turner. With that said, what do you think.

Thanks All.

 

[kpreed]

They are all good movies. I have "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and highly recommend it in any collection. If your a big Bogart fan, then I would do Angels, but I will say I wish I had "Rear Window" A great movie I think.

 

[Patrick Murtha]

You can't really go wrong with any of these. However, I will say that Rear Window is a landmark in any film lover's education and is truly one of the most memorable movies ever made. Sweet Smell of Success deserves its great press that you refer to; it is an utterly distinctive triumph of late noir. So those are the two I would choose.

 

[jake_fink]

I agree with Patrick Murtha.

Postman is just not all that good and Angels is on TCM like once every 72 hours.

 

[imoldfashioned]

Rear Window
Sweet Smell of Success
Angels with Dirty Faces
The Postman Always Rings Twice

With that line up you'll be fine whatever you choose, but I'd recommend Angels with Dirty Faces and The Postman Always Rings Twice. Cagney is just great as Rocky Sullivan and the last scene is a classic. I really like Postman--Garfield and Turner are fantastic.

Rear Window is good but I find it really slow and Grace Kelly's accent drives me crazy in that film (her clothes, however, are delectable). I realize this may be heresy, but there you are! I've never seen Sweet Smell of Success but I've always meant to--I've got friends who really love it.

Tell us what you end up choosing and how you like them!

 

[poetman]

You can't really go wrong with any of these. However, I will say that Rear Window is a landmark in any film lover's education and is truly one of the most memorable movies ever made. Sweet Smell of Success deserves its great press that you refer to; it is an utterly distinctive triumph of late noir. So those are the two I would choose.

Thanks for all the generous feedback, everyone. So, do you feel Sweet Smell lives up to the rave reviews? I've been leaning toward that, and debating between Angels and Rear Window.

Thanks again!

 

[The Wolf]

What kind of bonus features are on those DVDs?

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[poetman]

What kind of bonus features are on those DVDs?

Sincerely,
The Wolf

I'm not sure.

 

[poetman]

Okay, I bought Sweet Smell of Sucess and Angels with Dirty Faces; however, after reading Roeper's reveiw of the some other movies, I'll be returning in the near future for Pickpocket, Strangers on a Train, and Rear Window.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

 

[Marty M.]

I need cold water.

One of the best scenes ever is in Rear Window. Grace Kelly is leaning down to kiss Jimmy Stewart, and as her lips are closing in........ Well if you haven't seen it, you're missing out.
Marty Mathis

 

[Marty M.]

What accent?

Rear Window is good but I find it really slow and Grace Kelly's accent drives me crazy in that film (her clothes, however, are delectable). QUOTE]

I agree with you Imoldfashioned about Rear Window moves a little slow and Grace's clothing is exceptional. I didn't realize that she even had an accent .
Marty Mathis

 

[Doh!]

I just saw this thread, but you've made the right choice in Sweet Smell of Success. For me, it's the perfect movie: the performances are all stellar, the soundtrack is fantastic, and every line of the script is quotable.

You'll enjoy it, I'm sure!

 

[imoldfashioned]

Rear Window is good but I find it really slow and Grace Kelly's accent drives me crazy in that film (her clothes, however, are delectable). QUOTE]

I agree with you Imoldfashioned about Rear Window moves a little slow and Grace's clothing is exceptional. I didn't realize that she even had an accent .
Marty Mathis

Whew! I thought I'd get pelted with tomatoes!

I love Hitchcock but Rear Window has always been in the middle of the pack for me (behind Notorious, Psycho, Strangers on a Train, North by Northwest, Vertigo, and Shadow of a Doubt).

To my ear Grace Kelly has this affected pseudo-British accent; it just screams "drama school" to me.

 

[Twitch]

I agree Poetman, Hitchcock movies have to be seen years apart for me to get into them each time. It's the forgetting of little details that surprise you that make them like new again.

Rear Window is one of the most copied films ever in it basic theme of witnessing a crime.

 

[poetman]

I agree Poetman, Hitchcock movies have to be seen years apart for me to get into them each time. It's the forgetting of little details that surprise you that make them like new again.

Rear Window is one of the most copied films ever in it basic theme of witnessing a crime.

It's funny because this notion of forgetting the details about a Hitchcock film is his genius and his curse. There's a beautiful Hitchcock quote where he says "the terror is not in the bang, but in the anticipation of it." Somewhere else he says that, a surprise is knowing a bomb is under a table but not knowing when it will go off. For Hitchcock, suspense is an entirely different beast.

I really want to rent Strangers on a Train and Rear Window. I'm very ecited to get Pickpocket! I have Le Samouri, which is stellar, a very skilled film. Both are in the Criterion collection; Pickpocket is often compared to Crime and Punishment and other Exestiental ideas. I'm really looking forward to that.


I figured I couldn't go wrong with Angels with Dirty faces and Sweet Smell of Sucess. Can't say no to Cagney and Bogie!