The Hidden Fortress

This was one of George Lucas' inspirations for Star Wars.  I watched Star Wars the next day after this.  Yup, it is apparent.  Still, this is a great movie and I love Star Wars.  It makes me admire George Lucas even more.  The robots in Star Wars were obviously modeled after the peasants.  The Hidden Fortress is different from Kurosawa's usual work in that it is a comedy and is one of the director's favorites.   It's about two peasants and a princess that is wanted.  Soon the princess enters their life only they don't take her for a princess but rather a mute.    

Underworld

This movie helped make the gangster genre.  It may seem like it's been all done before but this was new.  It's about a gangster and his spoiled girlfriend.  A dweeb, who works for the gangster, falls for the girl and vice versa.  Then the gangster is put in jail.  I liked the dweeb and the chemistry between the girl and him.  I've always liked Josef Von Sternberg's movies so I'm glad that the Criterion Collection took the time to reissue this.  

The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe

This was a pretty dull movie about the writer Edgar Allan Poe.  It talks about his marriage and another love that didn't work out.  It briefly talks about his alcoholism.  This man wrote some pretty dark stuff.  I guarantee that he wasn't as boring as this movie makes him out to be.  This was just disappointing.  At least Linda Darnell was stunning.  

A Song is Born

I didn't see the point of this movie.  Howard Hawks had already directed the really fun movie Ball of Fire.  Why he chose to remake it years later is a mystery to me.  This just doesn't have the same it factor.  I like Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo but they don't compare to Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck.  This movie was basically pointless.  

The Iron Mask

I really liked this silent movie.  The Iron Mask doesn't have much of a plot the first hour until the story of the twins is introduced.  The good brother is locked away and imprisoned in an iron mask.  The evil brother tries to steal the throne.  It's up to Douglas Fairbanks and the other two musketeers to save the brother. My sister and I watched this and talked about how Douglas Fairbanks was the action and adventure hero of his time.  I'm going to watch the Leonardo version next month although I know that it won't compare to this version.  I also need to read the Dumas book.  

Beauty and the Beast

This isn't my favorite movie from the legendary French poet and director Jean Cocteau.  Frankly, I liked Orpheus a lot more.  I think Disney's version is the best.  However, this movie was an obvious influence on Disney.  The costume design is one example. Without this movie, there would have been no Disney movie. It's just that I didn't particularly care for this Belle.  She was cold and snobby. It needed another view though.  It's been more than ten years since I've seen this movie.    

Japan's Longest Day

The first twenty minutes is more or less a documentary.  Then this movie recreates the end of World War II for Japan.  No one wanted to admit that the emperor had admitted defeat.  Of course in this day of age that would have gone on the internet in a second.  But there were efforts to stop the news from going forward.  The last hour was intense.  The movie is 157 minutes but it's worth it.