Lolita

 

            Ladies and gentlemen, we've gone through five films so far, the month of February we're all the male actors are much older looking than their love interests, though granted majority of the ladies looked in a strong older consent age hence, 25 and up. Now we're going to dive deep into the older men stalking VERY, VERY young ladies, and trust me when I say this, you're going to be wanting to rethink your life. Directed by yours truly Stanley Kubrick the master of pushing the limit, Lolita is one of those movies, Like A Clockwork Orange, this is another one of those films that you only need to watch once.

            With the screenplay penned by the author himself, Stanley Kubrick brings Vladimir Nabokov's controversial tale of forbidden love on screen. Professor Humbert (James Mason) is a European educator who relocates to an American Suburb, renting a room from a lonely widow Charlotte Haze (Shelley Winters). Humbert marries Charlotte, but only to nurture his obsession with her comely teenager daughter, Lolita (Sue Lyon). After Charlotte sudden death has Lolita all to himself -- or does he?

            Now according to sources circa 1958, Kubrick was offered to direct One-Eyed Jacks, starring Marlon Brando, unfortunately either Brando fired him or Kubrick resigned bottom line Brando wanted to focus on Vladimir Nabokov's controversial book about a middle-aged man having an infatuation with a 14-year-old girl. And really when you cast actors and actresses to play high school students, you tend to feel like they’re in their early twenties for which looks unrealistic but with this movie, when Stanley Kubrick cast a teenager he LITERALLY, cast a teenager and when you see Lolita aka Sue Lyon in her first appearance in the film your like OMG that girl is YOUNG! For which is the reason why this film works so well because if this was a woman in her twenties then this wouldn't work at all, it would literally not be so, believable and Sue Lyon strangely enough does a fantastic job playing a girl next door but is a great manipulator in terms of playing with Mason's character moreover I think it's a unique dilemma both horrible people each trying to get what they want. The genius behind Lolita is Kubrick able to balance, the extreme dark topic with comedy furthermore that evil comes in the most unexpected places and sometimes we don't see the evil as well as evil coming in all shapes and sizes moreover you never expect knowing your neighbor or you closest friend could be a sexual predator and that's the scariest part. On the comedy side to the film is simply moments where Mason's character tries so hard to seduce Lolita, it literally becomes sad and pathetic that you can't help but laugh at the man's attempts especially when he's even trying to unfold a bed or must put up with Lolita's mother aka Shelley Winters. Peter Sellers deserves a ton of credit because at first when you see him he's this goofy character but then through the course of the movie you begin to see a scary side to this guy that I literally had to watch the film twice to know that "oh" this guy is a monster, and in fact Kubrick shot a total of 3 camera's at once. And Sellers did the most inspired (ad-libbing) work on the first take, so Kubrick used this technique to get all the angles needed, without losing the spontaneity. Out of all the Kubrick movies I've seen so far and granted I only have two more to go in order to rewatch 2001 and the Shining, I would rate this between six or five of the best movies on Kubrick's filmography, and while A Clockwork Orange is a f**ked up movie where you need to watch that movie only once. Lolita is a film where you need to watch only once but you need to take a long cold shower despite this being a great film with a lot of themes, you by the end of the film feel disgusted in terms of Humbert just staring at Lolita and more importantly just feeling way to uncomfortable watching those scenes. In fact this is probably one of the many reasons why I won't watch Sinners just because I first seen Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit back in 2010 and whenever I watch cut scenes of her talking about Michael B. Jordan sticking his tongue in her "cooze" I just want to take a shower as well as wanting to rethink my life. And with this film this LITERALLY wants you to rethink your life and just question the nature behind how disgusting sexual predators are and sure mid-twenties and thirties for ladies I would make an exception but teens I hit my limit in terms of feeling grossed out. I would highly recommend watching Lolita although this film is only available for renting or buying the movie. But when you finish the movie, you can simply not watch the film again and put the movie in the deepest part of your mind. And this movie alone gets you thinking that Bogart, John Wayne, William Holden and Cary Grant in terms of making out with mid-twenties women was nothing compared to Mason's character staring at a fourteen-year-old though the same goes to Sellers too, though we don't see the implications, but we know.   

             

February Recommendation: To Catch a Thief

 

       

         

         Usually, I would recommend a romantic comedy that I loved moreover believe intriguing the first time around. And at times I just have a sense of boredom and sometimes just need a good sense of inspiration as well as something new and in all fairness this February Recommendation is a sense a romantic movie with a blend of both suspense and drama. And more importantly it's directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock so, what's not to love about To Catch a Thief, especially when you have the best leading man and one of the most beautiful women in 50's Hollywood.

          Notorious cat burglar John Robbie (Cary Grant) has long since retired to tend vineyards on the French Rivera. When a series of robberies is committed in his style, John must clear his name. Armed with a list of people who own the most expensive jewels currently in the area, John begins following the first owner, young Francie (Grace Kelly). When her jewels are stolen, Francie suspects John, destroying their tentative romance. John goes on the prowl, to catch the thief and clear his own name. 

          Now let’s not forget Cary Grant turned down the roles for both Roman Holiday and Sabrina, all because he felt he was too old for those roles and yet with this movie he's in a role where he's falling in love with Grace Kelly and Grace Kelly was only twenty-five years of age when the film was made and released. So, yeah talk about massive hypocrisy in the sense of Cary Grant moreover I thinks it's funny because majority of those guys in the fifties films we're making out with the young dames, and hell Bogart married Lauren Bacall in her mid-twenties I mean if you can't find the strong sense of what true love is I don't know what is, moreover it's not like you having intercourse with the women in the fifties your just kissing that's like first base when it comes to the forties and fifties, and I would imagine Hitchcock gave Grant the talk about his ego maybe called him a "whore" (just my opinion) moreover told him to sign for this movie. Now all jokes a side, To Catch a Thief is probably the best collaboration with Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock moreover I look at this film as a prototype for what the Bond films would be in the later years furthermore I think Hitchcock would make a great Bond film although I doubted he wanted to but still I would almost look at this as Hitchcock's own version of a Bond movie. But more importantly Hitchcock was still making a great suspenseful movie while weaving a great blend of a love story between Grant and Grace Kelly moreover I thought these two actually have a great on screen chemistry like you want these two to be together in the very end and you even have a great sort of love triangle with actress Brigitte Auber who becomes a big flirt to Cary Grant as well as being jealous towards Grace Kelly. Majority of the film was shot in the Paramount Studios but a good chunk of the movie was shot in the southeastern parts of France and I think even the ocean scene almost looks like it was shot in France and I may be wrong but either way I love the whole confrontation between both Grant and the attractive women was great on screen. This movie came out in 1955 and Grace Kelly had one year left before she went on to marry the Prince of Monaco and her career was done which really I haven't seen her movies in 56 but I guess if your closing out a remarkable career like Grace Kelly, To Catch a Thief I would say is one of her best films close tie with Rear Window but I would say those years between 54 and 55 were for sure Grace Kelly's best years as an actress. Now if you’re looking for something fresh and new, moreover getting bored of all the romantic comedies or the lame Nicholas Sparks films as well as the romance movies that Hallmark movies binge out each year. To Catch a Thief is one of those great blends of romance and suspenseful/action film that can satisfy both male and female. And so, if you’re looking for something to bridge the gap with love or your life then I would highly recommend purchasing or renting To Catch a Thief this February, especially today on Valentine's Day.

       

Play Misty for Me

 

        Well ladies and gentlemen, we are in the Friday the 13th of today, so, it makes sense that I talk about a creepy love story about getting a little one-night stand with a psycho. And sure, this type of situation can resort to both male and female alike, though in all fairness males make the not so good choices but females do evenly make bad choices too only this time it's Clint Eastwood that doesn't make good choices even when he makes his directorial debut. 

         Popular radio show host David Garver (Clint Eastwood) becomes restless in his relationship with his girlfriend (Donna Mills). Impulsively, he goes out and sleeps with a woman (Jessica Walter) he meets at a nightclub. After that, he finds out she was not anonymous hookup, but an obsessive fan who has called repeatedly to request he play the song "Misty". Garver soon discovers extricating himself from the woman will be no easy feat as she becomes increasingly psychotic.

          This maybe the best stalker movie I've ever seen and that's not saying a whole lot considering the idea of having a one night stand or having a friend that's a bit psycho is a bit on the overrated side, because let's be frank, the male and female don't make the greatest of choices and even if you get a glimpse of what this person is it's almost too late to call things off, I mean if you have the idea of a psycho killer and a rapist hooking up and the psycho killer is taken aback that would be interesting but that's a whole another conversation for another time maybe never. Getting back to the topic I believe the way Clint Eastwood was able to direct the film is way more better than any other stalker movies I've seen, basically because there’s a mystery to it but more importantly the whole reveal gets to be very interesting through the course of the third act of the film and that's what I like most is him trying to figure what the reveal is. And even my favorite shot of the whole movie is Clint sleeping and slowly awakens and he sees his stalker and is about to stab him but misses and all of a sudden disappears and he begins to look around is really great and something you don't see and it's also the suspense of the killer is right behind you and its shot in a way were we see Clint's head first and then slowly turns and that's what I like about it and really is the best shot of the whole movie to me. And sure their times where I make fun of Eastwood not making good choices, but when it comes to Clint Eastwood and his first time directing a film like this you have to let that man have a slide at least especially when he has some sea shots where they are jump cuts, for which again the man is a acting legend so for his directorial debut I'll at least let that slide. For a day of Friday the 13th I would imagine at least spice things up with your lover and watch a movie about a 41 year old radio host being stalked by a middle aged woman, I mean at least they’re the same age, hell at least he's not making out with a twenty five-ish year old woman like John Wayne, Gregory Peck, or even Bogart and William Holden. Though let’s be honest life is too short for us middle-aged men so, when are you not able to get the chance to make out with a twenty-five-year-old right? Anyway, if you’re looking to spice things up or have a Amazon Prime account then I would highly recommend watching Clint Eastwood's directorial debut and maybe play "Misty" for the love of your life. 

  

Sabrina

 

        

        Out of the two films I've seen with Audrey Hepburn, this movie just happens to be my favorite movie with her as well as two other great leading actors that star alongside Hepburn. Moreover, this movie took me down memory lane because while watching Sabrina (based on the playwright "Sabrina Fair" by Samuel Taylor) I've begun to remember another small Harrison Ford movie with the same title as well as the same premise although with this movie has the killer edge considering it's directed by one of the greatest directors in Billy Wilder. 

        Chauffeurs’ daughter Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) returns home from two years in Paris a beautiful young woman and immediately catches the attention of David (William Holden), the playboy son of her father’s rich employers. David woos and wins Sabrina, who has always been in love with him, however their romance is threatened by David's serious brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart), who runs the family business and is relying on David to marry an heiress for a crucial merger to take place.

         This film was another one in which Carey Grant turned down because of age differences moreover didn't want to carry an umbrella and sure whatever, but I've recently watched To Catch a Thief so I'm saving all my jokes for when I get to that movie. Between the two Audrey Hepburn films I've watched, Sabrina is most certainly my favorite of Audrey Hepburn's infamous films and for many reasons this film shows off her great comedic talent as well as, playing the innocent/childish girl in the first act of the film and then blossoming into one of the most beautiful women in the golden age of cinema. And when you pair Audrey Hepburn with an amazing filmmaker in Billy Wilder you most certainly get the best of both worlds as well as a perfect duo to make the film believable and great to watch. More importantly a lot of credit goes to both Edith Head and Hubert de Givenchy for creating lavish costumes to make Hepburn so iconic in the movie and granted Edith Head got the Oscar for best costume and went on to collaborate with Audrey Hepburn throughout their careers both Head and de Givenchy deserve a lot of praise in bringing the fashion statement as well as making Audrey such an iconic star in the fifties and sixties. Apparently Humphrey Bogart and William Holden didn't get along and the same with Audrey Hepburn too, and yet for some reason both actors and actresses are able to perform in the best professional way possible, hell its almost the same way Harold Ramis is able to get both Chevy Chase and Bill Murray in a scene together I mean it's amazing how actors don't like each other and yet for some reasons their able to work together well, although let's be fair I would imagine producers and Billy Wilder telling these guys to make it professional or you’re going to pay for everyone's time on set. I will say William Holden I never expected to play this comedic and playboy-ish type of a character but yet him and Audrey Hepburn are both perfect together and the same goes with Humphrey Bogart, and really throughout his career the man played mostly tough guys and adventurers but deep down the man is a great charmer and let’s not forget the man owned Casablanca let's not forget that fact, moreover despite Bogart was annoyed with Hepburn claiming that working with her was "okay, unless you like doing multiple takes" and I'm sure Hepburn would be professional and say nothing but I would imagine Hepburn behind closed doors said "that's nice, you’re not going to make it till three years", because he died in 57, in case you don't know he died in the beginning months of 1957. Out of the three Hepburn movies I've seen, Sabrina is hands down my favorite one of Audrey Hepburn's just because it's the most classic and iconic performance of hers, and more importantly she's perfect through the course of the whole movie, and while watching this classic I've suddenly had flashbacks of another Sabrina film that starred Harrison Ford and majority of that movie consists of the same shots so, that's going to be one movie I'm going to try and watch this month, but deep down this film will always win because the 54 version has the greatest director in Billy Wilder as well as three iconic actors and actresses. So, if you’re looking for something fresh and something you haven't seen I would highly recommend watching this Valentine's Day weekend. 

      

Roman Holiday

 

           I went down a trip in Audrey Hepburn Lane if you sort of catch my meaning, mainly because it was on my brothers list of cinemas I needed to watch but more importantly, they represent the month of February as well as Saint, Valentines Day also. Roman Holiday is in fact Audrey Hepburn's first major role in a movie, moreover, won her a Golden Globe for her performance in the movie as well. Also staring Gregory Peck and if your curious about the films I watched in terms of the males being older than their female co-stars I didn't really peg this till after watching this film as well as another Audrey Hepburn classic. 

           Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, touring European, Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) takes off for a night while in Rome. While falling asleep on a park bench, reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), who takes her to his apartment for safety. At work next morning, Joe finds out Ann's legal regal identity and wagers his editor he can get an exclusive interview with her, but romance gets in the way. 

           Audrey Hepburn long before Roman Holiday came into her life she started off mostly in the British movies during Post World War II era, moreover during finished production of Secret People, director Thorold Dickinson made a screen test with the young Hepburn and sent the screen test to director William Wyler, saw the test and was immediately wanting to cast Audrey Hepburn in the role and even the producers during pre-production wanted to cast Elizabeth Taylor, though after watching Audrey Hepburn's test they were also on board in skipping out on Elizabeth Taylor, which I would actually love to hear that situation in terms of who the producer that had to give Ms. Taylor the bad news and after that conversation got so upset that she married her latest male victim. And for me personally that was a great choice because she indeed has a great sense of charm and innocence and more importantly, she was funny and that shows from this movie as well as another Audrey Hepburn classic as well. Granted I've remembered seeing Breakfast At Tiffany's and thought that it was okay-ish considering she abandon's a cat for which me being an animal lover is a d**k move spoilers she really does reunite with her cat in the movie but still a d**k move I mean if you’re going to abandon anyone abandon your toxic boyfriend or girlfriend. But seeing this movie all the way through, I must say that she really does a fantastic job playing a Princess overwhelmed with of course being a Princess like most of the royal family is around the world (Hell take Prince Harry for example), and she gets one day where she gets to have all the time to herself as well as having fun with no one telling her what to do, moreover think that's a nice warm hearted story that everyone can relate too. And you have the ever-talented Gregory Peck playing the leading man for the young Audrey Hepburn too and let's not forget Cary Grant turned down the role because he himself, considered himself to be too old and yet he makes out with Grace Kelly, two years later with To Catch a Thief talk about hypocrisy. What I like most about the movie is that they simply shot the entire movie in Rome and used real locations as well as real shots of Rome in 1953. More importantly this film ends in the best way possible, mainly I imagined that something I would predict would happen and it didn't and I'm glad that they made me feel silly. I think if any movies to watch on Valentines Day or never seen any of Audrey Hepburn's filmography I would start off with the movie that made her famous and Roman Holiday is a perfect romantic comedy to set down with the love of your life and enjoy from beginning to the final frame. 

          

Hatari!

 

          Well, now I'm most certainly done with going to the movies for now. I decided since we're in the month of Saint Valentine, that I find some more romanticize movies for my taste, and no none of that lame Nicholas Sparks or Hallmark chick flicks crap. And since I haven't watched a whole lot of John Wayne movies as of late, I figured why not watch a John Wayne movie that I haven't seen. Hatari! in the English language means danger, is an action adventure/romantic comedy set in the jungles of Africa where all the hunters are tracking animals for our local Zoo's all over the world.   

          A Tanganyika-based group of hunters (Red Buttons, Hardy Kruger, Gerard Blain) led by Sean Mercer (John Wayne) trap wild African animals for zoos. A curvaceous photographer (Elsa Martinelli) documents their exploits while having epic clashes with the gruff Irishman. She is initially frozen out of testosterone-filled group until her strong-willed personality endears her to the men. 

          I have to say that this is hands down one of the most craziest adventure films I've ever seen mainly because all of the animal captures in the film look amazingly real, especially when they bring a huge rhino in the mix for which looked extremely real and terrifying moreover according to director Howard Hawks, all the animal captures were performed by actual actors; no stuntmen or animal handlers were substituted onscreen. And the Rhino in the third act escaped, and the actors really did have to recapture it - for which Hawks included the sequence for its realism. Moreover it's fantastic because all of the animals they capture in each of the scenes are really good in terms of the camera angles they used for each sequence is both great and real because again no stunt men were involved, and even John Wayne himself admitted to being terrified in being on that passenger side of the front of the truck or in the back because there was no seat belts so, he had to hold on for dear life which again majority of these sequences that Hawks shot were outstanding. Both Hawks and Wayne worked on another film together titled Rio Bravo which was Wayne and Rat Pack legend Dean Martin's first film together, moreover Hawks made more surprising classics as well as collaborated with a ton of great actors such as Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep. Hell, Hawks even made the original Scarface movie the one that Oliver Stone copied and pasted for his script for Al Pacino's version I mean he even has more great films as well as been in Hollywood since the Silent film age. To all of those who haven't seen a ton of John Wayne's films like I have, hence my Dad raised me on loving John Wayne films, you actually be surprised that John Wayne is in fact a great charmer with the ladies and the guy has been in a ton of romantic comedies that are in fact great, but more importantly show's off is comedic side as an actor especially when he's charming actresses in their thirties? Either way I thought the chemistry between John Wayne and Italian actress Elsa Martinelli are great on screen despite the fact there were times where I felt like Elsa has a French accent, I mean I'm obviously wrong but just my aspects on what an Italian accent sounds and a French accent sounds became blur through the course of the film. In fact, French actress, Michele Girardon who plays the daughter of a deceased father in charge of the Zoo in Africa, spoke no English when being casted in the film, though through the course of filming and her performance as well as everyone else's is great to watch. I don't want to talk, so, much about how great this film is great and furthermore this is definitely one of those great John Wayne comedies as well as romantic comedies almost up there with The Quiet Man and McClintock though this doesn't have Maureen O'Hara, I really liked Elsa Martinelli performance as Wayne's love interest, she's great on screen and I personally wish I had a nickel any woman would ask me how I like to be kissed. Filled with a ton of action as well as comedy and more importantly a small love story this film has the best of both worlds that I truly believe both married couples and or any man or woman watching a movie with either their boyfriend or girlfriend to watch this upcoming Valentine's Day. And you can find this movie on your local Amazon Prime moreover you can watch the film for free on YouTube so, don't be afraid to try out a John Wayne movie you haven't seen yet. 

    

Send Help

 

         Well ladies and gentlemen, this is a movie I was intrigued in wanting to see although, I was also weary in wanting to see this movie because you can never get what you want, especially when it comes to movies these days. Moreover, I had one of those days where I decided to take a leap of faith and go to the movie theaters and finally watch the movie, and as luck would have it, I made it one time for the movie considering there was a ton of trailers playing, moreover the movie didn't start till 4:30 PM! Yeah, this shows that all the promos and trailers are getting a little on the overrated side in my opinion.

          A woman (Rachel McAdams) and her overbearing boss (Dylan O'Brien) become stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. They must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it's a battle of wills and wits to make it out alive.

           I remember when watching the trailer for the first time, I felt that this was something new and different but more importantly it dives into the narcissistic bosses or co-worker's that are selfish, failed up-wards, anyway just deep down horrible human beings in a work environment just treating co-workers like Rachel McAdams as if their  looking down on them, or soft people that can be bullied for a living and through the course of the movie she finally breaks free and brings that character of O'Brien down to the point of what it feels like to be helpless and having to deal with somebody's bullsh*t and that's what excited me about this movie, because through my years I've always had to deal with narcissistic a-holes who for some reasons where able to succeed in life without having to do anything or in their own mind can be horrible people moreover treat people like sh*t and this was something I would  finally enjoy and see the horrible person be breaking down into a person who has to swallow sh*t for the first time without having to ever do that for which really that was something that excited me. But, then when you watch the movie and some of these twists and turns that make you feel a bit of mixed emotions, then I began to have a problem, and look if your planning to watch this movie you should probably discontinue this review because I'm only going to spoil one, maybe two things that happened in the movie, the first being that Rachel McAdams has always been psychotic and she needed to a reason to be a savage for which this a battle of two horrible people who begin to clash at who is the superior person on the island, which I guess would be fine? Although why would you have the first act of the movie where she's a innocent person you'd feel for but through the course of the movie you lose the remorse that her, moreover should have the same resemblance of like the movie The Menu where the girl who isn't supposed to be here you feel for that person because she's surrounded in a island with terrible people, and that's what this movie should be, but then again it isn't. The other thing is that the main twist is that there's been a huge beach house the whole time and Rachel has kept it a secret the whole time which I'm don't know because sure she's pretty through the course of the movie but she's a huge fan of Survivor and travel's a lot probably watched a lot of Discovery shows so, she could at least found ways to take a shower on the island or something and yet there's a huge mansion on the island for which I don't know, hell there's a million things they could of done with this movie but what they did do, didn't work for me personally. Now, having watched this movie in the theater I have to say that this movie wasn't worth 22 dollars plus the large soda and popcorn, and now having talked about this movie this for sure is going to be a once over type of a film where I don't need to re-watch this movie ever again. So, if you’re looking for a movie to start off 2026 or want to take your girlfriend, boyfriend, hell even husband and wife movie night for Valentine's Day, then go nut's if you share a different opinion than I had about the film. Or you can always wait till this movie is available to stream on your local streaming service, that way you don't have to waste your time watching lame promos and so many movie trailers that you're probably not going to watch this year.