April 2022 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN APRIL: 5
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 5 (4 features & 1 short)
REWATCHES: 0
Betty Amann in Asphalt
April was all about watching K-drama series and preparing for our move to Valencia — we're moving on the 5th of May, so only a couple of days left in Barcelona! My classic film watching had to take a back seat but I hope to get back on track very soon.
Although this blog is dedicated to classic films, I'm also listing here the K-dramas I watched this month. I finished Crash Landing on You (episodes 12 - 16) and watched another 8 series: That Winter, the Wind Blows (16 episodes), It’s Okay, That’s Love (16 episodes), The Package (12 episodes), Ghost (20 episodes), Oh My Venus (16 episodes), Familiar Wife (16 episodes), Doctor John (16 episodes) and The Devil Judge (16 episodes). I loved them all (Crash Landing on You ranks at the top of the list and The Package at the bottom) and a lot of crying was involved. I intend to watch a lot more series in the coming months and already have a growing watchlist.
Betty Amann and Gustav Fröhlich in Asphalt (screenshot by me)
So I only watched 5 (!!!) classic films this month, which is an all-time low since I started this blog (not including the 2017 round-ups). But considering the amount of K-dramas I watched, it's understandable. Until now, my lowest monthly film count was 8 films (in both August 2018 and January 2019).
Some of the Korean actors are really swoon-worthy, so I needed to watch a classic film with a swoon-worthy actor as well. Well ... hello, Rock!
Rock Hudson in Come September (screenshots by me)
As I knew I wouldn't be watching a lot of classics (but I didn't expect to watch so few), I wanted to be a bit more selective with choosing a title and to steer away from crappy B-films. In the end, I wasn't completely happy with my choices and none of the films really wowed me.
I managed to watch two silents, 1 feature (Asphalt) and 1 short (A Gasoline Wedding). Asphalt became my highest rated film of the month. I had high hopes for The Young Savages, The Tall T and Come September but they were all disappointing.
Breaking the 5 watched films down in decades:
1900s - 0
1910s - 1
1920s - 1
1930s - 0
1940s - 0
1950s - 1
1960s - 2
It's remarkable that I didn't watch any 1930s or 1940s films, my fave decades. Still, I'm happy I watched two 1960s films because one of my unofficial new year's resolutions is to watch more films from that decade.
NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE FILMS!
(read notes with caution as they might contain spoilers; with ratings going from ½ to ★★★★★ and watched date)
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I watched the German silent film ASPHALT (UFA, 1929), directed by Joe May, for my monthly silent film dose and because of the good reviews. It's one of the last great German Expressionist films of the silent era and it looks really good (cinematography by Günther Rittau). Devious jewel thief Betty Amann (pictured, three screenshots by me) gets involved with naive traffic cop Gustav Fröhlich, luring him to her apartment where she literally throws herself at him in a steamy scene. Amann is mesmerising, I love her looks and the fashion. The film itself is engaging but it's the stunning close-ups of Amann's face that will stay with me. ★★★½ / 20.04.2022
Budd Boetticher's THE TALL T (Columbia, 1957) doesn't come close to his 7 Men from Now, not even to his Ride Lonesome. I had high expectations for this one but was missing that nail-biting tension. Randolph Scott does his usual thing, nothing out of the ordinary, and fortunately Richard Boone isn't a one-dimensional villain, also showing a soft side. I love the fact that Scott is paired with a lead actress near his own age, instead of decades younger. But Maureen O'Sullivan (pictured with Scott, screenshot by me) is underutilised and looks a bit worn-out, and too bad her role is not very interesting. Oh ... for a great deal of the film I thought bad guy Henry Silva was Jack Palance, lol. ★★★ / 25.04.2022
I only chose the silent A GASOLINE WEDDING (Rolin Films, 1918) for its supershort runtime of 9 minutes, as it was already the last day of the month and I wanted to reach a monthly count of 5 films but didn't have time to watch 2 feature films (I had already planned to watch Come September as my last film of the month, and because that film's runtime is almost 2 hours, I had to choose a short 4th film). Anyhow, long introduction but there's not much to say about this comedy short starring Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels (portrayed together, screenshot by me) anyways. Not many laughs, but the leads are cute together. Directed by Alfred J. Goulding. ★★½ / 30.04.2022
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I had high hopes for COME SEPTEMBER (Universal International Pictures/ Raoul Walsh Enterprises, 1961) because of its favourable reviews and its capable director Robert Mulligan. But I couldn't get into this comedy at all and I didn't really care about the characters. I'm also no fan of Gina Lollobrigida. Best thing here is Rock Hudson (portrayed with Lollobrigida, screenshot by me). Not his character or performance, but just the way he looks. Soooo handsome. Also, plus points for the Technicolor colours, the great location shots at the Italian Riviera, the wonderful villa and set decoration, the fashion, and the script was funny at times ("You're not making any sense!" "I don't have to make sense! I'm Italian!"). I also liked Bobby Darin singing and the dance scene with Hudson and Lollobrigida. But I kept wishing for Doris Day to show up. ★★½ / 30.04.2022
Well, that was a very short round-up! I will continue my journey into K-drama (as it is highly satisfying) but I also hope to improve my classic film watching in May. I'm expecting to be visiting the Filmoteca in my new hometown Valencia in the coming month, as they are showing Charlie Chaplin talkies and Orson Welles films. Stay tuned for the next round-up!
