“First Viewing Experiences” Archive
Brian Sieck | First Viewing Experiences
Broads… They say that you can’t live with them and you can’t kill them… or can you? Anyway, so goes Billy Wilder’s supremely taut tale of murder and insurance fraud that has tritely (though, very appropriately) been called one of the earliest classic examples of film noir, with its dark style of filmmaking and even darker story tone. Yes, I must admit that I had never seen the film, until recently. There are always going to be “classics” that are missed with all the thousands of films available for consumption, and being a “slightly younger” gentleman, there was a time that getting my hands on—let alone making time for—movies from the ‘40s was a bit tough for me. So, that’s the excuse (as lame as it may be) that I’m going to go with for never viewing the moody thriller, Double Indemnity, until now. Furthermore, I’m not all that familiar with the work of Mr. Wilder (though, I love The Apartment), but that’s something soon to be remedied since I tend to gravitate towards films dealing with grim and controversial subject matter (even when they’re comedies), and Wilder thankfully didn’t seem to shy away from such topics. After all, James M. Cain’s novella of the same name from which the film is based is certainly rife with nasty business, making the project incredibly tough to greenlight due to the rigidity of the era. Wilder was definitely a brave man who deserves credit for thumbing his nose at authority and venturing to make one of the most daring films of the ‘40s (and possibly the best of its kind?) even in spite of stern and conservative opposition.
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Brian Sieck | First Viewing Experiences
Alright, in the interest of full disclosure, yours truly has seen bits and pieces of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance before. It was a film that “we” often used to run on the overhead screens behind us at the Movies Unlimited video store back in the day. However, I never saw the ending and since I was always working at the time (at least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it), I was never able to fully grasp what was going on, though, it “sounded” (remember, my back was to the screen) like a good movie. So, I figured that in tying up some loose ends and finally sitting down to watch the film in its entirety, that it would also be fair fodder for this particular feature. Anyway, I’m sure glad I did because TMWSLV is a rare thinking-man’s entry in the western genre by my estimation, therefore probably making it one of the finest westerns ever made.
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Brian Sieck | First Viewing Experiences
People often say, “Beware of false prophets.” It’s an important life lesson, and Charles Laughton’s The Night Of The Hunter (his only credited directorial effort) perfectly exemplifies this warning. Another invaluable rule for folks to heed is, “Beware of false advertising.” That’s right film fans, yours truly is having a really difficult time with this one. Over fifty years after its release, the nightmarish tale of Robert Mitchum’s preacher assailing young children is lauded by critics across the board as one of the finest films ever made. Even Roger Ebert (one of my heroes who, even when I disagree with him, often gives me pause) has exclaimed, “It is one of the most frightening of movies, with one of the most unforgettable of villains, and on both of those scores it holds up…” Well, sometimes part of maintaining one’s integrity is having the heart to disagree with popular opinions and standing defiant against individuals with a much more esteemed reputation than oneself. It’s with this in mind that I have to state that I “pretty much” disagree with The Night of the Hunter’s widely regarded superior reputation.
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Brian Sieck | First Viewing Experiences
While I pride myself on not betting over my head and NEVER risk more than I can afford to lose, I wound up parting with more cash than I was really happy about during a recent trip to Atlantic City. Now, I won’t harangue everyone with all the details of my poker debacle, but suffice it to state that the big hand involved another player hitting trip 8’s over my pair of aces. It was unfortunate, but not a huge deal (no pun intended). That’s poker, as they say. Anyway, it was upon reflecting on the day’s events that I again remembered that for some reason, what many folks consider the quintessential poker film, The Cincinnati Kid has always escaped my attention. Being the amateur poker player that I am, this stunning realization wasn’t sitting well with me even more than my financial loss. So, I decided that I would rectify this oversight as soon as possible.
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Brian Sieck | First Viewing Experiences
All I can say is, “Wow.” Unlike my previous installment of this series where I took a look at Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion, I have found that many critics have leaned towards actually downplaying Otto Preminger's classic with the passage of time and it’s completely undeserved. Maybe it’s the subject matter that makes some folks uneasy. After all, The Man With The Golden Arm is a far cry from the ephemeral Reefer Madness (which attained a popular cult status for its outdated silliness) that many people seem to love, albeit for different reasons. Now, I’m not trying to say that Reefer Madness is anywhere near the same kind of film as Golden Arm in quality or tone, nor am I trying to make it seem like critics universally pan the movie, because that’s not the case. I just find it odd that when it comes to these old titles that deal with drug addiction, it’s seems that some individuals are almost more forgiving when it comes to the fun marijuana-menacing Reefer Madness than the stark Golden Arm. Anyway, I’ve always been a fan of films that deal with the darker side of humanity, and it occurred to me that I’ve never viewed the groundbreaking 1955 tale starring Frank Sinatra that tackles heroin addiction, so I recently sat down to do so.
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Brian Sieck | First Viewing Experiences
Throughout the entire span of one’s own movie-watching career (for lack of a better word), there are always going to be films that get missed by individuals. Some of these celluloid efforts that escape a person’s experience are even considered “classics.” It’s just the nature of the beast. Considering all the releases that have been produced throughout history, it’s impossible to see everything, especially when one’s age is taken into consideration. Of course, I’m referring specifically to myself. I was born well after what would be considered Hollywood’s Golden Age, so it’s only natural that I’m a touch behind the viewing curve when it comes to the entire breadth of classic cinema (though, in my defense, I feel I’m way ahead of many folks my age). However, in researching a piece for “anti-Valentine’s Day films,” it dawned on me that I have never seen Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion. So, I recently set aside some time to view this supposed masterpiece. Here are my thoughts:
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