ManjaroKDE
Member
'Nightmare Alley' weird, filled with a well known cast. Discovered another source for the name 'geek', had nothing to do with computers.
What Was the Last Movie You Watched?
- Thread starter Ruthanne
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feywon
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rural North Central NM
Are you talking about circus geeks? Unlike other sideshow people they had neither congenital imperfections or talents/skills that made them suitable performers, sideshow folks or laborers. Often the boss would pay them to present a wild, disheveled appearence and bite the heads of live animals, usually with being billed as a 'wild man' or missing link.
I've had that movie on my HULU list for a while. Was the story engaging? I got the idea from some descriptions it was a !odern film noir mystery.
Bella
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The remake of Nightmare Alley was OK. I didn't love it, even though I love Cate Blanchett, she's a fabulous actress. I'm not a fan of Bradley Cooper.
The original Nightmare Alley (1947)film noir starring Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell and Coleen Gray, and directed by Edmund Goulding.Review of the original film from The Criterion Collection - " Darkness lurks behind the bright lights of a traveling carnival in one of the most haunting and perverse film noirs of the 1940s. Adapted from the scandalous best seller by William Lindsay Gresham, Nightmare Alley gave Tyrone Power a chance to subvert his matinee-idol image with a ruthless performance as Stanton Carlisle, a small-time carny whose unctuous charm propels him to fame as a charlatan spiritualist, but whose unchecked ambition leads him down a path of moral degradation and self-destruction. Although its strange, sordid atmosphere shocked contemporary audiences, this long-difficult-to-see reflection of postwar angst has now taken its place as one of the defining noirs of its era—a fatalistic downward slide into existential oblivion."
Here's the original. You can watch both!
Bella
feywon
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rural North Central NM
Hadn't clicked it was remake. I saw the original on "The Early Show" in the 50s, how i saw most of the old movies.The remake of Nightmare Alley was OK. I didn't love it, even though I love Cate Blanchett, she's a fabulous actress. I'm not a fan of Bradley Cooper.
Review of the original film from The Criterion Collection - " Darkness lurks behind the bright lights of a traveling carnival in one of the most haunting and perverse film noirs of the 1940s. Adapted from the scandalous best seller by William Lindsay Gresham, Nightmare Alley gave Tyrone Power a chance to subvert his matinee-idol image with a ruthless performance as Stanton Carlisle, a small-time carny whose unctuous charm propels him to fame as a charlatan spiritualist, but whose unchecked ambition leads him down a path of moral degradation and self-destruction. Although its strange, sordid atmosphere shocked contemporary audiences, this long-difficult-to-see reflection of postwar angst has now taken its place as one of the defining noirs of its era—a fatalistic downward slide into existential oblivion."
Here's the original. You can watch both!
Bella
Holiday in the Wild. On Netflix. A very good, romantic movie. It also tells of how the Elephant 
population has plummeted by at least 62 percent because of poaching. Makes me sad to think that ivory is more important than precious life to these poachers.
population has plummeted by at least 62 percent because of poaching. Makes me sad to think that ivory is more important than precious life to these poachers.
SeniorBen
Senior Member
The Tender Bar, starring Ben Affleck and Christopher Lloyd
The first half was good. It focused on the relationship between a fatherless kid and his uncle (played by Ben Affleck), who played a major role in the kid's life as a father figure. It got lame when the kid is older and goes off to college. Actually, that's where they should have ended the movie. It was a dream of his mother's for her son to go to college (Yale, specifically).
The first half was good. It focused on the relationship between a fatherless kid and his uncle (played by Ben Affleck), who played a major role in the kid's life as a father figure. It got lame when the kid is older and goes off to college. Actually, that's where they should have ended the movie. It was a dream of his mother's for her son to go to college (Yale, specifically).
SeniorBen
Senior Member
Glengarry Glen Ross
All star cast featuring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, and Kevin Spacey
Pretty good movie, adapted from the play. You can tell because there's so much dialogue. It's about ruthless salespeople, so you don't really care about the characters, but it was still entertaining.
That was supposed to be my labor day movie, but a Labor Day movie about salesmen is kind of lame. I need a better one. Ah, On the Waterfront!
All star cast featuring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, and Kevin Spacey
Pretty good movie, adapted from the play. You can tell because there's so much dialogue. It's about ruthless salespeople, so you don't really care about the characters, but it was still entertaining.
That was supposed to be my labor day movie, but a Labor Day movie about salesmen is kind of lame. I need a better one. Ah, On the Waterfront!
katlupe
SF VIP
- Location
- Norwich, NY
The King of Staten Island on WeMe. Stars Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Bel Powley, Maude Apatow, and Steve Buscemi. It is about a 24 year old guy who still lives at home with his mother and she starts dating someone new.
Colleen
Senior Member
- Location
- Pennsylvania
We just watched this a couple nights ago. Terrific movie
jujube
SF VIP
Then there was the movie "Freaks", made back in the 30's(?) about, what else, circus freak. The actors were actual "circus freaks".The remake of Nightmare Alley was OK. I didn't love it, even though I love Cate Blanchett, she's a fabulous actress. I'm not a fan of Bradley Cooper.
Review of the original film from The Criterion Collection - " Darkness lurks behind the bright lights of a traveling carnival in one of the most haunting and perverse film noirs of the 1940s. Adapted from the scandalous best seller by William Lindsay Gresham, Nightmare Alley gave Tyrone Power a chance to subvert his matinee-idol image with a ruthless performance as Stanton Carlisle, a small-time carny whose unctuous charm propels him to fame as a charlatan spiritualist, but whose unchecked ambition leads him down a path of moral degradation and self-destruction. Although its strange, sordid atmosphere shocked contemporary audiences, this long-difficult-to-see reflection of postwar angst has now taken its place as one of the defining noirs of its era—a fatalistic downward slide into existential oblivion."
Here's the original. You can watch both!
Bella
It was banned from being shown for years.
officerripley
Well-known Member
- Location
- Porlock, Calif
I Came By, a Netflix orig., very good, suspenseful, great acting.
Hollow
Member
- Location
- Scotland, UK
The last movie I watched was "Detachment" with Adrian Brody. I think he is an incredible actor anyway, and he excelled in this movie about being a supply teacher in a "bad" school with rough kids. It was quite emotional and I did shed a tear or two. (but then I cry at most things, haha!)
David777
Senior Member
- Location
- Silicon Valley
Last few youtube or tubit free online science fiction movies I started to watch during evenings when I was unmotivated to do much of anything, aborted and turned them off because they were annoyingly bad, with nonsense.
Bella
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"Freaks"was made in (1932), produced by MGM. I've seen it more than once. It's not an easy film to watch but it certainly gives insight into a world not often seen.
The Guardian - Mark Kermode "Tod Brownings 1932 tale of love and deception among the members of a carnival sideshow was banned for years by the BBFC on the grounds that it “exploited for commercial reasons the deformed people that it claimed to dignify”. Today, Browning’s sympathies are clear; if there are “freaks” on display here, they are not the versatile performers to whom the title seems to allude."
Making Freaks
"In 1931 Tod Browning’s “Dracula” and James Whale’s “Frankenstein” rose from the gloom of The Great Depression and saved Universal Pictures from a grave financial crisis. Not to be outdone, MGM production supervisor Irving Thalberg planned to out-monster Universal with a shocker of his own.
MGM was soon invaded by troupes of strange looking people, sending staff and stars running. Suddenly, instead of famed directors, actors and actresses, MGM commissary diners found themselves elbow-to-elbow with pinheads, a half-boy, a bearded lady and any of the other new visitors who had just arrived.
It’s reported that famed author F. Scott Fitzgerald fled the commissary with his hand pressed to his mouth after Siamese Twins Daisy and Violet Hilton sat down beside him for lunch.
To quash a staff revolt, studio chief Louis B. Mayer banished Browning’s “human oddities” from the commissary and relegated them to a mess hall all their own.
On November 9, 1931 a secretive production began on Sound Stage 16. Opposition grew to alarming proportions from Mayer on down. But Thalberg’s “Freaks” couldn’t be stopped.
On January 28, 1932, three reels of Browning’s original 90-minute cut of “Freaks” was secretly sandwiched between the evening’s double feature in two Southern California theaters to gauge unwitting audience reactions. What they got was pandemonium. Minutes into the film, patrons evacuated the theaters.
Thalberg immediately carved over 20 minutes out of his passion project, cutting key scenes that presented the sideshow characters as human beings — complete with relationship problems, deep feelings and a sense of humor.
By doing so Thalberg only elevated the horrific elements that sent audiences clamoring for the theater exit in the first place.
On February 10th the truncated “Freaks” premiered at the Fox Criterion in Los Angeles, California.
Despite some positive reviews it suffered a painful two-week death."
Read more from the above article here. > http://makingfreaks.com/makingfreaks/ ... and here >https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022913/plotsummary
Although it's decades old, it still packs a punch. You'll need a little intestinal fortitude to watch it. You can find it in the TCM Library, or you can watch it for free, right here. > https://archive.org/details/Freaks1932_201812
Bella
Macfan
Member
- Location
- Riverside, CA
Elvis and it was good but now it's high time to let the man Rest In Peace . Don...
. Don...
RadishRose
SF VIP
- Location
- Connecticut, USA
Yikes! I had to FF through most of it. Disturbing. How people were back then. The constant circus music got on my nerves, too."Freaks"was made in (1932), produced by MGM. I've seen it more than once. It's not an easy film to watch but it certainly gives insight into a world not often seen.
The Guardian - Mark Kermode "Tod Brownings 1932 tale of love and deception among the members of a carnival sideshow was banned for years by the BBFC on the grounds that it “exploited for commercial reasons the deformed people that it claimed to dignify”. Today, Browning’s sympathies are clear; if there are “freaks” on display here, they are not the versatile performers to whom the title seems to allude."
Making Freaks
"In 1931 Tod Browning’s “Dracula” and James Whale’s “Frankenstein” rose from the gloom of The Great Depression and saved Universal Pictures from a grave financial crisis. Not to be outdone, MGM production supervisor Irving Thalberg planned to out-monster Universal with a shocker of his own.
MGM was soon invaded by troupes of strange looking people, sending staff and stars running. Suddenly, instead of famed directors, actors and actresses, MGM commissary diners found themselves elbow-to-elbow with pinheads, a half-boy, a bearded lady and any of the other new visitors who had just arrived.
It’s reported that famed author F. Scott Fitzgerald fled the commissary with his hand pressed to his mouth after Siamese Twins Daisy and Violet Hilton sat down beside him for lunch.
To quash a staff revolt, studio chief Louis B. Mayer banished Browning’s “human oddities” from the commissary and relegated them to a mess hall all their own.
On November 9, 1931 a secretive production began on Sound Stage 16. Opposition grew to alarming proportions from Mayer on down. But Thalberg’s “Freaks” couldn’t be stopped.
On January 28, 1932, three reels of Browning’s original 90-minute cut of “Freaks” was secretly sandwiched between the evening’s double feature in two Southern California theaters to gauge unwitting audience reactions. What they got was pandemonium. Minutes into the film, patrons evacuated the theaters.
Thalberg immediately carved over 20 minutes out of his passion project, cutting key scenes that presented the sideshow characters as human beings — complete with relationship problems, deep feelings and a sense of humor.
By doing so Thalberg only elevated the horrific elements that sent audiences clamoring for the theater exit in the first place.
On February 10th the truncated “Freaks” premiered at the Fox Criterion in Los Angeles, California.
Despite some positive reviews it suffered a painful two-week death."
Read more from the above article here. > http://makingfreaks.com/makingfreaks/ ... and here >https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022913/plotsummary
Although it's decades old, it still packs a punch. You'll need a little intestinal fortitude to watch it. You can find it in the TCM Library, or you can watch it for free, right here. > https://archive.org/details/Freaks1932_201812
Bella
Bella
ᕙ ᕗ ᕙ ᕗ ᕙ ᕗ ᕙ ᕗ
At least you were curious and brave enough to give it a minute.
It's not a film for everyone. In fact, I'd say it's not for most people. 
RadishRose
SF VIP
- Location
- Connecticut, USA
Oh, I gave it at least a half hour. It's not for entertainment anymore, but as a social history of sorts. Interesting.At least you were curious and brave enough to give it a minute.
Paco Dennis
SF VIP
- Location
- Mid-Missouri
Here it is on YouTube for free. Very interesting how all "freaks" showed up, and freaked out the stars. I liked the speech at the beginning. "These folks didn't chose the way they were born, and now if you offend one, you offend them all." (paraphrased). Kinda of an interesting plot, it just feels twisted.
Is Freaks 1932 Scary?
Freaks (1932): Scariest, Most Shocking Horror Film Ever Made! A landmark movie that could only have been made in the Pre-Code era, Tod Browning's Freaks is one of the most horrifying and horrific features to have ever been made in Hollywood's history
I liked the speech at the beginning. "These folks didn't chose the way they were born, and now if you offend one, you offend them all." (paraphrased). Kinda of an interesting plot, it just feels twisted. Is Freaks 1932 Scary?
Freaks (1932): Scariest, Most Shocking Horror Film Ever Made! A landmark movie that could only have been made in the Pre-Code era, Tod Browning's Freaks is one of the most horrifying and horrific features to have ever been made in Hollywood's history
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jujube
SF VIP
There was an alternate ending with the villainous boyfriend being castrated and ending up as a soprano. I guess they thought that might be a tad much for the viewers."Freaks"was made in (1932), produced by MGM. I've seen it more than once. It's not an easy film to watch but it certainly gives insight into a world not often seen.
The Guardian - Mark Kermode "Tod Brownings 1932 tale of love and deception among the members of a carnival sideshow was banned for years by the BBFC on the grounds that it “exploited for commercial reasons the deformed people that it claimed to dignify”. Today, Browning’s sympathies are clear; if there are “freaks” on display here, they are not the versatile performers to whom the title seems to allude."
Making Freaks
"In 1931 Tod Browning’s “Dracula” and James Whale’s “Frankenstein” rose from the gloom of The Great Depression and saved Universal Pictures from a grave financial crisis. Not to be outdone, MGM production supervisor Irving Thalberg planned to out-monster Universal with a shocker of his own.
MGM was soon invaded by troupes of strange looking people, sending staff and stars running. Suddenly, instead of famed directors, actors and actresses, MGM commissary diners found themselves elbow-to-elbow with pinheads, a half-boy, a bearded lady and any of the other new visitors who had just arrived.
It’s reported that famed author F. Scott Fitzgerald fled the commissary with his hand pressed to his mouth after Siamese Twins Daisy and Violet Hilton sat down beside him for lunch.
To quash a staff revolt, studio chief Louis B. Mayer banished Browning’s “human oddities” from the commissary and relegated them to a mess hall all their own.
On November 9, 1931 a secretive production began on Sound Stage 16. Opposition grew to alarming proportions from Mayer on down. But Thalberg’s “Freaks” couldn’t be stopped.
On January 28, 1932, three reels of Browning’s original 90-minute cut of “Freaks” was secretly sandwiched between the evening’s double feature in two Southern California theaters to gauge unwitting audience reactions. What they got was pandemonium. Minutes into the film, patrons evacuated the theaters.
Thalberg immediately carved over 20 minutes out of his passion project, cutting key scenes that presented the sideshow characters as human beings — complete with relationship problems, deep feelings and a sense of humor.
By doing so Thalberg only elevated the horrific elements that sent audiences clamoring for the theater exit in the first place.
On February 10th the truncated “Freaks” premiered at the Fox Criterion in Los Angeles, California.
Despite some positive reviews it suffered a painful two-week death."
Read more from the above article here. > http://makingfreaks.com/makingfreaks/ ... and here >https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022913/plotsummary
Although it's decades old, it still packs a punch. You'll need a little intestinal fortitude to watch it. You can find it in the TCM Library, or you can watch it for free, right here. > https://archive.org/details/Freaks1932_201812
Bella
What channel? Thanks