settima

1960s

The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, 1963)

Sep

10

chicken

The Birds (1963)

Alfred Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren in a promotional photo by Philippe Halsman. Hedren, as her character Melanie Daniels, is attacked by a large crow while Hitchcock calmly enjoys a fried chicken and a glass of wine. DP: Robert Burks.

Feeling rather peckish.

“Are the birds gonna eat us, Mommy?”

মহানগর [Mahanagar / The Big City] (Satyajit Ray, 1963)

Sep

6

freebie: National Lipstick Day

মহানগর (1963)

Edith (Vicky Redwood) applying colour to Arati's (Madhavi Mukherjee) lips. DP: Subrata Mitra.

Set in 1950s Calcutta, মহানগর is a story of emancipation in a changing society. Arati (Madhavi Mukherjee) is a housewife from a traditionalist family, who – in order to support her relatives' lavish demands – goes out to work as a door-to-door saleswoman. Slowly, she discovers her independence.

“I've got it. Film star! You'd be perfect. Dark glasses, lots of red lipstick, and 100,000 rupees per picture. And if it's a Hindi film, we'll all fly to Bombay.”

– Bani

Red Roses of Passion (Joseph W. Sarno, 1966)

Sep

5

Red Roses of Passion (1966)

A blonde lustfully drinks from a cup held up for her by someone offscreen. DP: Anthony Lover.

Homicidal (William Castle, 1961)

Sep

2

Ice cream (melting)

Homicidal (1961)

Emily (Joan Marshall), a stately blonde, looking down on a sulky little kid holding his slowly melting ice cream. DP: Burnett Guffey.

The Hypnotic Eye (George Blair, 1960)

Aug

29

National Lemon Juice Day

The Hypnotic Eye (1960)

Suave hypnotist Desmond (Jacques Bergerac) and his lovely assistant Justine (Allison Hayes) using the magic of vitamin C to demonstrate to you, the viewer, how hypnotism works. DP: Archie R. Dalzell.

The Hypnotic Eye utilises what's called the movie gimmick. This one doesn't deploy anything hugely spectacular, no Percepto! seat vibrators (The Tingler (1959)) or Witchcraft (1964) witch deflectors or even a trained nurse on standby. There's a balloon. No spoilers here

“And now I am going to demonstrate to you the power of your own mind.”

– Desmond

There are also multiple moments where hypnotist Desmond (handsome future-Revlon-exec Jacques Bergerac) directly addresses you, the (wo)man in the audience. Because you too may laugh at that folly, that gimmick, that parlour trick. But who says it isn't real? Who says you really never went to see a hypnotism show…?

Il grande silenzio [The Great Silence] (Sergio Corbucci, 1968)

Aug

26

horse

Il grande silenzio (1968)

A man in a heavy fur coat (Bruno Corazzari) is eating at a small table when Silenzio (Jean-Louis Trintignant) enters the small establishment. Outside the landscape is covered in snow. DP: Silvano Ippoliti.

– What do you want?

– We just want that horse of yours.

– You want my horse, there's an awful lot of ya. What are you gonna do with just one horse, anyhow?

– Eat it. We're gonna feed off that beast for at least a week.

Cleopatra (Joseph L. Mankiewicz + Rouben Mamoulian, 1963)

Aug

26

National Spark The World Day

Cleopatra (1963)

Cleopatra's – Elizabeth Taylor, anachronistically dressed as the goddess Nekhbet – grande entrée in Rome. She sits on top of a black, basalt-like sphinx, pulled by numerous slaves and greeted by a cast of thousands. There are 20 000 Italian extras; there's no CGI. DPs: Leon Shamroy & Jack Hildyard.

Like Rome, Cleopatra wasn't built in a day. Joseph L. Mankiewicz's epic studio breaker took six years to make and, despite it being the highest-grossing film of 1963, didn't break even until 1973. Was it a #flop? A classic flop but a flop nevertheless?

“There are never enough hours in the days of a queen, and her nights have too many.”

– Cleopatra

 

Is it all bad? Cleopatra is one of those movies that so many – and that includes obsessive cinephiles – will get around to watch. Eventually. All four hours of it. I'm still holding out, but ooh, the spectacle!

More (Barbet Schroeder, 1969)

Aug

22

Munchies

More (1969)

Druggies Estelle (Mimsy Farmer) and Stefan (Klaus Grünberg) eating straight from a jar of honey and picking crumbs out of a loaf of bread. There's Coca-Cola product placement and half-eaten foods everywhere. DP: Néstor Almendros.

– You know what's really awful?

– No, tell me.

– Getting hooked. It's the end. But, if you only take one shot every once in awhile. Its no different than an occasional drink or cigarette.

The Servant (Joseph Losey, 1963)

Aug

16

National Authenticity Day

The Servant (1963)

Manservant Barrett (Dirk Bogarde) and his master Tony (James Fox). Tony is asleep in a folding chair wearing an overcoat in a sparse room with crumbling walls. Barrett – immaculately dressed in a dark overcoat, hat, gloves, tie – stands in the doorway, looking down on the sleeping man. DP: Douglas Slocombe.

– What do you want from this house? – Want? – Yes. Want. – I'm just the servant, miss. – Get my lunch.

Maléfices [Where the Truth Lies] (Henri Decoin, 1962)

Aug

16

milk

Maléfices (1962)

Ronga (Maîthé Mansoura accompanied by cheetah Nyète), sits on a straw-covered floor while holding a bowl with milk. There are potted plants and gardening equipment is placed against the wall. DP: Marcel Grignon.