settima

Bookadaptation

Bröllopsbesvär [Wedding: Swedish Style] (Åke Falck, 1964)

Nov

11

Bröllopsbesvär (1964)

Bride and groom, and resentfulness at front. DP: Rune Ericson.

A dysfunctional family*

 

On a wedding day, and night, a family's dirty secrets are laid bare.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for November is, again, not date-based, but follows a sloppy schmaltzy all-American Thanksgiving-y narrative. Trying to make it work my way.

有りがたうさん [Arigatō-san / Mr. Thank You] (Hiroshi Shimizu, 1936)

Nov

6

Arigatō-san (1936)

Arigatō-san (Ken Uehara) courteously thanks someone who shares the road for giving way. DP: Isamu Aoki.

A movie that makes you want to travel*

“Arigatō! [Thank you!]”

– Mr Thank You to everyone – poultry included – he passes on his bus

Friendly and helpful, Arigatō-san (Ken Uehara) is there for his passengers and non-bus travellers alike. A sweet roadmovie from a Japan now lost to time.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for November is, again, not date-based, but follows a sloppy schmaltzy all-American Thanksgiving-y narrative. Trying to make it work my way.

Jules et Jim (François Truffaut, 1962)

Nov

4

sweaters

Jules et Jim (1962)

A movie with gorgeous sweater fashion*

“She's a strange breed.”

– Jim

Throwing in a little Movember for good measure.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for November is, again, not date-based, but follows a sloppy schmaltzy all-American Thanksgiving-y narrative. Trying to make it work my way.

المخدوعون [Al-makhdu'un / The Dupes] (Tawfiq Saleh, 1972)

Nov

2

النَّكْبَة

Al-makhdu'un (1972)

The three men on top of the water truck (via). DP: Bahgat Heidar.

Starting over*

“A man with no country, will have no grave in the Earth, I forbid you to leave.”

– opening quote (via)

A few years after the start of the Nakba, three generations hope to make a new life for themselves. In the steel belly of a water truck, the men travel Palestine into Iraq, then crossing the desert towards the promised land, Kuwait.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for November is, again, not date-based, but follows a sloppy schmaltzy all-American Thanksgiving-y narrative. Trying to make it work my way.

The Thing from Another World (Christian Nyby + Howard Hawks, 1951)

Nov

1

The Thing from Another World (1951)

Scientists and crew armed to the teeth. DP: Russell Harlan.

Until November 3.

“No pleasure, no pain… no emotion, no heart. Our superior in every way.”

– Dr. Arthur Carrington

Night of the Demon (Jacques Tourneur, 1957)

Oct

28

Night of the Demon (1957)

John Holden (Dana Andrews) standing in Stonehenge's inner circle. He's holding a strip of paper with something written on it. DP: Edward Scaife.

“It's in the trees! It's coming!”

Śledztwo [The Investigation] (Marek Piestrak, 1974)

Oct

28

Śledztwo (1974)

A person offscreen shoots a handgun. DP: Edward Kłosiński.

Tajemství hradu v Karpatech [The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians] (Oldřich Lipský, 1981)

Oct

27

1897

Tajemství hradu v Karpatech (1981)

A calendar – undeniably designed by the great Jan Švankmajer – with the date October 27, 1897, set on the day of – or referencing a saint – Sabina. Screenshot via DVDBeaver. DP: Viktor Růžička.

– You surely know that my financial support is unlimited.

– Yes. Long live your false cheque factories!

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (Peter Yates, 1973)

Oct

26

1972

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

Eddie Coyle (Robert Mitchum) and Dillon (Peter Boyle) at the Boston Bruins game. DP: Victor J. Kemper.

A key scene takes place at an NHL game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins at the Boston Garden. Bobby Orr and Eddie Johnston are seen playing for the Bruins, and Keith Magnuson, Tony Esposito, Bill White, Pat Stapleton, and Cliff Koroll are seen playing for the Blackhawks. The real game took place on October 26, 1972, and Chicago won 6-3 (via).

 

Emperor of the North Pole (Robert Aldrich, 1973)

Oct

25

Emperor of the North Pole (1973)

Lobbycard. The blurb reads: “The battle for the title of “Emperor of the North Pole” begins between Shack (ERNEST BORGNINE) and A-No. 1 (LEE MARVIN)“. DP: Joseph F. Biroc.

“Stay off the tracks. Forget it. Its a bum's world for a bum.”

– Shack