Kick-Back Friday: February 2008 Archives
Speaking of 1956 black-and-white heist movies...this week, the Pathophilia blog recommends Rififi ("Trouble" en français). The magnetically reticent Jean Servais stars as a seasoned thief who attempts to pull off one last, great jewel robbery. Particularly delightful is the ensemble break-in, with its silent (literally), low-tech ingeniousness. According to the imdb, Al Pacino has signed up for a 2009 remake.
Recommended this week is the heist knockout The Killing, directed and cowritten by Stanley Kubrick and starring paragon tough guy Sterling Hayden (Dr. Stangelove, The Godfather). The 1956 noir classic features a motley ensemble of stock low-lifes, who get to exchange terrific dialogue like, "All right, sister, that's a pretty head you got on your shoulders," followed by, "You wanna keep it there or carry it around in your hands?" In my next life, I will be the late 21st century's answer to Marie Windsor as Sherry Peatty.
Not a bad, illegal kickback. A good, healthy kick back (as in let's...).
Recommended by the Pathophilia blog is The Innocents, a black-and-white gem from 1961 based on Henry James's novella The Turn of the Screw, with a screenplay cowritten by Truman Capote. A very addlepated Deborah Kerr is the governess of two either benign or deeply troubled children. Watch it on a cold, dark February night and expect to jump out of your skin on more than one occasion.
