MGM Europe: North by Northwest 1959- The Best of Alfred Hitchcock

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat

North by Northwest is my favorite movie of all time. Cary Grant is my favorite actor of all time and Alfred Hitchcock is probably my favorite director of all time. I have a couple of versions of this movie on DVD, saw it on Turner Classic Movies a couple of nights ago and again on DVD last might. I decided to write a blog about it today because I’ve been thinking about it a lot. This movie is Cary Grant, perhaps the best comedic actor of all time, at his best.

North by Northwest has all the ingredients of a great Hitchcock movie. A great plot, great writing, great cast, Hitchcock’s sense of humor, that Cary Grant shares, and James Mason. The very sexy and beautiful Eva Marie Saint (On the Waterfront, The Russians are Coming) has a big role in the movie. According to my father, she’s smarter, sexier, and more beautiful than Grace Kelly or Marilyn Monroe. She reminds him of my mother.

Then, there’s Jessie Royce Landis who plays Roger Thornhill’s (Cary Grant) mother, a great smart ass, even though she’s only four years older.

The movie is a Cold War thriller about a man, Van Damme (James Mason), who exports American weapons and national security secrets. Thornhill gets caught up in it, accidentally, and you have a great movie.

Thornhill is a charming playboy New York advertising man who’s just living his life as a very successful businessman. He’s kidnapped by Van Damme’s henchmen at a New York bar. They believe he has inside information about Van Damme’s organization.

The Van Damme crew tries to murder Thornhill but he gets away. He tries to get back in touch with Van Damme and instead connects with Lester Townsend, someone Van Damme had pretended to be. The Van Damme crew, trying to murder Thornhill, instead murder Townsend. They believe he also knows something about their organization that they want kept secret. Thornhill is now not only on the run from Van Damme and company but also from the NYC PD, the New York State PD, and the Feds.

Thornhill once again escapes and is now on the run from everyone because of the murder he didn’t commit. This time, he escapes by train where he meets Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) who just happens to be an undercover Federal agent pretending to work for Philipp Van Damme. She’s actually working to bring down Van Damme’s and his organization. She has Thornhill believing she’s on his side and helping him to escape. She’s actually just using him.

This movie starts in New York, moves to Chicago and then Indiana where the Van Damme crew tries to murder Thornhill and Thornhill is trying to meet the real George Kaplan to find out what this whole thing is about. The problem is that George Kaplan doesn’t exist. Back to Chicago Thornhill gets arrested again, thinking that he would be safer with the police than on the run. The Feds grab him instead and use him to help bering down Van Damme and company in Rapid City where Philipp Van Damme has a home.

This is one of the best action suspense comedies you’ll ever see.
MN Europe: Alfred Hitchcock- North by Northwest 1959 Trailer

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YouTube Movies & TV: Rounders (1998) The Fifteenth Anniversary

Source:YouTube Movies & TV– left to right: John Turturo & Matt Damon.

“Academy Award(R) winner Matt Damon (GOOD WILL HUNTING, Best Original Screenplay, 1997; THE BOURNE SUPREMACY) and Edward Norton (THE ITALIAN JOB) star in this story of passion, risk, and the extreme price of friendship! After losing a high-stakes card game, Mike (Damon) gives up gambling for law school and a fresh start with his girlfriend (Gretchen Mol — CRADLE WILL ROCK). But then his best buddy (Norton) gets out of prison and in over his head with a ruthless card shark (John Malkovich — BEING JOHN MALKOVICH). From there, Mike’s strong sense of loyalty — and the lure of the game — draw him back to the tables in a game he cannot afford to lose! Also starring John Turturro (O BROTHER, WHERE ARE THOU?) and Oscar(R) winner Martin Landau (ED WOOD, Best Supporting Actor, 1994). 2011 Miramax”

Source: YouTube Movies & TV

The 15th anniversary of my favorite cards movie Rounders.

If you’re a true poker fan and have been a fan of it for a long time, or most of your life, or you just started getting into like ten years ago, or so when celebrities got into and it became cool, Rounders is a great movie for you.

This movie came out in 1998 about five years before Hollywood made card games cool thing to follow and be part of. When ESPN started putting so many poker tournaments on. (Even though poker is not an athletic sport) Not saying that Rounders is the cause for the celebrity exposure of poker and other card games in America, but it came out right before that fad.

Rounders is about two young borderline professional poker players who the only money they’ve ever made at this point is playing poker.

Mike McDermott (played by Matt Damon) is a recovering compulsive gambler who lost all of his money a few years back. And is now driving a truck trying to pay back his debts and get through law school.

Worm (played by Ed Norton) is a compulsive gambler and an ex-con who just got out of prison, small-time white-collar criminal. Who owes a lot of money to a loan shark (played by Michael Imperioli) and needs to win a lot of that money back quickly. And goes to his long time buddy Mike to help him win it back.

Rounders is a great movie about how very smart, street smart people who read people very well and can tell the real people from the fakers and people trying to be someone else, who have something to hide. Poker is not just about having good cards, but knowing what your opponent has as well by being able to read them so you know when to play and when to hold. Because you know when your opponents cards aren’t as good as yours.

Rounders shows you how good poker players are successful and why the wannabes leave games owing more money that they started with. It is also a movie with a lot of sarcasm and quick-witted humor. Ed Norton and John Malkovich are very funny in it. And it is one of my favorite movies.

You can also see this post on Blogger.

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