Movie Night: Horse Feathers.

Review #688: Horse Feathers.

Cast
Groucho Marx (Professor Quincy Wagstaff), Harpo Marx (Pinky), Chico Marx (Baravelli), Zeppo Marx (Frank Wagstaff), Thelma Todd (Connie Bailey), and David Landau (Jennings) Directed by Norman Z. McLeod.

Review
In a way, it's been way too long since I touched upon the Marx Brothers (#085 - Duck Soup), but hey, new year, new things, I suppose. As for the movie itself, it's pretty enjoyable. It moves quickly with its gags and pace, which make for a balanced attack of fun. The plot itself could still work today, especially in our competitive world such as this; it's nice to see a plot line that doesn't out date itself. I think the highlight of the movie is probably near the end of the movie, with the football game. My favorite of the Marxes is Groucho, most because his insults just ring more with me. I like the gags used, especially at the end of the movie involving a chariot. Even watching the scenes before it to give that sentence context wouldn't really help, just watch the movie, which is a really fun flick to watch. And, to ring in the new year and because I like this movie especially and recommend it especially, the first perfect rating of the year.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Maltese Falcon (1931).

Review #395: The Maltese Falcon.

Cast
Bebe Daniels (Ruth Wonderly), Ricardo Cortez (Sam Spade), Dudley Digges (Casper Gutman), Una Merkel (Effie Perine), Robert Elliott (Dundy), Thelma Todd (Iva Archer), Otto Matieson (Joel Cairo), Walter Long (Miles Archer), and Dwight Frye (Wilmer Cook) Directed by Roy Del Ruth.

Review
As it turns out, the 1941 film version of the Dashiell Hammett novel was not the first adaptation, as this 1931 film was made first, though it would soon languish into obscurity, even being called Dangerous Female after the 1941 film was released. But my question before watching was would it be any good. And...it's not exactly good, but it has some sort of merit. Trying to compare this and the 1941 film is liking trying to compare a work of art by Picasso to a painting by a beginner, it's just not fair to compare because as I said in my review of the 1941 film, "The film has a style to it that helps the film makes its case for a good film, if not already from the acting. The story's good, making you interested in it for the entirety of the film." From what I've heard, the two films are pretty close to the novel, different in some ways, and this version feels like the 1941 version, but not too much. Maybe it's just me, but when I was watching I thought I heard a crackly noise that kept going in the background for the rest of the film, but that could just be me. The actors are alright, and the sets do look well. The film shows its age at points, and while this isn't a great film in most sense, this at least should watched once, either before or after the 1941 film. Take this for it's worth, no matter the consequences. Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.