thirty movies hath november – The last seduction (1994)

today's movie is brought to you by teh SO, who said "how about The last seduction?"

it has elements of film noir, thriller, psychological thriller, and some damn hot sex: neo-noir, as it is sometimes called. 
to movie buffs, The last seduction is also known as that movie where Linda Fiorentino was robbed,  as she indeed was.  because of an Academy rule, ms. Fiorentino couldn't be nominated for an Oscar for her performance in The last seduction because the film had been released on TV (HBO) before it was in the theaters and was thus automatically ineligible for any Oscar nomination.  a shame, since Fiorentino's went for broke in The last seduction playing the driven, amoral, sexually voracious Bridget to the hilt.  an amazing performance.

trailer:

The last seduction trailer

some of the story: Bridget is living in New York and married to a doctor.  a doctor who she talks into selling drugs to some unsavory characters. she then absconds with the money, leaving dr. husband in a not very good position. he hires detectives to find her; she has moved upstate to some 'cowtown in cowcountry', where she goes through the local male population like to a shark through a school of guppies.

an exchange with Mike, who she meets in the town's bar

Bridget : Could you leave? Please?
Mike : I haven't finished charming you yet.
Bridget : You haven't started.
Mike : Gimme a chance.
Bridget : Look, go find yourself a nice little cowgirl and make nice little cowbabies and leave me alone.
Mike : I'm hung like a horse. Think about it.
[ pause]
Bridget : Let's see.
Mike : Excuse me?
Bridget : Mr. Ed, let's see.
Mike : Look, I tried to be nice. I can see that's something you're not…
Bridget : No, I'm trying. I can be very nice when I try. Sit down.
Mike : OK, maybe we just got off to a bad start. I know plenty of people –
[ Bridget unzips his fly]
Mike: What are you doing?
Bridget : I believe what we're looking for is a certain horse-like quality?

so maybe you want to see what happens after that exchange.  the following montage begins there, and moves to other sex encounters including MAJOR SPOILERS.  it is also NSFW and graphic. 

Bridget gets it on

Nablopomo 2009 badge

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

thirty movies hath november – Touch of Evil (1958)

one of my favorites:  a movie written and directed by Orson Welles, who also played the main character…(no, is not this movie, smartypants. you didn't even read the title.  be quiet)

but unlike that other movie, which all of y'all who taken Film 101 will remember 'was written/directed/acted produced by Orson Welles' it also was the only one in Welles's brilliant, contentious, and much-studied career where he was able to maintain control, i.e. deciding what was to be 'the final cut'.   in no other movie he directed did Welles have that control.

yaddayaddayadda.  why all this?  because Touch of Evil, the movie I'm talking about, was originally released after being edited and cut by the studio.  Welles's hated it.  years after his death, with much fanfare, Touch of Evil was released in 1998 touted as being 'Welles's Original Vision". 
this release was possible because all the footage Welles's had shot still existed, alongside his extensive notes. here be teh wiki for much more detail and linkage if interested

this 1998 release is the only one I've seen. on DVD. not on the theater, though I hold out hope to do so someday.
I cannot bloviate on 1958 vs 1998, studio vs. Welles etc.  but I suspect the studio must have been embarrassed about overriding Welles's vision, because I can't find a clip from the 1958 release.  not even the trailer.

ok, time for the clip show.  trailer for the 1998 release:

Touch Of Evil – 1998 Re-issue Trailer 1958

the opening scene, famous for cinematic reasons.  guess why if you like

Touch of Evil opening scene

my favorite exchange between Welles's character, Quinlan, and Marlena Dietrich's, Tanya. can't find a clip, so read on:

Tanya: We're closed.
Quinlan: You've been cookin' at this hour?
Tanya: Just cleanin' up.
Quinlan: Have you forgotten your old friend, hmm?
Tanya: I told you we were closed.
Quinlan: I'm Hank Quinlan.
Tanya: I didn't recognize you. You should lay off those candy bars.
Quinlan: It's either the candy or the hooch. I must say, I wish it was your chili I was gettin' fat on. Anyway, you're sure lookin' good.
Tanya: You're a mess, honey.

you the reader have to imagine the voice tones, looks, camera back-and-forths, etc. that make the above exchange bitter/eerie/wistful and able to give you Quinlan' and Tanya's story in those few lines. is one of those scenes used in classrooms to demonstrate why film is an art form, not just moving pictures.

a later scene with the same characters:

Touch of Evil – Future’s All Used Up

Touch of Evil is a film noir. 
a film noir, that schooled any other movie calling itself a film noir before and after it. 
being a film noir is impossible to discuss the plot without giving it away.
you didn't hear it from me, but rumor has that 'round teh YT someone has uploaded the whole damn movie in parts. can't think of a better way to spend a rainy fall afternoon

Nablopomo 2009 badge

 

Read and post comments | Send to a friend