Comments on: Chimes at Midnight

By: Matt Gamble

Matt Gamble — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:58:55 +0000

Man, you guys are just hammering me on Othello.

By: Alan

Alan — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:28:37 +0000

Welles’ OTHELLO is awesome. Shot over many years, the continuity problems resulted in a wild montage editing style, which feels thoroughly modern with today’s eyes. Check it out.

By: Where the Long Tail Ends » Site Updates

Where the Long Tail Ends » Site Updates — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:46:29 +0000

[...] I have been toying with the idea of adding more movie stills to my reviews. I added a few to Chimes of Midnight and I rather liked the look of it. It added a nice breakup from the rather long bit of text. Any [...]

By: Matt Gamble

Matt Gamble — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:01:01 +0000

Even though I own it, I haven’t watched Throne of Blood in ages. You two are definitely getting interested in watching it again. Othello I will get to eventually, but I’m not in as much of a rush to watch that.

By: Robert R

Robert R — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:38:42 +0000

Yeah, Welles’s Othello is definitely worth a watch. The opening, which frames the rest of the story as a flashback as we see the fate of Iago, and the Turkish bath assassination scene, an improvisation due to lack of money for costumes, are cinematically inspired moments. It’s not perfect by any means, Welles in blackface is less than convincing, but it succeeds in being a movie first and Shakespeare second.

I’d concur with the high praise for Throne of Blood. As good as Ran is, Throne of Blood is so focussed that it takes it to another level. The forest moving and climax, where you see raw and real fear from Toshiro Mifune as real arrows miss him by inches, are spectacular.

By: manimal

manimal — Sun, 25 May 2008 20:06:49 +0000

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By: Matt Gamble

Matt Gamble — Tue, 20 May 2008 22:29:06 +0000

You just love quibbling.

And nope, no Transformer’s in the group, though Han Solo and Michael Knight were. The most surprising entry in the Top 5? C. Thomas Howell as Robert from Red Dawn. Swayze couldn’t hold that boy’s jock strap.

Oh yeah, Welles was on Moonlighting and Transformer’s as well. Suck on that Selleck.

By: EdgarDiazRocks

EdgarDiazRocks — Tue, 20 May 2008 22:10:54 +0000

A few things . . .

I know you like Manimal just for the car, a Ferrari Mondail.

Like that could touch Magnum’s 308.

And funny thing, other three guys on your list? All Transformers I bet.

“Throne of Blood” is actually the superior Shakespeare adaptation.

Welles is o good at one thing Understanding his own hubris and using it for superior art. The second act of “Citizen Caine” and the finale of “Touch of Evil” are transcendent because they play so well off his own ego, giant as it is. The man accepts he was a giant pain in the ass and plays off that to such spectacular effect.

Plus, he was on Magnum, which if you haven’t gathered, I was a fan of, and Thomas Selleck could kick Manimal’s ass.

By: Matt Gamble

Matt Gamble — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:56:50 +0000

Othello is another one of Welles’ films that I have wanted to watch but just have never gotten around to it. I just might try and see if I can find some time over the next few weeks, while I’m still in a Shakespeare mood.

By: A.K.Farrar

A.K.Farrar — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:02:02 +0000

You know, you really should try the Welles version of Othello (fits nicely into adaptation category).
No one does Shakespeare on film as well as Welles - and the inventiveness of his shot selection in Othello is stunning - copied but rarely equalled.