Thursday Movie Picks: Dream Sequences
1) Inception - I can't read the word "dream" without thinking of Inception anymore. I adore this movie and it's held up on every single rewatch I've had of it.
2) Wild Strawberries - Dreams (and nightmares) play a big part of this Ingmar Bergman film. This is one I'd like to watch again.
3) The Eyes of Tammy Faye - This is more of a fantasy sequence, but one at the end of this movie made me laugh my ass off. I think it's perfect. This absolutely has one of the best endings of any film that came out this year based on this sequence alone.
I think it's likely I'll get to The Eyes of Tammy Faye eventually. I suspect it might get some love come Oscar time.
ReplyDeleteI've had trouble getting through Inception again. I don't know what it is, but I just can't bring myself to sit through it despite liking it.
I hope Chastain at least gets some Oscar attention. She was excellent.
DeleteI do believe Inception will be popular this week which is why I didn’t choose it but it is a mind bending ply great movie. I have not seen Wild Strawberries yet which has been on my watch list for a long time. I want to see the Tammy Faye movie since I remember her so well when everything hit the fan for them.
ReplyDeleteI have no memories of Tammy Faye, so I'm sure they've taken liberties with some things there, but I thought it was a great movie.
DeleteLike you, I don't think I can think of the word dream and not associate it with Inception. They're definitely entangled at this point haha great picks!
ReplyDeleteYes they did lol. Thanks!
DeleteI LOVE Inception and agree that it holds up on repeat viewings. It's clever sure but it's also fun which raises it a level above other films of its type.
ReplyDeleteAgain I LOVE Wild Strawberries!! I loved it on first view and as I've worked my way through Ingmar Bergman's filmography it has remained a rock solid first. There is just something so deeply felt and touching about it.
Want to see Eyes of Tammy Faye but haven't gotten there yet.
Inception was my first thought as well but I know I used it before, as I have with Wild Strawberries, so I took a deeper dive and came up with these three.
The Dark Past (1948)-On the lam after busting out of prison murderer Al Walker (William Holden) along with moll Betty (Nina Foch) and the rest of his gang take psychologist Andrew Collins (Lee J. Cobb), his family and friends hostage in their remote cabin. As a storm rages outside impeding their escape the shrink attempts to probe Walker’s psychosis focusing on analysis of a disturbing dream (which we see in an extended sequence) that has plagued the maniac for decades resulting in a psychological breakthrough that may help save them all. Aside from the quick fix cognitive hooey the film posits this is a well-acted noir, particularly by Nina Foch.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)-Mild-mannered pushover Walter Mitty (Danny Kaye) fills his days with flights of fancy to break free of his overbearing mother (Fay Bainter) and mercurial fiancée (Ann Rutherford). Indulging in elaborate daydreams he finds himself involved in a real-life escapade when the enigmatic Rosalind van Hoorn (Virginia Mayo) ropes him into an intrigue. Suddenly involved with valuable jewels, a little black book, and sinister criminal Dr. Hugo Hollingshead (Boris Karloff) Walter’s staid world is soon full of all the adventure he can handle and some he can’t!
The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1932)-Arriving in Shanghai to marry her missionary fiancé Dr. Robert Strike (Gavin Gordon) Megan Davis (Barbara Stanwyck) finds herself swept up in China’s civil war and taken captive by warlord General Yen (Nils Asther). Held in luxury as Yen persistently tries to woo her Megan is at first repelled by his barbaric tactics but after an unsettling dream (which with this being a pre-code film is replete with very erotic imagery) finds herself becoming attracted to the general developing sympathy for his embattled position.
Great list! I still need to watch Inception!
ReplyDeleteYou do! It's one of my all time favorites.
DeleteI still haven't seen The Eyes of Tammy Faye as I'm sure that looks fun while I do love your other 2 picks as I went on a more comedic approach. I'm still waiting for Christopher Nolan to do what is meant to do... Inception 2: Electric Boogaloo.
ReplyDeletelol Inception is perfect as it is! Tammy Faye is a good time, I hope you like it when you see it.
DeleteHmm. I commented yesterday but it looks like it didn't take, probably something with this new dumb double sign in for Google.
ReplyDeleteHopefully this one will work!
Love Inception! Clever, well-acted and directed with enough going on to make a second or third watch an opportunity to discover new things in the film.
LOVE Wild Strawberries! What a lovely, layered film. It became an instant favorite when I saw it and as I've worked my way through Ingmar Bergman's filmography it's remained at the top.
I still haven't seen The Eyes of Tammy Faye but it is on my list.
I likewise thought of Inception right off but was sure I'd used it before so I did a deep dive into older films with memorable dream sequences.
The Dark Past (1948)-On the lam after busting out of prison murderer Al Walker (William Holden) along with moll Betty (Nina Foch) and the rest of his gang take psychologist Andrew Collins (Lee J. Cobb), his family and friends hostage in their remote cabin. As a storm rages outside impeding their escape the shrink attempts to probe Walker’s psychosis focusing on analysis of a disturbing dream (which we see in an extended sequence) that has plagued the maniac for decades resulting in a psychological breakthrough that may help save them all. Aside from the quick fix cognitive hooey the film posits this is a well-acted noir, particularly by Nina Foch.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)-Mild-mannered pushover Walter Mitty (Danny Kaye) fills his days with flights of fancy to break free of his overbearing mother (Fay Bainter) and mercurial fiancée (Ann Rutherford). Indulging in elaborate daydreams he finds himself involved in a real-life escapade when the enigmatic Rosalind van Hoorn (Virginia Mayo) ropes him into an intrigue. Suddenly involved with valuable jewels, a little black book, and sinister criminal Dr. Hugo Hollingshead (Boris Karloff) Walter’s staid world is soon full of all the adventure he can handle and some he can’t!
The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1932)-Arriving in Shanghai to marry her missionary fiancé Dr. Robert Strike (Gavin Gordon) Megan Davis (Barbara Stanwyck) finds herself swept up in China’s civil war and taken captive by warlord General Yen (Nils Asther). Held in luxury as Yen persistently tries to woo her Megan is at first repelled by his barbaric tactics but after an unsettling dream (which with this being a pre-code film is replete with very erotic imagery) finds herself becoming attracted to the general developing sympathy for his embattled position.
Inception is a great pick! I was considering putting it on my list but ended up with another DiCaprio movie 😅
ReplyDeleteShutter Island is amazing too!
DeleteI'm not really a fan of Nolan's blockbusters including Inception.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen the other two yet.
I love them all besides Tenent lol
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