Watched with Donna:
After Tomorrow (1932) Directed by Frank Borzage. Light drama, young couple must surmount obstacles to their marriage. Starts off peppy but got rather tiring by the end. Didn't really recognize anyone in it, which is rare. A good Mother's Day movie, because the two mothers are pretty awful - his is a whining manipulator, hers a bitter adultress. 5/10
Frenzy (1972) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. He seems to have taken the opportunity in this, as in Marnie, of showing just what a pervert he was. Kept our interest the whole time but it seemed a bit uneven, with comedy relief a little too overdone. He made worse movies. 7/10
Watched alone:
The Sissi Collection: Sissi (1955), Sissi, Die junge Kaiserin (1956), Sissi, Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin (1957) Starring Romy Schneider, light popular fare depicting episodes from the life of the 19th century Empress Elizabeth of Austria. I like seeing foreign films that aren't supposed to be "cinema," because popular culture can tell you things high art can't. These are well-crafted escapist costume entertainment with a little conflict, a little romance, a lot of pageantry, and very large dresses. Each is more spectacular than the last, and the third concludes with an amazing scene in Plaza San Marco in Venice with thousands of extras in full costume. Good clean fun, beautifully filmed in dense brownish Agfacolor; pure reds and blues, muddy greens and fleshtones. The third seemed a lot brighter. 8/10
