The weekly film meeting saw:

* Shukujo to Hige /The lady and the beard – Japan 1930 Ozu

For a long time Tokyo monogatari was the only film by Ozu I had ever seen, and I thought it was going to stay so, since he’s films were never around. Gradually I could add more titles through festival screenings, and the final breakthrough was of course when films started to be availbale on DVD.
This film is one of four on BFI:s The student comedies. The others are Days of youth, I flunked, but… and Where now are the dreams of youth (all early ‘30s). Their newest release is Three melodramas: Early Spring (1956), Tokyo Twilight (1957) and Woman of Tokyo (1933).
There are lots of complete Ozus on You Tube: Days of Youth, I graduated, but…, A straightforward boy, Tokyo Chorus, Where now are the Dreams of Youth?, Woman of Tokyo, Dragnet Girl, Passing Fancy?, A Mother should be loved, Story of Floating Weeds, An Inn in Tokyo, What did the lady forget?, Late Spring and Good.
So there is no reason why the Ozu viewing shouldn’t be completed in the near future.

* Zánik domu Usheru /The Fall of the House of Usher – Czech 1980 Jan Svankmajer

* Mary – England 1930 Alfred Hitchcock #18

For a couple of years after the arrival of sound the film producers were trying to find a solution to the language problem. The silent films were easy to distribute all over the world, just switch the intertitles to another language. The earliest solution to the problem was to shoot the film in several languages
Mary is the German version of Murder, which Hitchcock made in the same sets with German actors. Of the last reel there is a third alternative. In the American print they put a couple of extra scenes to make it easier for the Yanks to understand it.
This was the only feature film by Hitchcock I hadn’t seen.
The whole film (in German with no subtitles)

Watched Today:

* Die Fälscher – Austria/Germany 2007 Stefan Ruzowitzky
Toward the end of the WWII the Germans were using Jews with counterfeit skills to make false pound and dollar notes to destroy the world economy. It was Austria’s contender to the Best Foreign Oscar. Didn’t win. Not surprised. Honest concentration camp films tend to be overrated.

* MM: “The mouse on 57th street” USA 1961 Jones

Started Reading:

* Från Aniara till Abba. Glimtar från GöteborgsOperans första tio år.
* Om och till Povel