Double Idemnity (1944)
Title: 'Double Indemnity' (1944)
Genre: Definitive Film Noir
Rating: 8.75
What's 'Double Indemnity'? A clause in your insurance, Baby. Pays more for the kind of accidents that almost never happen. Like dying on a train.
Think I sound smart, eh, baby? Maybe too smart. I'm an insurance salesmen by trade. What kinds? All kinds. Fire, earthquake, theft, public liability, group insurance, industrial stuff, and so on right down the line. Accident insurance? Sure, what did you have in mind? You like the sound of that, huh? Well, let's see if you can carry that idea into the next paragraph.
But look, see, if you get busted setting up to collect on your husband it's straight to Sing Sing. Sure, I've got good eyesight. You mean you want him to have the policy without him knowing it. And that means without the insurance company knowing that he doesn't know it. That's the setup, isn't it?
Whaddya think I was anyway? A guy that walks into a good-looking dame's front parlor and says, 'Good afternoon. I sell accident insurance on husbands. Have you got one that's been around too long? One you'd like to turn into a little hard cash? Just give me a smile and I'll help you collect?' Huh! Boy, what a dope you must think I am!
They'll hang you as soon as ten dimes'll get you a dollar. And I don't wan't you to hang, Baby. Look darlin', you wanted a review so I wrote one up. Is that an excuse for any trouble? What's that? You say you're from Berkeley? Well, we're not in Berkeley now, we're in a hurry.
Slow down? That's cute, say it again. I need a drink, I always think I can spell it out like they'll understand. Guess I was wrong, I'm not smarter, just a little taller.
---
You get the idea, yeah? Everytime these characters open their mouths, little nuggets of solid gold shoot out and start bouncin' off the friggin' walls. Duck and cover, a lump of 24 karat awesome straight to the temple can take you out fast and hard, permanent likes.
Fred MacMurray went on to play the professor in 'A Shaggy Dog' (1959). Which is kinda like when Disney cast Jodie Foster as an irresistible tomboy in 'Candleshoe' (1977) right after her turn as an underage prostitute in 'Taxi Driver' (1976).
The remake of 'Shaggy Dog' comes out this year. With Tim Allen taking over the lead role. It's a shame he doen't have any shady history to continue this tradition.
*Ahem* Anyways, this movie was hotter than Brazil and with the machismo to match. Solid performances, beautifully shot, amazing dialogue. I guess it's based on an actual case where the two people involved were caught, arrested and electrocuted at Sing Sing prison. A journalist managed to snap a picture of the lovely lady's body smoking in the electric chair. The next day it was on the front page of all the newspapers, nationwide. The public interest was still there when this movie premiered, 15 years later.
They actually shot another ending with an electric chair scene, an all-you-can-eat Sizzler buffet... But decided to cut it. That would have been sicker than the West Nile. But I can't say I don't like the ending as is. Let it be.
This movie is aces. Straight down the line.
Recommended.
Genre: Definitive Film Noir
Rating: 8.75
What's 'Double Indemnity'? A clause in your insurance, Baby. Pays more for the kind of accidents that almost never happen. Like dying on a train.
Think I sound smart, eh, baby? Maybe too smart. I'm an insurance salesmen by trade. What kinds? All kinds. Fire, earthquake, theft, public liability, group insurance, industrial stuff, and so on right down the line. Accident insurance? Sure, what did you have in mind? You like the sound of that, huh? Well, let's see if you can carry that idea into the next paragraph.
But look, see, if you get busted setting up to collect on your husband it's straight to Sing Sing. Sure, I've got good eyesight. You mean you want him to have the policy without him knowing it. And that means without the insurance company knowing that he doesn't know it. That's the setup, isn't it?
Whaddya think I was anyway? A guy that walks into a good-looking dame's front parlor and says, 'Good afternoon. I sell accident insurance on husbands. Have you got one that's been around too long? One you'd like to turn into a little hard cash? Just give me a smile and I'll help you collect?' Huh! Boy, what a dope you must think I am!
They'll hang you as soon as ten dimes'll get you a dollar. And I don't wan't you to hang, Baby. Look darlin', you wanted a review so I wrote one up. Is that an excuse for any trouble? What's that? You say you're from Berkeley? Well, we're not in Berkeley now, we're in a hurry.
Slow down? That's cute, say it again. I need a drink, I always think I can spell it out like they'll understand. Guess I was wrong, I'm not smarter, just a little taller.
---
You get the idea, yeah? Everytime these characters open their mouths, little nuggets of solid gold shoot out and start bouncin' off the friggin' walls. Duck and cover, a lump of 24 karat awesome straight to the temple can take you out fast and hard, permanent likes.
Fred MacMurray went on to play the professor in 'A Shaggy Dog' (1959). Which is kinda like when Disney cast Jodie Foster as an irresistible tomboy in 'Candleshoe' (1977) right after her turn as an underage prostitute in 'Taxi Driver' (1976).
The remake of 'Shaggy Dog' comes out this year. With Tim Allen taking over the lead role. It's a shame he doen't have any shady history to continue this tradition.
*Ahem* Anyways, this movie was hotter than Brazil and with the machismo to match. Solid performances, beautifully shot, amazing dialogue. I guess it's based on an actual case where the two people involved were caught, arrested and electrocuted at Sing Sing prison. A journalist managed to snap a picture of the lovely lady's body smoking in the electric chair. The next day it was on the front page of all the newspapers, nationwide. The public interest was still there when this movie premiered, 15 years later.
They actually shot another ending with an electric chair scene, an all-you-can-eat Sizzler buffet... But decided to cut it. That would have been sicker than the West Nile. But I can't say I don't like the ending as is. Let it be.
This movie is aces. Straight down the line.
Recommended.
posted by Kong at
9:25 AM
1 Comments:
I'll agree with almost everything you said and give you one more tasty word: It's a CORKER!
By
DJ, at 3:33 PM
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