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Friday, April 10, 2015

Mock Squid Soup: Three Days of the Condor

MOCK! and The Armchair Squid are proud to welcome you to Mock Squid Soup: A Film Society, meetings on the second Friday of each month. This month, each of us is choosing another society member's March movie to review.  Here is last month's list:

Horns - Cherdo
Death to Smoochy - Toi Thomas
Strangers on a Train - Brigit
The Dish - angryparsnip
Superman Returns - Tony Laplume
Three Days of the Condor - MOCK!
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead - The Squid

And here is my review:

Title: Three Days of the Condor
Director: Sydney Pollack
Original Release: 1975
My Overall Rating: 3 stars out of 5
via Amazon
Paranoia was normal in the post-Watergate world.  Ordinary people in an ordinary neighborhood getting up to all manner of CIA-connected hijinx right under our noses?  Easy sell.  Three Days of the Condor tells the tale of Joe Turner (Robert Redford), a CIA analyst who comes back from lunch to find his entire office dead on the floor.  He spends the rest of the film trying to unravel the mystery of why people are out to kill him.  Along the way, he abducts innocent bystander Kathy Hale (Faye Dunaway, contractually obligated to appear in every movie of the early-to-mid '70s) and coerces her into aiding him.  Of course, Turner is Redford-handsome so she falls in love with him. 

The movie's fun, set in New York and the DC area, realms most familiar to me.  Rotary telephones and enormous computers abound, leading one to wonder what a 21st century update might look like (a TV series is in the works).  Inaccuracies regarding area codes bothered me a little - only DC is 202, whereas Chevy Chase, Maryland would have been 301 in 1975.  Langley, Virginia would have been 703.  The movie would have one believe it was all covered by 202.  Then again, any movie that allows me to be geeky about area codes is already winning.  It's not the sort of film I want to comb over again for the subtle details but I enjoyed it.

Next month, everyone gets to throw a movie of their own choice into the pot.  Here's the wrinkle for May, a fabulous idea from Mock:  the week before our gathering, a trivia challenge on Friday, May 1st!  Everyone is invited to post three clues about his/her movie for others to guess.  Our next regular meeting is Friday, May 8th.  I'll post the sign up list tomorrow.  In the meantime, please visit this month's participants:


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12 comments:

  1. BirgitApril 10, 2015 at 1:36 AM

    I was going to rent this film but couldn't get it. Yup Faye Dunaway was everywhere in the 70's. It sounds like it is a good, fun movie. This will be interesting to pick a film and have people guess

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    1. The Armchair SquidApril 12, 2015 at 7:32 AM

      I'm looking forward to it. I've already picked and watched the film - just need the clues.

      Delete
  2. angryparsnipApril 10, 2015 at 2:51 AM

    I guessed your pick right ! does that count ?
    So interesting to have us post three clues.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. The Armchair SquidApril 12, 2015 at 7:33 AM

      I nearly picked The Dish. I still might in some future month.

      Delete
  3. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 10, 2015 at 1:45 PM

    Redford made some good movies. Funny comment about Faye.

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    1. The Armchair SquidApril 12, 2015 at 7:39 AM

      To the credit of both actors, they made excellent choices during that era.

      Delete
  4. Andrew LeonApril 10, 2015 at 2:53 PM

    I know I saw that movie when I was a kid, but I don't really remember it. I'm not sure I'd want to watch it again, now, no matter how much I love Redford.

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    1. The Armchair SquidApril 12, 2015 at 7:40 AM

      I don't think it would hold up to a re-watch for me.

      Delete
  5. CherdoApril 11, 2015 at 12:05 AM

    Sorry that I came so late to the party! Been battling sickness in my house. Love this movie (I chose it, too). This is how movies should be; sadly, most aren't.

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    1. The Armchair SquidApril 12, 2015 at 7:40 AM

      So sorry to hear you're unwell. Lots of nasty bugs running around here, too. Take care.

      Delete
  6. Toi ThomasApril 12, 2015 at 11:31 AM

    Catching up after a busy week. I like your review and choice of film. While not my favorite Redford movie, it is a good one. I actually didn't discover it until I was in my thirties, which wasn't long ago...did I just give away my age?
    Anyway, I'm very excited about next month. I can't wait to review something I actually like; oh and love the idea to give clues. Kudos to Mock.

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    1. The Armchair SquidApril 15, 2015 at 5:55 PM

      Definitely not my favorite Redford either. I'd probably have to go with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

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