8/30/06
I also watched director Jean-Jacques Annaud's 1988 film, The Bear. I could never sit through this whole movie as a kid, but as an adult I found it had a simplicity and near-Disney quality about it that I liked. However due to its slow pace and minimal story, I doubt that I ever watch it again.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Grizzly Man (2005)
8/30/06
I first became aware of the story of Timothy Treadwell from a magazine artical published shortly after his death. Treadwell was a one-time aspiring actor/hippie- type and recovering drug and alcohol addict, who found a sort of salvation among the gizzly bears of southern Alaska. For thirteen summers Treadwell traveld from his home in California to Alaska to live with, and in his mind protect, the gizzly bears living on a federal reserve there. Most of these ventures he did on behalf of an orginization he helped create called Grizzly People, Treadwell would take his video camra with him and document his 'expeditions', then tour public schools back in California educating children about the bears. In 2003 Treadwell and his girlfriend were killed by a grizzly, and in 2005 German filmmaker Werner Herzog assembled selections from Timothy's 100+ hours of video, interspersed them with interviews of those who know him, and created the award winning documentary Grizzly Man. I just can't do justice to Treadwells story, he's a strange character worth spending the films hour and fourty-five minute running time with. Though Bears are the main animal attraction of the film, I preferd the time spent with the foxes.
I first became aware of the story of Timothy Treadwell from a magazine artical published shortly after his death. Treadwell was a one-time aspiring actor/hippie- type and recovering drug and alcohol addict, who found a sort of salvation among the gizzly bears of southern Alaska. For thirteen summers Treadwell traveld from his home in California to Alaska to live with, and in his mind protect, the gizzly bears living on a federal reserve there. Most of these ventures he did on behalf of an orginization he helped create called Grizzly People, Treadwell would take his video camra with him and document his 'expeditions', then tour public schools back in California educating children about the bears. In 2003 Treadwell and his girlfriend were killed by a grizzly, and in 2005 German filmmaker Werner Herzog assembled selections from Timothy's 100+ hours of video, interspersed them with interviews of those who know him, and created the award winning documentary Grizzly Man. I just can't do justice to Treadwells story, he's a strange character worth spending the films hour and fourty-five minute running time with. Though Bears are the main animal attraction of the film, I preferd the time spent with the foxes.
The God Who Wasn't There (2005)
8/27/06
The 2005 documentary (or perhaps more accuretly 'film essay') The God Who Wasn't There, is a 62 minute critical examination of various Christian claims by ex-fundamentalist (and chronicaler of independent film) Brian Flemming. While Flemming keeps a calm objectivist voice through most (but not all) of the film, he is clearly angery over a sense of 1) being misslead since childhood about Christianity, and 2) the evident mental distress that apperently hit him particulary hard from such teaching (a childhood fear that he was going to Hell). Flemming gets a chance to confront/vent to a figure who symbolizes those Christian forces of his childhood, this comes in the form of Dr. Ronald G. Siples, the director of the Village Christen Schools of Sun Valley California which he once attended. Siples clearly misunderstood the intent of this schedualed interview with one of his schools alumni, and after probably about 10 minutes walked out on him. That event evoked the famed Moore/Heston confrontation of Bowling for Columbine, especially given that Flemming spends the first 9/10's of his doc challenging the conventional wisdom, so that when his eventual target reiterates that CW he would look like a fool, though in the end Sipus handeld the situation fairly well.
This brings me to what Flemming actually says in the film. The directors main argument, and one you don't hear too often in American religous discourse, is that Jesus was a fictional character, an example of the mythical hero arch-type retroactively inserted into history by the writers of the Christian Gospels around 70 A.D. (or in this case I'd guess it would be C.E.). There are other relatively less controversal claims and arguments given in the film, and Flemming makes them quite well and simply with the aid of an assembly of experts, including Berkely Folkloreist Dr. Alan Dundes (who passed away shortly before the release of this film) and 'The End of Faith' author Sam Harris.
One of Flemmings big concerns is that most Christians know little or nothing about the early history of their movment, or how its foundational texts can be considerd examples of symbolic literature and parallel the mythic tales of other traditions. As a decently educated Latter-day Saint I must say I felt more preparied and less shocked by some of the information presented in the film then I'm sure many other Christians did (assuming some other Christians actully saw this film), I felt much the same way about The Da Vinci Code. There are Mormon compatable explainations or answers to many, but not all, of the issues Flemming raises in the film. I think the most difficult argument for me was his dismissal of 'moderate Christianity' (a catagory I consider myself to fall under) as making no sense. I reject the filmmakers contention that one must either take the whole Bible litearly or reject it as 'untrue', however as one who is navigating a spiritual course that has lead away in some instances from what I will call a 'face value' reading of scripture, I recognize a number of what can be called illogical leaps I've had to make, that can and perhaps should be open to criticism. The God Who Wasn't There dosen't want to let you off easy, unless maybe your an atheist.
Here is a link to a review of the film by Infidelis Maximus.
The 2005 documentary (or perhaps more accuretly 'film essay') The God Who Wasn't There, is a 62 minute critical examination of various Christian claims by ex-fundamentalist (and chronicaler of independent film) Brian Flemming. While Flemming keeps a calm objectivist voice through most (but not all) of the film, he is clearly angery over a sense of 1) being misslead since childhood about Christianity, and 2) the evident mental distress that apperently hit him particulary hard from such teaching (a childhood fear that he was going to Hell). Flemming gets a chance to confront/vent to a figure who symbolizes those Christian forces of his childhood, this comes in the form of Dr. Ronald G. Siples, the director of the Village Christen Schools of Sun Valley California which he once attended. Siples clearly misunderstood the intent of this schedualed interview with one of his schools alumni, and after probably about 10 minutes walked out on him. That event evoked the famed Moore/Heston confrontation of Bowling for Columbine, especially given that Flemming spends the first 9/10's of his doc challenging the conventional wisdom, so that when his eventual target reiterates that CW he would look like a fool, though in the end Sipus handeld the situation fairly well.
This brings me to what Flemming actually says in the film. The directors main argument, and one you don't hear too often in American religous discourse, is that Jesus was a fictional character, an example of the mythical hero arch-type retroactively inserted into history by the writers of the Christian Gospels around 70 A.D. (or in this case I'd guess it would be C.E.). There are other relatively less controversal claims and arguments given in the film, and Flemming makes them quite well and simply with the aid of an assembly of experts, including Berkely Folkloreist Dr. Alan Dundes (who passed away shortly before the release of this film) and 'The End of Faith' author Sam Harris.
One of Flemmings big concerns is that most Christians know little or nothing about the early history of their movment, or how its foundational texts can be considerd examples of symbolic literature and parallel the mythic tales of other traditions. As a decently educated Latter-day Saint I must say I felt more preparied and less shocked by some of the information presented in the film then I'm sure many other Christians did (assuming some other Christians actully saw this film), I felt much the same way about The Da Vinci Code. There are Mormon compatable explainations or answers to many, but not all, of the issues Flemming raises in the film. I think the most difficult argument for me was his dismissal of 'moderate Christianity' (a catagory I consider myself to fall under) as making no sense. I reject the filmmakers contention that one must either take the whole Bible litearly or reject it as 'untrue', however as one who is navigating a spiritual course that has lead away in some instances from what I will call a 'face value' reading of scripture, I recognize a number of what can be called illogical leaps I've had to make, that can and perhaps should be open to criticism. The God Who Wasn't There dosen't want to let you off easy, unless maybe your an atheist.
Here is a link to a review of the film by Infidelis Maximus.
Beyound The Rocks (1922)
8/23/06
One of the most significant film finds of recent years, has been the discovery of a roughly 99% useable copy of the 1922 silent film Beyound The Rocks. Discoverd by the Neatherlands Film Museum among the property of a late and eccentric collecter named Mr. Joop, the film was directed by Sam Wood and boasts the only on screen teaming of two of the biggest movie stars of the 1920's, Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. Now released on DVD, with an introduction from the venerable Martin Scorsese (who may have been reading from a tele-prompter), the long lost film is now available to the masses (who probably don't care much). The films story itself concerns a love triangle between Valentino, Swanson, and the latters much older husband, played by Robert Bolder. A standard melodrama for the period that takes on new life given the fate of its stars, and composer Henny Vrientens energizing score. The DVD also contains documentaries on the recovery and restoration of the film, as well as some truly enjoyable audio recordings Swanson made in preperation for writing her autobiography. Also included is another Valentino film The Delicious Little Devil, in the which the latin lover plays second fiddle to now forgotten silent star Mae Murray, I found this movie to be more enjoyable then the the DVD's title attraction.
One of the most significant film finds of recent years, has been the discovery of a roughly 99% useable copy of the 1922 silent film Beyound The Rocks. Discoverd by the Neatherlands Film Museum among the property of a late and eccentric collecter named Mr. Joop, the film was directed by Sam Wood and boasts the only on screen teaming of two of the biggest movie stars of the 1920's, Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. Now released on DVD, with an introduction from the venerable Martin Scorsese (who may have been reading from a tele-prompter), the long lost film is now available to the masses (who probably don't care much). The films story itself concerns a love triangle between Valentino, Swanson, and the latters much older husband, played by Robert Bolder. A standard melodrama for the period that takes on new life given the fate of its stars, and composer Henny Vrientens energizing score. The DVD also contains documentaries on the recovery and restoration of the film, as well as some truly enjoyable audio recordings Swanson made in preperation for writing her autobiography. Also included is another Valentino film The Delicious Little Devil, in the which the latin lover plays second fiddle to now forgotten silent star Mae Murray, I found this movie to be more enjoyable then the the DVD's title attraction.
The Producers (2005)
8/17/06
Well I'm back from vacation and tonight I watched the 2005 musical The Producers. The movie is the film adaptation of the popular 2001 musical, which was itself based on Mel Brooks 'riskey'1968 film of that title, staring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel. This film version has Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprising their Broadway roles of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom respectively. The movie is of course about an acountiant and a has-been theatrical producer who team up to put on a fawning musical about Adolph Hitler, with plans to keep the extra money raised for the 'sure to be a flop' show and flee to Brazil. The movie lacks that 'what the!?' quality that the orignal had, and further demonstrates how contemporary musical comedy comes across quite awkward on screen. However Lane and Broderick have good chemistry together, and the story departures taken from the original film, mainly in its 2nd half, make's it less static for fans of the 1968 version. In sum a middeling to lesser motion picture, if you do watch stay through the credits for Will Ferrell's romantized rendition of 'Guten Tag Klap Klap'. Also staring Uma Thurman.
Well I'm back from vacation and tonight I watched the 2005 musical The Producers. The movie is the film adaptation of the popular 2001 musical, which was itself based on Mel Brooks 'riskey'1968 film of that title, staring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel. This film version has Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprising their Broadway roles of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom respectively. The movie is of course about an acountiant and a has-been theatrical producer who team up to put on a fawning musical about Adolph Hitler, with plans to keep the extra money raised for the 'sure to be a flop' show and flee to Brazil. The movie lacks that 'what the!?' quality that the orignal had, and further demonstrates how contemporary musical comedy comes across quite awkward on screen. However Lane and Broderick have good chemistry together, and the story departures taken from the original film, mainly in its 2nd half, make's it less static for fans of the 1968 version. In sum a middeling to lesser motion picture, if you do watch stay through the credits for Will Ferrell's romantized rendition of 'Guten Tag Klap Klap'. Also staring Uma Thurman.
Unfaithfully Yours (1948)
8/12/06
Unfaithfully Yours is a later and lesser entry in the directing catalog of Preston Sturges (who was a major stylistic influence on the brothers Coen). The story concerns a famed orchestra conducter (Rex Harrison), who do to the meddeling of his brother-in-law (Rudy Vallee) comes to falsely belive that his wife (Linda Darnell) is having an affair with his secretary (Kurt Kreuger). Not only does the film take an extrodanerly long time to get going, I'd say most of the first 45 minutes was disposiable, but it just felt past its time (Sturges had come up with the idea for the film in 1933, but was unable to get it made until 1948). The last hour of the film is good, but feels like a let down compared with earlyer entrys from the director such as The Lady Eve, Miracle at Morgans Creek, or my favorite The Palm Beach Story. Unfaithfully Yours was remade in 1984 with Dudley Moore, and parodied in the not-so-great Leslie Nelson spoof, Wrongfully Accused in 1998.
Unfaithfully Yours is a later and lesser entry in the directing catalog of Preston Sturges (who was a major stylistic influence on the brothers Coen). The story concerns a famed orchestra conducter (Rex Harrison), who do to the meddeling of his brother-in-law (Rudy Vallee) comes to falsely belive that his wife (Linda Darnell) is having an affair with his secretary (Kurt Kreuger). Not only does the film take an extrodanerly long time to get going, I'd say most of the first 45 minutes was disposiable, but it just felt past its time (Sturges had come up with the idea for the film in 1933, but was unable to get it made until 1948). The last hour of the film is good, but feels like a let down compared with earlyer entrys from the director such as The Lady Eve, Miracle at Morgans Creek, or my favorite The Palm Beach Story. Unfaithfully Yours was remade in 1984 with Dudley Moore, and parodied in the not-so-great Leslie Nelson spoof, Wrongfully Accused in 1998.
Guess Who (2005)
8/10/06
Guess Who is a film inspired by Stanley Kramer's landmark 1967 racial drama, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Only here the earyler film has been remade as a sort of buddy comedy with the races reversed (instead of white family and black fiance, black family and white boyfriend). Ashton Kutcher plays the nice guy boyfriend, a departure from his characterization on That 70's Show. Bernie Mac, an actor whose work I'm not really familour with, but whom I found fun to watch, is the father of Ashtons girlfriend (played by Zoe Saldana). I liked it, it's a likable film but nothing earth shatering, good enough.
Guess Who is a film inspired by Stanley Kramer's landmark 1967 racial drama, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Only here the earyler film has been remade as a sort of buddy comedy with the races reversed (instead of white family and black fiance, black family and white boyfriend). Ashton Kutcher plays the nice guy boyfriend, a departure from his characterization on That 70's Show. Bernie Mac, an actor whose work I'm not really familour with, but whom I found fun to watch, is the father of Ashtons girlfriend (played by Zoe Saldana). I liked it, it's a likable film but nothing earth shatering, good enough.
Gilmore Girls: Season 3 (2002-2003)
8/10/06
Finished Gilmore Girls season 3. This season chronicals Rory's final year at Chilton and seemed to have a less narrative direction and be more prone to character statues changes then previous seasons. The program also starts to employ flashback and dream squences, which I don't remeber it doing before. This was also the year that Sean Gunn was finally added to the cast.
Finished Gilmore Girls season 3. This season chronicals Rory's final year at Chilton and seemed to have a less narrative direction and be more prone to character statues changes then previous seasons. The program also starts to employ flashback and dream squences, which I don't remeber it doing before. This was also the year that Sean Gunn was finally added to the cast.
The Young Lions (1958)
8/9/06
I became aware of The Young Lions through a very positive review I read on one of my favorite blogs, This Divided State. I later saw it for a good price at Shopco and considerd buying it, however fiscal restraint pervailed and I decided to Netflix it instead. The Young Lions is a WWII film staring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Dean Martin. Martin plays his trademark suave singer character, and Clift his standard heroic outcast, both their performances are solid and they project more depth into their parts then my characterization might indicate. However it is Brando's performance that is Oscar worthy, he plays Lt. Christian Diestl a Nazi with a conscience who becomes a very disillusioned figure by the end of the film. Love intrestes for our three leades are played by May britt, Hope Lange, and Barbara Rush respectively. Maximiliam 'I'm Great At Playing Nazi's' Schell appears as a zelus German Captian.
I became aware of The Young Lions through a very positive review I read on one of my favorite blogs, This Divided State. I later saw it for a good price at Shopco and considerd buying it, however fiscal restraint pervailed and I decided to Netflix it instead. The Young Lions is a WWII film staring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Dean Martin. Martin plays his trademark suave singer character, and Clift his standard heroic outcast, both their performances are solid and they project more depth into their parts then my characterization might indicate. However it is Brando's performance that is Oscar worthy, he plays Lt. Christian Diestl a Nazi with a conscience who becomes a very disillusioned figure by the end of the film. Love intrestes for our three leades are played by May britt, Hope Lange, and Barbara Rush respectively. Maximiliam 'I'm Great At Playing Nazi's' Schell appears as a zelus German Captian.
Gone With the Wind (1939)
8/9/06
Well I finally saw Gone With The Wind, a movie which had been perhaps the most glaring oversight in my knowldge of cinema history. Gone With The Wind truley is an important film, a landmark event of a motion picture, which when adjusted for inflation is still the most money making movie ever made, and the story of whose film makers search for its leading lady is the stuff of Hollywood legend. Of course the film has been critized, there is plenty that can be called bad in it, its romantized depiction of the antebellum south, its exhausting length, its sexual views, and the black people in this movie, let's just say not PC. That being said its a sweeping motion picture that can really carry you away with it, and a viewing experince worth having.
This giant film is really two movies, the first half an epic homefront tale spaning the civil war (which going in was what I assumed the whole movie would be about), and second a sort of reconstruction era melodrama.
There is much praise to be hepped on GWTW as a technical achivment. First off the scale, it is tremendus, so big in fact that it necessitated a then rare instance of joint studio production, in this case MGM and Selznick International Pictures. The scene at the Atlanta military hosptial, with its endless expanse of wounded solders laid out across a railway yard, can not be topped with CG. The burning of the city later in the film is also mighty impressive. The lighting in the movie is also notable, overwrought and exagerted but perfect for this picture, very studio system. The silhouette sequences are now considerd signiture to this film. Finally Max Steiner's score, espically the main theme, is truly memorable.
The cast of Gone With The Wind is also a great achivement. My personal favorite performance in the film is the beautiful Olivia de Havilland as Ms. Melanie, a lady so virtuous that the young womens program can just scrap their current color coded system for teaching character, and replace it with the slogan "Be Like Ms. Melanie". Vivien Leigh's performance deservedly made her star, her characters got quite an arc to acomplish while still remaining every bit Scarlet O'Hara, or rather by the end, Scarlet O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler. Rhett Butler of course is a perfect role for the Clark Gable persona, and while I understand there where some difficultys on the set, you'd never know it from his performance. Leslie Howard is the least memorable of the lead performers in his role as Ashley Wilkes. The supporting cast also deserves mention, with Hattie McDaniel being the first black performer to win an Oscar, best supporting actress for her role as 'Mammy'. Canadian born character actor Victor Jory plays Tara's cruel overseer Jonas Wilkerson, a role that felt as though it had been largely cut for time. One of the most fascinating individuals to apper in the film is squeaky-voiced black actress Butterfly McQueen, who plays the flighty, quick to tears or boasting house servent Prissy. McQueen was a noted life-long athiest who in her 60's earned a degree in political science, and who after dying in an accident involving a kerosene lamp, left her body to science and money to the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Future Superman George Reeves also has a bit part in the picture. Gone with the Wind is one of those movies you owe it to yourself to see, it's a part of our film heritage not to big to be ignored, and worthy of being rememberd.
Well I finally saw Gone With The Wind, a movie which had been perhaps the most glaring oversight in my knowldge of cinema history. Gone With The Wind truley is an important film, a landmark event of a motion picture, which when adjusted for inflation is still the most money making movie ever made, and the story of whose film makers search for its leading lady is the stuff of Hollywood legend. Of course the film has been critized, there is plenty that can be called bad in it, its romantized depiction of the antebellum south, its exhausting length, its sexual views, and the black people in this movie, let's just say not PC. That being said its a sweeping motion picture that can really carry you away with it, and a viewing experince worth having.
This giant film is really two movies, the first half an epic homefront tale spaning the civil war (which going in was what I assumed the whole movie would be about), and second a sort of reconstruction era melodrama.
There is much praise to be hepped on GWTW as a technical achivment. First off the scale, it is tremendus, so big in fact that it necessitated a then rare instance of joint studio production, in this case MGM and Selznick International Pictures. The scene at the Atlanta military hosptial, with its endless expanse of wounded solders laid out across a railway yard, can not be topped with CG. The burning of the city later in the film is also mighty impressive. The lighting in the movie is also notable, overwrought and exagerted but perfect for this picture, very studio system. The silhouette sequences are now considerd signiture to this film. Finally Max Steiner's score, espically the main theme, is truly memorable.
The cast of Gone With The Wind is also a great achivement. My personal favorite performance in the film is the beautiful Olivia de Havilland as Ms. Melanie, a lady so virtuous that the young womens program can just scrap their current color coded system for teaching character, and replace it with the slogan "Be Like Ms. Melanie". Vivien Leigh's performance deservedly made her star, her characters got quite an arc to acomplish while still remaining every bit Scarlet O'Hara, or rather by the end, Scarlet O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler. Rhett Butler of course is a perfect role for the Clark Gable persona, and while I understand there where some difficultys on the set, you'd never know it from his performance. Leslie Howard is the least memorable of the lead performers in his role as Ashley Wilkes. The supporting cast also deserves mention, with Hattie McDaniel being the first black performer to win an Oscar, best supporting actress for her role as 'Mammy'. Canadian born character actor Victor Jory plays Tara's cruel overseer Jonas Wilkerson, a role that felt as though it had been largely cut for time. One of the most fascinating individuals to apper in the film is squeaky-voiced black actress Butterfly McQueen, who plays the flighty, quick to tears or boasting house servent Prissy. McQueen was a noted life-long athiest who in her 60's earned a degree in political science, and who after dying in an accident involving a kerosene lamp, left her body to science and money to the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Future Superman George Reeves also has a bit part in the picture. Gone with the Wind is one of those movies you owe it to yourself to see, it's a part of our film heritage not to big to be ignored, and worthy of being rememberd.
Mauvaise Graine (1934)
8/8/06
In the year of his death (2002) a group called the Film Preservation Associates put out a DVD release of Billy Wilders directorial debut, the French film Mauvaise Graine (Bad Seed). I love DVD, because without it I would probably never have had an oppertunity to view this wonderfull example of Wilders early European work. Most of Billy's time in the industry on 'the contenient' was spent as a writer in Germany, but with the rise of Nazism this Austrian Jew fled to France, where he made this one picture in collaberation with Alexander Esway. Wilder would use proceds from the film to finance his imigration to the United States, illegal by way of Mexico.
What impresses me most about Mauvaise Graine is how compitent, or even advanced the directing is, and that Wilders signiture style seemed born in an almost fully developed state. You have a passiable dramatic story, advanced montague sequences (only one of which felt over done), good acting, and some truly funny gages, the best of which concern a hat and a steering wheel, and a stolen bus. There is also some truly beautiful location shooting done on the south of France, which along with all the vintage cars in the film make that time and place truly seem real (for those of us who have never lived in 1930's France that is).
The plot of Mauvaise Graine concerns Henri Pasquier (Pierre Mingand) the playboy son of a rich doctor (Paul Escoffier, an actor aperently capable of only one expression), who cuts off his allowance and sales his car in an effort to encourage him to work. The lazy and oft self-centerd youth ends up inovlved with a group of criminales running an illegal auto body chop shop. It is with this group that Henri meets his new best friend, the tie collecting Jean (Raymond Galle), whose sister (a young Danielle Darrieux) he starts dating. Henri eventully incures the wrath of his new boss, which leads to the films climax.
Mauvaise Graine is a must see for all Billy fans. The DVD also comes with a period French animated short called The Joys of Living, which is truly, truly odd, and evocative of Disney's Fantasia.
In the year of his death (2002) a group called the Film Preservation Associates put out a DVD release of Billy Wilders directorial debut, the French film Mauvaise Graine (Bad Seed). I love DVD, because without it I would probably never have had an oppertunity to view this wonderfull example of Wilders early European work. Most of Billy's time in the industry on 'the contenient' was spent as a writer in Germany, but with the rise of Nazism this Austrian Jew fled to France, where he made this one picture in collaberation with Alexander Esway. Wilder would use proceds from the film to finance his imigration to the United States, illegal by way of Mexico.
What impresses me most about Mauvaise Graine is how compitent, or even advanced the directing is, and that Wilders signiture style seemed born in an almost fully developed state. You have a passiable dramatic story, advanced montague sequences (only one of which felt over done), good acting, and some truly funny gages, the best of which concern a hat and a steering wheel, and a stolen bus. There is also some truly beautiful location shooting done on the south of France, which along with all the vintage cars in the film make that time and place truly seem real (for those of us who have never lived in 1930's France that is).
The plot of Mauvaise Graine concerns Henri Pasquier (Pierre Mingand) the playboy son of a rich doctor (Paul Escoffier, an actor aperently capable of only one expression), who cuts off his allowance and sales his car in an effort to encourage him to work. The lazy and oft self-centerd youth ends up inovlved with a group of criminales running an illegal auto body chop shop. It is with this group that Henri meets his new best friend, the tie collecting Jean (Raymond Galle), whose sister (a young Danielle Darrieux) he starts dating. Henri eventully incures the wrath of his new boss, which leads to the films climax.
Mauvaise Graine is a must see for all Billy fans. The DVD also comes with a period French animated short called The Joys of Living, which is truly, truly odd, and evocative of Disney's Fantasia.
Rear Window (1954)
8/6/06
Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window contains what is perhaps the most memorable gimmick in film history, namely its 'rear window' POV. Shot entirely on an elaborate three story set, a square of Greenwich Village apartments recreated in a Parmount sound stage, the action never really leaves Jimmy Stewarts apartment. For as was often the case with films staring this homespun Pennyslvanion, James Stewart was our everyman, someone we could identify with even when his director had him exploring some of the darker aspects of life.
Though it has been often copyed or lampooned, the device of the crippled man spying on his neiboughs through their open windows, is one that could never works so well as it did in the 1950's. Besides the obvious improvments in air conditioning technology that have occured since the time the film was made (though judging by the current heat wave oppresing the country the open window hasn't fully gone out of style yet), the surfice morality and behind closed door secracy of Eisenhower-era America, makes the films voyeurism that much more relevant, and I suppose in its time more shocking.
Based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich and with a screenplay written by frequent Hitchcock colaborator John Michael Hayes, the story of Rear Window concerns L. B. Jefferies (James Stewart) a star photographer for a Life Magazine-type publication, who has broken his leg covering a race car accident. Confined to his wheelchair in an era before daytime TV (which I suppose is both a blessing and a curse), Jefferies takes to spying on his neighbours for entertainment. This voyeurism provides the excuse for the adition of various sub-plots played out through the windows and yard space of the other teniants in the complex. These minor stories, including some concering a lonley middle-aged women (Judith Evelyn), a struggeling song writer, an aspiring ballet dancer, a couple of newlyweds, and a sculpter with a hearing aid, provide relef from, and counterpoint too, the films two primary story lines.
Story line number one is the romance, something that was not in Woolrichs origanl story. Jefferies has been dating a beautiful young women of the society set named Lisa Carol Fremont, played by Hitchcocks preferd cool blond of the period Grace Kelly. As surprising as it may seem Jeffries is actully thinking about calling things off with her, or at least fears he may have to, thinking that this prime women of society would be unfit to accompany him on the adventures life to which he has become acustomed. But one should never write off a Hitchcock women, as the determind Miss Fremont is provided with oppertunity to prove herself to her man, while still retaining her individuality as demonstrated in the films last beat.
Lisa Fremonts oppertunity to prove herself comes in the form of a mystery, played out of course in an apartment across the way. Jeffries becomes suspicous that a Mr. Lars Thorwald (a creepy Raymond Burr), has killed his invalid wife so as to be free to run off with a mysterious girlfriend. The murder, while never actully shown is really quite grizzly if you think about it, taking a nearly bed-ridden women, killing her, and then cuting her up into chunks that can be smuggled out of the apartment in a relatively small salesmans briefcase. While he has little actul dialouge in the film, Burr does make a strong impression with bright white hair and a luggish manner. He seems a very real kind of villian, a man driven to desperation by his circumstances who finally flips and does the unthinkable. The moment when he finally eyes Stewart through the window and figures out what has been going on remains quite chiling. His scene with Grace Kelly after he discovers her snooping around his apartment can really get the blood flowing.
The film also stars Wendell Corey as Det. Lt. Thomas J. Doyle, an old war buddy of Jefferies who now works at the police department, he is called in to help the crippled photographer investigate his theorys. Thelma Ritter provides comic relief as the nurse sent by the insurance company to aid the disabled Mr. Jeffries. Rear Window is a classic, oft remarked to be a perfect incapsulation of Hitchcocks style and demonstration of his abilitys. It would be a great first Hitch film for almost anyone, and required viewing for anybody who claims to really appreciate film.
Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window contains what is perhaps the most memorable gimmick in film history, namely its 'rear window' POV. Shot entirely on an elaborate three story set, a square of Greenwich Village apartments recreated in a Parmount sound stage, the action never really leaves Jimmy Stewarts apartment. For as was often the case with films staring this homespun Pennyslvanion, James Stewart was our everyman, someone we could identify with even when his director had him exploring some of the darker aspects of life.
Though it has been often copyed or lampooned, the device of the crippled man spying on his neiboughs through their open windows, is one that could never works so well as it did in the 1950's. Besides the obvious improvments in air conditioning technology that have occured since the time the film was made (though judging by the current heat wave oppresing the country the open window hasn't fully gone out of style yet), the surfice morality and behind closed door secracy of Eisenhower-era America, makes the films voyeurism that much more relevant, and I suppose in its time more shocking.
Based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich and with a screenplay written by frequent Hitchcock colaborator John Michael Hayes, the story of Rear Window concerns L. B. Jefferies (James Stewart) a star photographer for a Life Magazine-type publication, who has broken his leg covering a race car accident. Confined to his wheelchair in an era before daytime TV (which I suppose is both a blessing and a curse), Jefferies takes to spying on his neighbours for entertainment. This voyeurism provides the excuse for the adition of various sub-plots played out through the windows and yard space of the other teniants in the complex. These minor stories, including some concering a lonley middle-aged women (Judith Evelyn), a struggeling song writer, an aspiring ballet dancer, a couple of newlyweds, and a sculpter with a hearing aid, provide relef from, and counterpoint too, the films two primary story lines.
Story line number one is the romance, something that was not in Woolrichs origanl story. Jefferies has been dating a beautiful young women of the society set named Lisa Carol Fremont, played by Hitchcocks preferd cool blond of the period Grace Kelly. As surprising as it may seem Jeffries is actully thinking about calling things off with her, or at least fears he may have to, thinking that this prime women of society would be unfit to accompany him on the adventures life to which he has become acustomed. But one should never write off a Hitchcock women, as the determind Miss Fremont is provided with oppertunity to prove herself to her man, while still retaining her individuality as demonstrated in the films last beat.
Lisa Fremonts oppertunity to prove herself comes in the form of a mystery, played out of course in an apartment across the way. Jeffries becomes suspicous that a Mr. Lars Thorwald (a creepy Raymond Burr), has killed his invalid wife so as to be free to run off with a mysterious girlfriend. The murder, while never actully shown is really quite grizzly if you think about it, taking a nearly bed-ridden women, killing her, and then cuting her up into chunks that can be smuggled out of the apartment in a relatively small salesmans briefcase. While he has little actul dialouge in the film, Burr does make a strong impression with bright white hair and a luggish manner. He seems a very real kind of villian, a man driven to desperation by his circumstances who finally flips and does the unthinkable. The moment when he finally eyes Stewart through the window and figures out what has been going on remains quite chiling. His scene with Grace Kelly after he discovers her snooping around his apartment can really get the blood flowing.
The film also stars Wendell Corey as Det. Lt. Thomas J. Doyle, an old war buddy of Jefferies who now works at the police department, he is called in to help the crippled photographer investigate his theorys. Thelma Ritter provides comic relief as the nurse sent by the insurance company to aid the disabled Mr. Jeffries. Rear Window is a classic, oft remarked to be a perfect incapsulation of Hitchcocks style and demonstration of his abilitys. It would be a great first Hitch film for almost anyone, and required viewing for anybody who claims to really appreciate film.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
8/3/06
Just wanted to quickly put down a few words on The Da Vinci Code, which I have just now finally seen. "Been there done that" comes to mind, I've already encounterd most of the philosophical and conspiratorial elements presented in this work outside of the film, and seeing them presented in the form of an action movie felt kind of silly. It's a good movie in some ways, technicaly & cast wise, kept my attention the whole time, but it really was a rather pretentious formula picture. Maybe I'm writing this to soon after viewing as I can't really say if I liked or disliked the film, I suppose now I'll just have to leave it as a mixed bag. Though my wife, Audrey Tautou, was beautiful as always.
Just wanted to quickly put down a few words on The Da Vinci Code, which I have just now finally seen. "Been there done that" comes to mind, I've already encounterd most of the philosophical and conspiratorial elements presented in this work outside of the film, and seeing them presented in the form of an action movie felt kind of silly. It's a good movie in some ways, technicaly & cast wise, kept my attention the whole time, but it really was a rather pretentious formula picture. Maybe I'm writing this to soon after viewing as I can't really say if I liked or disliked the film, I suppose now I'll just have to leave it as a mixed bag. Though my wife, Audrey Tautou, was beautiful as always.
Scent of a Women (1992)
8/2/06
Scent of a Women is a wonderfull film directed by Martin Brest which itself recived a good deal of critical praise upon release in 1992. The film concerns Frank Slade (Al Pacino in a bravo performance), a retired Lt. Colonel in the Air Force and former member of President Lyndon Johnsons staff. Renderd blind by a gernade accident taken by most of his associates as perfectly representational of his life of carelessness, the 'old man' is farmed out to a neices family in New Hampshire. Charlie Sims (Chris O'Donnell), is a young man of limited means from Oregan, attending a prestigous private school in Franks area on a scholarship. Charlie is hired to 'care' for Frank when his family goes out of town over Thanksgiving weekend. Instead of the quite couple of days that Charlie expected, Frank takes the young man to New York City where he intends to take a final tour through the pleasures of life before killing himself. Charlie learns a number of life lessons from Frank, who (you guessed it) finds a new will to live through his friendship with the young man. You pretty well know the arc of the film by the end of its exposition heavey first half hour, but the journy the story takes really is worth your time. Bradley Whitford, Frances Conroy, and a young Philip Seymour Hoffman all have supporting roles in the picture.
Scent of a Women is a wonderfull film directed by Martin Brest which itself recived a good deal of critical praise upon release in 1992. The film concerns Frank Slade (Al Pacino in a bravo performance), a retired Lt. Colonel in the Air Force and former member of President Lyndon Johnsons staff. Renderd blind by a gernade accident taken by most of his associates as perfectly representational of his life of carelessness, the 'old man' is farmed out to a neices family in New Hampshire. Charlie Sims (Chris O'Donnell), is a young man of limited means from Oregan, attending a prestigous private school in Franks area on a scholarship. Charlie is hired to 'care' for Frank when his family goes out of town over Thanksgiving weekend. Instead of the quite couple of days that Charlie expected, Frank takes the young man to New York City where he intends to take a final tour through the pleasures of life before killing himself. Charlie learns a number of life lessons from Frank, who (you guessed it) finds a new will to live through his friendship with the young man. You pretty well know the arc of the film by the end of its exposition heavey first half hour, but the journy the story takes really is worth your time. Bradley Whitford, Frances Conroy, and a young Philip Seymour Hoffman all have supporting roles in the picture.
Random Harvest (1942)
8/2/06
Well blogspot has decided that I speak Spanish now so I'm writing this without a spellcheck. Just wanted to comment on a couple of movies I saw today, as you may have noticed I've had an awfull lot of time lately for watching films. First off is Random Harvest, based on the best selling book by James Hilton (one of the more popular writers of the 1930's & 40's). This is a very well done semi-tragic love story staring Ronald Colman and Greer Garson in her first post Mrs. Miniver role. Colman is Charles Rainer the heir to a prominent industrial family who loses his memory in the foxholes of World War One. The Germans capture Rainer and return him to the British after the war, however the military is somehow unable to identify him and he ends up in a mental asylum from which he eventully escapes. Rainer comes under the care of Paula Ridgeway (Garson), a music hall entertainer who calls him 'Smithy', takes him in, helps him escape from the authorites, and with whom he eventully falls in love and marrys.
Severl years pass and 'Smithy', on his way to a job interview out of town, is hit by an automobile and regains his previous memory, forgetting everything that has transpired over the last three years. Still more years pass and Charles establishes himself as a captian of industry with a strong sense of compasion. Paula eventully comes across Charles picture in a newspaper and seeks him out hoping to jog his memory, instead she ends up becoming his private secretary. The two souls come to live a tormented existance, Charles plauged by a sense of having lost something of great value from his 'missing years', and Paula by an inability to regain her pervious relationship with Charles. This film offers a well done unconventional love story that was much praised in its time as one of the best 'moving pictures' ever made. Actress Susan Peters plays a supporiting part in the film, she was later paralized in a car accident but managed to continue her career for a number of years there after in a wheel chair.
Well blogspot has decided that I speak Spanish now so I'm writing this without a spellcheck. Just wanted to comment on a couple of movies I saw today, as you may have noticed I've had an awfull lot of time lately for watching films. First off is Random Harvest, based on the best selling book by James Hilton (one of the more popular writers of the 1930's & 40's). This is a very well done semi-tragic love story staring Ronald Colman and Greer Garson in her first post Mrs. Miniver role. Colman is Charles Rainer the heir to a prominent industrial family who loses his memory in the foxholes of World War One. The Germans capture Rainer and return him to the British after the war, however the military is somehow unable to identify him and he ends up in a mental asylum from which he eventully escapes. Rainer comes under the care of Paula Ridgeway (Garson), a music hall entertainer who calls him 'Smithy', takes him in, helps him escape from the authorites, and with whom he eventully falls in love and marrys.
Severl years pass and 'Smithy', on his way to a job interview out of town, is hit by an automobile and regains his previous memory, forgetting everything that has transpired over the last three years. Still more years pass and Charles establishes himself as a captian of industry with a strong sense of compasion. Paula eventully comes across Charles picture in a newspaper and seeks him out hoping to jog his memory, instead she ends up becoming his private secretary. The two souls come to live a tormented existance, Charles plauged by a sense of having lost something of great value from his 'missing years', and Paula by an inability to regain her pervious relationship with Charles. This film offers a well done unconventional love story that was much praised in its time as one of the best 'moving pictures' ever made. Actress Susan Peters plays a supporiting part in the film, she was later paralized in a car accident but managed to continue her career for a number of years there after in a wheel chair.
Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)
8/1/06
Star Miranda July's directorial debut, Me and You and Everyone We Know, tells a number of interconnected stories about people desperately looking for love, or perhaps more specificly companionship. July (who looks and sounds remarkably like Rachel Griffith) is Christine Jesperson, an aspiring amateur video artist, who works providing transportation services to the elderly. John Hawkes is Richard Swersey, a shoe salesman with two kids (Miles Thompson and Brandon Ratclift) whose wife is divorcing him. The two meet by chance at the department store where Richard works, and while Christine quite quickly decides she'd like to start a new relationship, Richard is having a hard time letting go of his old one. The movie feels like a slightly more upbeat version of Welcome to the Dolls House, or a sort of post modern take on Marty by way of Crash . The secondary plots, which involve Richards children, the young girl next door, an elderly couple, another shoe salesman, two teenage girls, and the director of a local art museum, mostly come together in the end although to differing degrees of effectiveness. However the fine line of tastefulness is so often walked in the film that its intended sense of joy feels a little muted. I didn't feel like the movie quite reached its full promise, though it did get close.
Star Miranda July's directorial debut, Me and You and Everyone We Know, tells a number of interconnected stories about people desperately looking for love, or perhaps more specificly companionship. July (who looks and sounds remarkably like Rachel Griffith) is Christine Jesperson, an aspiring amateur video artist, who works providing transportation services to the elderly. John Hawkes is Richard Swersey, a shoe salesman with two kids (Miles Thompson and Brandon Ratclift) whose wife is divorcing him. The two meet by chance at the department store where Richard works, and while Christine quite quickly decides she'd like to start a new relationship, Richard is having a hard time letting go of his old one. The movie feels like a slightly more upbeat version of Welcome to the Dolls House, or a sort of post modern take on Marty by way of Crash . The secondary plots, which involve Richards children, the young girl next door, an elderly couple, another shoe salesman, two teenage girls, and the director of a local art museum, mostly come together in the end although to differing degrees of effectiveness. However the fine line of tastefulness is so often walked in the film that its intended sense of joy feels a little muted. I didn't feel like the movie quite reached its full promise, though it did get close.
The Squide and the Whale (2005)
8/1/06
Baumbach, an associate of director Wes Anderson, has made a film drawn in part from his own childhood experiences. The Squid and the Whale is a metaphor for the strange and hostel divorce of a pair from the New York literary set. Set in 1986 the film stars Jeff Daniels as Bernard Berkman, a has been novelist and professor of creative writing who is separating from his wife of 17 years Joan Berkman (Laura Linny), herself an author whose own career has just started its rise. Caught in the separation between their pompous and superior father, and well meaning but adulterous mother are Walt (Jesse Eisnberg) and Frank (Owen Kline) Berkman. During the coarse of the divorce both children come to cling to and idealize one of their parents, for Walt that's his 'brilliant' father, for Frank his caring mother. Both children act out in their own ways, with Franks (remember he's about 12) drinking and sexual fixations being particularly disturbing.
The relationship in the film that I found most fascinating however was Bernard and Walt's. I can understand how Walt came to worship the man, his embodiment of a supposedly liberated and cuttingly honest kind of intellectuailsm, holds a strange attraction to certain types of people. Yet despite his pretension, Bernard is by far the needyest and most self obsessed of all the characters in the film, as he tries to mold his oldest son to live the kind of life his bitterness has lead him to wish he'd lived in hindsight. When a young graduate student (Anna Paquin) moves into an empty room at Bernards new home, the mutual attraction father and son share for the girl leads to an odd, uneasy, and unspoken competition between the two, as well as Walt's break up with his girlfriend (Halley Feiffer). The Squid and the Whale does a real good job of putting you into these characters world, and at about 80 minutes runs at a perfect pace.
Baumbach, an associate of director Wes Anderson, has made a film drawn in part from his own childhood experiences. The Squid and the Whale is a metaphor for the strange and hostel divorce of a pair from the New York literary set. Set in 1986 the film stars Jeff Daniels as Bernard Berkman, a has been novelist and professor of creative writing who is separating from his wife of 17 years Joan Berkman (Laura Linny), herself an author whose own career has just started its rise. Caught in the separation between their pompous and superior father, and well meaning but adulterous mother are Walt (Jesse Eisnberg) and Frank (Owen Kline) Berkman. During the coarse of the divorce both children come to cling to and idealize one of their parents, for Walt that's his 'brilliant' father, for Frank his caring mother. Both children act out in their own ways, with Franks (remember he's about 12) drinking and sexual fixations being particularly disturbing.
The relationship in the film that I found most fascinating however was Bernard and Walt's. I can understand how Walt came to worship the man, his embodiment of a supposedly liberated and cuttingly honest kind of intellectuailsm, holds a strange attraction to certain types of people. Yet despite his pretension, Bernard is by far the needyest and most self obsessed of all the characters in the film, as he tries to mold his oldest son to live the kind of life his bitterness has lead him to wish he'd lived in hindsight. When a young graduate student (Anna Paquin) moves into an empty room at Bernards new home, the mutual attraction father and son share for the girl leads to an odd, uneasy, and unspoken competition between the two, as well as Walt's break up with his girlfriend (Halley Feiffer). The Squid and the Whale does a real good job of putting you into these characters world, and at about 80 minutes runs at a perfect pace.
Fun With Dick & Jane (2005)
7/31/06
2005's Fun With Dick & Jane is a remake of the 1977 feature staring George Segal and Jane Fonda. The updated version is set in the year 2000 to take advantage of the corporate scandals which provide background and premise for the film. Working couple Dick & Jane Harper, Jim Carry and Tea Leoni, both lose there jobs as a result of false promises and corrupt mismanagement at a major corporation headed by Alec Baldwin. This moderately amusing film chronicles the desperation of the couple as they try to stay afloat economically, eventually resorting to crime. The karma of the film is a little mixed as neither the Harper's or Baldwins character ultimately suffer any long-term consequences for there actions.
2005's Fun With Dick & Jane is a remake of the 1977 feature staring George Segal and Jane Fonda. The updated version is set in the year 2000 to take advantage of the corporate scandals which provide background and premise for the film. Working couple Dick & Jane Harper, Jim Carry and Tea Leoni, both lose there jobs as a result of false promises and corrupt mismanagement at a major corporation headed by Alec Baldwin. This moderately amusing film chronicles the desperation of the couple as they try to stay afloat economically, eventually resorting to crime. The karma of the film is a little mixed as neither the Harper's or Baldwins character ultimately suffer any long-term consequences for there actions.
The New World (2005)
7/30/06
The New World is the latest in director Terrence Malick's infrequent contributions to cinema. I must say that the story of the forbidden love between Pocahontas (Q'Orianka Kilcher) and John Smith (Colin Farrell) was not one which I was overly excited to see on screen, but two glowing recommendations from two very different sources (a guy in my ward and a pagan priestess, I kid you not) prompted me to see the film, and I must say I was impressed. This is a simply beautiful movie in every way, the story, the performances, the music, and the cinematography, the last of which was so gorgeous that I instantly regretted not seeing it on the big screen. The New World breaths new life into its tired old story and offers a vivid depiction of a period of time not often presented on film.
The New World is the latest in director Terrence Malick's infrequent contributions to cinema. I must say that the story of the forbidden love between Pocahontas (Q'Orianka Kilcher) and John Smith (Colin Farrell) was not one which I was overly excited to see on screen, but two glowing recommendations from two very different sources (a guy in my ward and a pagan priestess, I kid you not) prompted me to see the film, and I must say I was impressed. This is a simply beautiful movie in every way, the story, the performances, the music, and the cinematography, the last of which was so gorgeous that I instantly regretted not seeing it on the big screen. The New World breaths new life into its tired old story and offers a vivid depiction of a period of time not often presented on film.
Bob Roberts (1992)
7/30/06
Bob Roberts is a great satire, presented in documentary format it follows the 1990 Senate campaign of businessman/folk singer Robert Roberts. Director/star Tim Robbins does a fantastic job of capturing right-wing demigogery and the disheartening media situation, something that has only gotten more pronounced since the film was made. Alternately funny and disturbing, the movie also boasts a long list of celebrity cameos, mostly playing members of the press. The esteemed liberal author and commentator Gore Vidal plays Roberts Democratic rival, the wise Senator Brickley Paiste of Pennsylvania. Look for a young Jack Black as a Roberts groupie.
Bob Roberts is a great satire, presented in documentary format it follows the 1990 Senate campaign of businessman/folk singer Robert Roberts. Director/star Tim Robbins does a fantastic job of capturing right-wing demigogery and the disheartening media situation, something that has only gotten more pronounced since the film was made. Alternately funny and disturbing, the movie also boasts a long list of celebrity cameos, mostly playing members of the press. The esteemed liberal author and commentator Gore Vidal plays Roberts Democratic rival, the wise Senator Brickley Paiste of Pennsylvania. Look for a young Jack Black as a Roberts groupie.
The Pacifier (2005)
7/29/06
The Pacifier isn't so much unbearable as it is just completely derivative and unfunny. Sort of a poor man's Kindergarten Cop, it features Vin Diesal as a Navy Seal asigned to protect the family of a recently murdered Defense Department analyst. Watching the film you will feel anything from disgust, to a numb neutrality, to a light warmth depending on you susceptibility to Disney sentimentality
The Pacifier isn't so much unbearable as it is just completely derivative and unfunny. Sort of a poor man's Kindergarten Cop, it features Vin Diesal as a Navy Seal asigned to protect the family of a recently murdered Defense Department analyst. Watching the film you will feel anything from disgust, to a numb neutrality, to a light warmth depending on you susceptibility to Disney sentimentality
Raging Bull (1980)
7/28/06
Robert De Niro won an Oscar for his portrayal of middle-weight champion Jake La Motta in Martin Scorsese's violent black & white art film about boxing, Raging Bull. Probably less impressive watching it in 2006 then in 1980 when it was released (largely because we now take De Niro's acting abilities for granted), Raging Bull really dose showcase one of the legendary performances in cinema history and is a film more about internal flaws then outward ability.
Robert De Niro won an Oscar for his portrayal of middle-weight champion Jake La Motta in Martin Scorsese's violent black & white art film about boxing, Raging Bull. Probably less impressive watching it in 2006 then in 1980 when it was released (largely because we now take De Niro's acting abilities for granted), Raging Bull really dose showcase one of the legendary performances in cinema history and is a film more about internal flaws then outward ability.
The Family Stone (2005)
7/28/06
The Family Stone is one of those "meet-the-in-laws", holiday-type comedy's. When Everett Stone (Dermot Mulrony) brings his uptight New York girlfriend Meredith Morton (played by Sarah Jessica Parker, whose supposed attractiveness I've never really understood) to meet his liberal family, mis-adventures ensue. The film starts out a little cold and awkward but gradually warms to likeablity, though never transcends the conventional.
The Family Stone is one of those "meet-the-in-laws", holiday-type comedy's. When Everett Stone (Dermot Mulrony) brings his uptight New York girlfriend Meredith Morton (played by Sarah Jessica Parker, whose supposed attractiveness I've never really understood) to meet his liberal family, mis-adventures ensue. The film starts out a little cold and awkward but gradually warms to likeablity, though never transcends the conventional.
The Contender (2000)
7/26/06
Rod Lurie's 2000 film The Contender served as The American President to the writer/directors own short lived, West Wing style drama Commander & Chief. Chief however was one of those ill-fated television programs whose back story and behind the scenes goings-on where more interesting then the actual show. The Contender has more of a plot then The American President but is a less likeable movie. Perhaps more realistic then Sorkins Capra-like Romance, The Contender offers a hard-edged political procedural in the tradition of Premingers Advise and Consent 40 years earlier, only here I found no characters that I really liked.
The plot of the film concerns two-term Democratic President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) who must fill the vacancy left by the death of the Vice-President (whose name, as a bit of trivia was Troy Ellert), said to have occurred three-weeks prior to the start of events on screen. While the popular sentiment is to appoint the politically well situated but ultimately substancless Governor of Virginia Jack Hathaway (William L. Peterson), the President chooses instead to nominate Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) of Ohio, a far leftist who strangely enough is said to have once been a Republican. Illinois Congressman Sheldon Runyan (Gary Oldman) however wants to use his chairmanship of a committee set to review the nominee, to get payback at the sitting president for some political slight, vaguely refereed to as having occurred in Hartford, that is said to have cost him the presidency. Sam Elliott plays the Presidents chief-of-staff Kermit Newman, and Christian Slater is a promising young Democratic Congressman from Delaware. This is largely a good movie but full of a liberal posturing more arrogant then typically found on The West Wing, and an awkward sort of PC moralism with which I was not ultimately comfortable. I would have had a hard voting for Laine Hanson, but think I would ultimately have to confirm her.
Rod Lurie's 2000 film The Contender served as The American President to the writer/directors own short lived, West Wing style drama Commander & Chief. Chief however was one of those ill-fated television programs whose back story and behind the scenes goings-on where more interesting then the actual show. The Contender has more of a plot then The American President but is a less likeable movie. Perhaps more realistic then Sorkins Capra-like Romance, The Contender offers a hard-edged political procedural in the tradition of Premingers Advise and Consent 40 years earlier, only here I found no characters that I really liked.
The plot of the film concerns two-term Democratic President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) who must fill the vacancy left by the death of the Vice-President (whose name, as a bit of trivia was Troy Ellert), said to have occurred three-weeks prior to the start of events on screen. While the popular sentiment is to appoint the politically well situated but ultimately substancless Governor of Virginia Jack Hathaway (William L. Peterson), the President chooses instead to nominate Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) of Ohio, a far leftist who strangely enough is said to have once been a Republican. Illinois Congressman Sheldon Runyan (Gary Oldman) however wants to use his chairmanship of a committee set to review the nominee, to get payback at the sitting president for some political slight, vaguely refereed to as having occurred in Hartford, that is said to have cost him the presidency. Sam Elliott plays the Presidents chief-of-staff Kermit Newman, and Christian Slater is a promising young Democratic Congressman from Delaware. This is largely a good movie but full of a liberal posturing more arrogant then typically found on The West Wing, and an awkward sort of PC moralism with which I was not ultimately comfortable. I would have had a hard voting for Laine Hanson, but think I would ultimately have to confirm her.
Thank You For Smoking (2005)
7/26/06
Young director Jason Reitman, who got his start in bit child parts in movies such as Kindergarten Cop and Dave, brings to the screen his first mass marketed film, Thank You For Smoking, with a certain juvenile glee. Based on the satiric novel by Christopher Buckley (son of conservative oracle William F. Jr.), Thank You felt too obvious to be truly biting. In actuality this film should have been made 10 years ago when the smoking related issues it addresses were still relevant, the moral story it attempts to communicate is now to generally accepted and obvious to warrant a cinematic treatment.
It is fortunate then that this movie doesn't only focuses its satiric energies on the Tobacco industry, other obvious targets such as the gun and alcoholic beverage lobbies are also lampooned in the form of David Koechner and Maria Bello respectively. Perhaps the films funniest character was Hollywood super-agent Jeff Megall, (played in one of the movies many instances of obvious casting by Rob Lowe), a charming work-aholic and collector of all things Asian, who is perhaps even more "morally flexible" then lead character Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart).
Naylor is a much hated lobbyist for a Tobacco industry front group, who is brilliantly performed by Eckhart in a rare staring role. Naylor insures that the films proceedings remain entertaining despite no strong plot. An ill-advised romantic relationship with Kate Holmes reporter Heather Holloway, and a death threat from an anti-tobacco group help provide some narrative thrust, but basically the movie is just Naylor going around doing his job and attempting to maintain a relationship with his 12 year old son (Cameron Bright). William H. Macy, J.K. Simmons, and Robert Duvall all have mostly cartoonish feeling parts in the film, though Sam Elliotts former Marlboro Man character Lorne Lutch has a little more depth then the others.
Thank You For Smoking will entertain you throughout, but I can't really call it a good movie. All flesh and no bones it try's to deliver the sour-milk of satire in a conventional comedy format with a faux-moralistic ending that doesn't really work. You could probably get more out of the material by simply reading Buckley's book.
Young director Jason Reitman, who got his start in bit child parts in movies such as Kindergarten Cop and Dave, brings to the screen his first mass marketed film, Thank You For Smoking, with a certain juvenile glee. Based on the satiric novel by Christopher Buckley (son of conservative oracle William F. Jr.), Thank You felt too obvious to be truly biting. In actuality this film should have been made 10 years ago when the smoking related issues it addresses were still relevant, the moral story it attempts to communicate is now to generally accepted and obvious to warrant a cinematic treatment.
It is fortunate then that this movie doesn't only focuses its satiric energies on the Tobacco industry, other obvious targets such as the gun and alcoholic beverage lobbies are also lampooned in the form of David Koechner and Maria Bello respectively. Perhaps the films funniest character was Hollywood super-agent Jeff Megall, (played in one of the movies many instances of obvious casting by Rob Lowe), a charming work-aholic and collector of all things Asian, who is perhaps even more "morally flexible" then lead character Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart).
Naylor is a much hated lobbyist for a Tobacco industry front group, who is brilliantly performed by Eckhart in a rare staring role. Naylor insures that the films proceedings remain entertaining despite no strong plot. An ill-advised romantic relationship with Kate Holmes reporter Heather Holloway, and a death threat from an anti-tobacco group help provide some narrative thrust, but basically the movie is just Naylor going around doing his job and attempting to maintain a relationship with his 12 year old son (Cameron Bright). William H. Macy, J.K. Simmons, and Robert Duvall all have mostly cartoonish feeling parts in the film, though Sam Elliotts former Marlboro Man character Lorne Lutch has a little more depth then the others.
Thank You For Smoking will entertain you throughout, but I can't really call it a good movie. All flesh and no bones it try's to deliver the sour-milk of satire in a conventional comedy format with a faux-moralistic ending that doesn't really work. You could probably get more out of the material by simply reading Buckley's book.
24: Season 4 (2005)
7/25/06
I believe that season 4 of 24 is still held as the programs strongest in terms of ratings. It certainly is engaging and different from its predecessors in several ways. First off the season begins with an almost entirely new cast, though many previously established charters do return to the program by its finall, Kim however (much to the joy of many fans who find her annoying) does not. The season also differs in that there is only one primary villain, Habib Marwan (Arnold Vosloo) a Turkish born terrorist leader who heads a surprisingly secular seeming group of Islamic radicals. The Muslim extremist from season 2 seemed pretty true to our expectations of those groups, whereas season 4's badies have no problems working with non-Muslim mercenaries, having very western relationships with women, and hardly mention their religion. Mostly they just want Americans to butt-out of the affairs of other nations, much like the disillusioned former British intelligence officer who was Season 3's final villain.
Of course being open to other allies was probably essential to this group of terrorists, (and keeping the season intersting) as they had a pretty ambitious agenda for day 4: derail a passenger train, kidnap the Secretary of Defense, meltdown a nuclear powerplant, steal a stealth bomber and use it to shoot down Air Force One (leaving the President in a comma), and steal and launch a nuclear missile from Iowa towards a major American city (and who was surprised it turned out to be Los Angeles).
In terms of new characters I liked the Hellers (William Devine and Kim Raver as his daughter), as well a Paul Rains (James Frain) and Edger (Louis Lombardi). Curtis (Roger Cross) was cool, Erin Driscoll (Alberta Wastson) grew on me, and Gregory Itzins vice-president, and later president Charles Logan was great as one of those characters you almost enjoy being annoyed by. Shohreh Aghdashloo of House of Sand and Fog fame made her terrorist mother character something far above any stereo-type. Also the lovely Mia Kirshner's Mandy (though not really a 'new' character, but developed more here then ever before) has the same voice inflection and dark looks of a young Mary-Louise Parker.
Anyways Season 4 was great, though my heart belongs to the dramatic symmetry of Season 2 (and by extension Sarah Winter). Now I am stuck in that wasteland waiting for the Season 5 DVD release.
I believe that season 4 of 24 is still held as the programs strongest in terms of ratings. It certainly is engaging and different from its predecessors in several ways. First off the season begins with an almost entirely new cast, though many previously established charters do return to the program by its finall, Kim however (much to the joy of many fans who find her annoying) does not. The season also differs in that there is only one primary villain, Habib Marwan (Arnold Vosloo) a Turkish born terrorist leader who heads a surprisingly secular seeming group of Islamic radicals. The Muslim extremist from season 2 seemed pretty true to our expectations of those groups, whereas season 4's badies have no problems working with non-Muslim mercenaries, having very western relationships with women, and hardly mention their religion. Mostly they just want Americans to butt-out of the affairs of other nations, much like the disillusioned former British intelligence officer who was Season 3's final villain.
Of course being open to other allies was probably essential to this group of terrorists, (and keeping the season intersting) as they had a pretty ambitious agenda for day 4: derail a passenger train, kidnap the Secretary of Defense, meltdown a nuclear powerplant, steal a stealth bomber and use it to shoot down Air Force One (leaving the President in a comma), and steal and launch a nuclear missile from Iowa towards a major American city (and who was surprised it turned out to be Los Angeles).
In terms of new characters I liked the Hellers (William Devine and Kim Raver as his daughter), as well a Paul Rains (James Frain) and Edger (Louis Lombardi). Curtis (Roger Cross) was cool, Erin Driscoll (Alberta Wastson) grew on me, and Gregory Itzins vice-president, and later president Charles Logan was great as one of those characters you almost enjoy being annoyed by. Shohreh Aghdashloo of House of Sand and Fog fame made her terrorist mother character something far above any stereo-type. Also the lovely Mia Kirshner's Mandy (though not really a 'new' character, but developed more here then ever before) has the same voice inflection and dark looks of a young Mary-Louise Parker.
Anyways Season 4 was great, though my heart belongs to the dramatic symmetry of Season 2 (and by extension Sarah Winter). Now I am stuck in that wasteland waiting for the Season 5 DVD release.
Six Feet Under: Season 3 (2003)
7/20/06
Season three for Six Feet was a very transitional year for the series, as reinforced by the season promo which features the shows lead characters cavorting about a stylized cliff. While many of the tonal qualities of the series remanded the same the show did go in a different direction in regards to a maturing of the characters both in personal growth and a slight decrease in recklessness, or maybe narrowing of recklessness would be a more accurate phrase. Both stylistic and content wise the show was strong, starting with Nates journey into 'parallel' universes in episode one, the strangely joyous episode four, and the long dark journey of despair Nate takes in the final four episodes.
Claire (Lauren Ambrose) has two romantic relationships this season, one with a non-committal crematory worker and amateur musician, and one with a sexually confused artist. David (Michael C. Hall) and Keith's (Mathew St. Patrick) paring has its ups and downs, complet with visits to a therapist. Ruth befriends Bettina (Kathy Bates), helps her sister (Patrica Clarkson) get off some hard drugs, becomes briefly obsessed with the homes new intern (the brilliantly nerdy Rainn Wilson), and ends up as wife number 7 for geology professor
George Sibley (James Cromwell). Brenda(Rachel Griffiths) losses her father to cancer, wisely limits contact with the rest of her family, and makes real progress in overcoming her self-destructive streak. Rico (Freddy Rodriguez) deals with his wifes depression and nagging sister in-law quite well for some time, but in the final episode of the season makes an unwise choice that will doubtless have major consequences.
It's Nate's arc this season however that is most central and interesting. After surviving his brain operation that was season 2's cliff hanger, he decides to marry the mother of his child Lisa Kimmel (Lili Taylor). At first Nate subsumes himself trying to act out the part of the husband Lisa wants him to be. A dream conversation with his late father (Richard Jenkins) forces Nate to confront the fact that he may have married Lisa for the wrong reasons, and this health obsessed character turns to smoking after he and his wife and daughter move into the apartment over the funeral homes garage, when Lisa quiets her job as vegan cook to eccentric producer Carol Ward (Catherine O'Hara). Eventually Nate can no longer subsume himself to Lisa's demanding expectations and the two start thinking about a separation, but this is put on hold when while inside a Pyramid at Claires art show, they decide to start anew as who they really are rather then who the other expects them to be, which leads to some real progress and what appears to be Nate genuinely falling in love with Lisa. As things finally start to right themselves Lisa goes missing while on a trip to visit her sister, with all these events leading to the seasons tragic ending and Nates spiraling personal decline.
Again as stated in my review for season 2 of Six Feet Under this is an intense, dark and adult show, however also very powerful and rewarding viewing if your primed for it. Now more then half way to the series end its still hard to know what dark yet true things creator Alan Ball and his writing staff are prepared to throw at the viewer.
Season three for Six Feet was a very transitional year for the series, as reinforced by the season promo which features the shows lead characters cavorting about a stylized cliff. While many of the tonal qualities of the series remanded the same the show did go in a different direction in regards to a maturing of the characters both in personal growth and a slight decrease in recklessness, or maybe narrowing of recklessness would be a more accurate phrase. Both stylistic and content wise the show was strong, starting with Nates journey into 'parallel' universes in episode one, the strangely joyous episode four, and the long dark journey of despair Nate takes in the final four episodes.
Claire (Lauren Ambrose) has two romantic relationships this season, one with a non-committal crematory worker and amateur musician, and one with a sexually confused artist. David (Michael C. Hall) and Keith's (Mathew St. Patrick) paring has its ups and downs, complet with visits to a therapist. Ruth befriends Bettina (Kathy Bates), helps her sister (Patrica Clarkson) get off some hard drugs, becomes briefly obsessed with the homes new intern (the brilliantly nerdy Rainn Wilson), and ends up as wife number 7 for geology professor
George Sibley (James Cromwell). Brenda(Rachel Griffiths) losses her father to cancer, wisely limits contact with the rest of her family, and makes real progress in overcoming her self-destructive streak. Rico (Freddy Rodriguez) deals with his wifes depression and nagging sister in-law quite well for some time, but in the final episode of the season makes an unwise choice that will doubtless have major consequences.
It's Nate's arc this season however that is most central and interesting. After surviving his brain operation that was season 2's cliff hanger, he decides to marry the mother of his child Lisa Kimmel (Lili Taylor). At first Nate subsumes himself trying to act out the part of the husband Lisa wants him to be. A dream conversation with his late father (Richard Jenkins) forces Nate to confront the fact that he may have married Lisa for the wrong reasons, and this health obsessed character turns to smoking after he and his wife and daughter move into the apartment over the funeral homes garage, when Lisa quiets her job as vegan cook to eccentric producer Carol Ward (Catherine O'Hara). Eventually Nate can no longer subsume himself to Lisa's demanding expectations and the two start thinking about a separation, but this is put on hold when while inside a Pyramid at Claires art show, they decide to start anew as who they really are rather then who the other expects them to be, which leads to some real progress and what appears to be Nate genuinely falling in love with Lisa. As things finally start to right themselves Lisa goes missing while on a trip to visit her sister, with all these events leading to the seasons tragic ending and Nates spiraling personal decline.
Again as stated in my review for season 2 of Six Feet Under this is an intense, dark and adult show, however also very powerful and rewarding viewing if your primed for it. Now more then half way to the series end its still hard to know what dark yet true things creator Alan Ball and his writing staff are prepared to throw at the viewer.
Waiting for God: Season 1 (1990)
7/20/06
My first britcom and still my favorite is Waiting for God, which once ran ubiquitously on our local PBS affiliate in the mid-to-late 90's, has finally had its complete first season released on one DVD. Created by Michael Aitkens (who was only in his forties at the time), the show is set at the Bayside Retirement Village whose inmates, I mean residents spend their golden years waiting to meet their maker. Tom Ballard (Graham Crowden) is a retired accountant whose boring life has left him prone to flights of fantasy. When Tom's notoriously dull son Geoffrey (Andrew Tourell) at the bidding of his shrewish wife Marion (Sandra Payne), decides to check his father into the retirement community into which they have invested, the 'old man' is unhappily resigned to his fate. That is until he meets Diana Trent (Stephanie Cole), a former photo-journalist and his neighbor at Bayview who is a decided cynic and just lives to torment the community's cheap-skate administrator Harvey Baines (Daniel Hill) and his sweet natured, plan faced assistant Jane Edwards (Janine Duvitski). Full of reflections on death, God, and what it means to be old, Waiting for God is a rather philosophical sitcom that treats 'the aged' with both humor and dignity.
My first britcom and still my favorite is Waiting for God, which once ran ubiquitously on our local PBS affiliate in the mid-to-late 90's, has finally had its complete first season released on one DVD. Created by Michael Aitkens (who was only in his forties at the time), the show is set at the Bayside Retirement Village whose inmates, I mean residents spend their golden years waiting to meet their maker. Tom Ballard (Graham Crowden) is a retired accountant whose boring life has left him prone to flights of fantasy. When Tom's notoriously dull son Geoffrey (Andrew Tourell) at the bidding of his shrewish wife Marion (Sandra Payne), decides to check his father into the retirement community into which they have invested, the 'old man' is unhappily resigned to his fate. That is until he meets Diana Trent (Stephanie Cole), a former photo-journalist and his neighbor at Bayview who is a decided cynic and just lives to torment the community's cheap-skate administrator Harvey Baines (Daniel Hill) and his sweet natured, plan faced assistant Jane Edwards (Janine Duvitski). Full of reflections on death, God, and what it means to be old, Waiting for God is a rather philosophical sitcom that treats 'the aged' with both humor and dignity.
Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
7/19/06
Mona Lisa Smile is one of those inspiring teacher movies whose most distinguishing surface feature is that it is set at an all-girls university (as opposed to the all boys prep schools generally favored by this genre). While most easily though of as a Julie Roberts vehicle, it is in fact the cast of young Hollywood starlets (including Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhall, and Ginnifer Goodwin) who actually make the picture work.
Set during the 1953-1954 academic year at Boston areas Wellesley College, the story concerns Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts), a California 'bohemian' sort who has come to the conservative school to teach an art history course. Though greeted at first with disdain to indifference by all but a few of her students and co-workers, you know that by the end of the year she has won over, or at the very lest impressed, the whole campus.
Though my description my sound a little trite this is acutely an enjoyable movie, that fights the cultural battles of the 1950's with healthy ambiguity. The four primary young women characters are treated with some complexity, and issues of expectation and individualism are fairly addressed, with no pat answer provided other then that one must ultimately chose ones own path, what ever that may be. Though the social order of the time must play as nostalgia for most modern American audiences, Mormons viewers may find the cultural dynamic in the film to be more relevant to there experiences and thusly hit closer to home. The whole thing could easily be remade and set at present day BYU-Idaho. The film also features Topher Grace, John Slattery, Marcia Gay Harden, and Dominic West as Ms. Roberts love interest.
Mona Lisa Smile is one of those inspiring teacher movies whose most distinguishing surface feature is that it is set at an all-girls university (as opposed to the all boys prep schools generally favored by this genre). While most easily though of as a Julie Roberts vehicle, it is in fact the cast of young Hollywood starlets (including Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhall, and Ginnifer Goodwin) who actually make the picture work.
Set during the 1953-1954 academic year at Boston areas Wellesley College, the story concerns Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts), a California 'bohemian' sort who has come to the conservative school to teach an art history course. Though greeted at first with disdain to indifference by all but a few of her students and co-workers, you know that by the end of the year she has won over, or at the very lest impressed, the whole campus.
Though my description my sound a little trite this is acutely an enjoyable movie, that fights the cultural battles of the 1950's with healthy ambiguity. The four primary young women characters are treated with some complexity, and issues of expectation and individualism are fairly addressed, with no pat answer provided other then that one must ultimately chose ones own path, what ever that may be. Though the social order of the time must play as nostalgia for most modern American audiences, Mormons viewers may find the cultural dynamic in the film to be more relevant to there experiences and thusly hit closer to home. The whole thing could easily be remade and set at present day BYU-Idaho. The film also features Topher Grace, John Slattery, Marcia Gay Harden, and Dominic West as Ms. Roberts love interest.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
7/18/06
For my birthday my brother and sister-in-law got me a DVD of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a movie which a number of people (perhaps surprisingly) have been telling me to see for years. I however remember the bad reviews the movie got and wasn't expecting much going in, which is probably why I found the film mildly entertaining, a popcorn movie in the old B-picture tradition.
Basically this is a kind of late Victorian X-men. Sean Connery is legendary game hunter/adventurer Allan Quartermain, who is brought out of 'retirement' in Africa to head up a group of 'extraordinary individuals' known as 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'. Basically 'the League' is composed of comic book versions of famous literary characters such as Dorian Gray, Tom Sawyer, The Invisible Man, Captain Nemo, and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. They are tasked with preventing a mysterious figure known as 'The Phantom' from starting a world war so that he can profit on the sale of advanced weaponry. The film is sort of rambling and often feels directionless, it takes about half an hour to assemble the team, and then they all spend a strangely long period of time on board 'The Nautilus' reflecting on their pasts and their personal faults. By the time we get to their destination of Venice about fifty minutes have passed, and for what turns out to be something of a red hearing, we do however get to see half of the city sink into the ocean.
If you treat it as the bit of lite adventure it is you can enjoy movie, though strangely I think that its some what broding first half was its strongest. League is an odd cinematic swan-song for Sean Connery, who recently announced his retirement from film.
For my birthday my brother and sister-in-law got me a DVD of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a movie which a number of people (perhaps surprisingly) have been telling me to see for years. I however remember the bad reviews the movie got and wasn't expecting much going in, which is probably why I found the film mildly entertaining, a popcorn movie in the old B-picture tradition.
Basically this is a kind of late Victorian X-men. Sean Connery is legendary game hunter/adventurer Allan Quartermain, who is brought out of 'retirement' in Africa to head up a group of 'extraordinary individuals' known as 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'. Basically 'the League' is composed of comic book versions of famous literary characters such as Dorian Gray, Tom Sawyer, The Invisible Man, Captain Nemo, and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. They are tasked with preventing a mysterious figure known as 'The Phantom' from starting a world war so that he can profit on the sale of advanced weaponry. The film is sort of rambling and often feels directionless, it takes about half an hour to assemble the team, and then they all spend a strangely long period of time on board 'The Nautilus' reflecting on their pasts and their personal faults. By the time we get to their destination of Venice about fifty minutes have passed, and for what turns out to be something of a red hearing, we do however get to see half of the city sink into the ocean.
If you treat it as the bit of lite adventure it is you can enjoy movie, though strangely I think that its some what broding first half was its strongest. League is an odd cinematic swan-song for Sean Connery, who recently announced his retirement from film.
Exodus (1960)
7/12/06
Exodus, based on the best selling book by Leon Uris, is Otto Premingers epic spectical on the establishment of the state of Israel. Intermixing real with fictitious characters the movie is probably not the best history lesson you could have the subject, and its portrayal of events has been harshly critiqued over the years. With a running time of approximately 3 1/2 hours, and a pacing that isn't in a hurry to get any where, sitting through this feature might feel as though it takes longer then some Israeli wars.
The plot concerns Kitty Fremont (Eva Marie Saint) the widow of photo-journalist who died covering Jewish uprisings in Palestine in the immediate post World War II years. Kitty has traveled to Cyprus to visit General Sutherland (Ralph Richardson) a British army officer who had been a friend of her late husbands. While there the General asks Mrs. Freemont (who happens to be a trained nurse) if she wouldn't mind spending a few days helping out at a refugee camp for Jews. The British Navy had been intercepting ships attempting to carry European Jews to Palestine, the reasoning being that the surge in Jewish population in the area was making it difficult for the imperial forces there to keep the peace with the Arabs. While volunteering at the camp Kitty befriends a teenage girl named Karen (Jill Haworth) whose mother and siblings died in the holocaust and whose father has been missing for years. Kitty eventually decides to (with the Generals permission) take Karen to America with her in the hopes of adopting the girl.
Kittys happy plans are disrupted however when Ari Ben Canaan (Paul Newman) arrives on the island to help implement a secret plan to transport the refuges who had been intercepted aboard a ship called 'The Star of David' (of which Karen is of course one) get to Palestine. Dressed as a military officer and carrying forged orders Ben Canaan manages to get the 'Star of David' passengers onto a new boat, which he calls 'Exodus'. The British figure out what he is up to before the boat can leave harbor and blockade the ship. In response the folks aboard 'Exodus' go on a hunger strike until they are permitted to leave for Palestine, promising to blow up the boat if the British try to board it. Eventually the U.K. decides to cave in to their demands and the ship sets out on its journey, with Kitty Fremont permitted to stay on board as ships nurse after their doctor dies of a heart attack brought on by the heat.
Once they all make it to the holy land the plot shifts to the search for Karens father, who she believes might have made it to Palestine in the after-math of the war. Eventually Karens father is found alive in a hospital, but so mentally and physically ravaged by his experiences that he can not even talk, let alone respond to his daughters presence. Karens story is not however the central focus of the movie, rather star Paul Newmans Ben Cannan character is. We see Ari struggle to reconcile the militant and non-violent camps of Zionism, help orchestrate an elaborate Great Escape style prison break, and defend the residents of the small Jewish settlement he calls home from Arabs in the wake of the U.N. granting of Israeli partition.
As I said before this movie is pretty long, it could be several movies, and while well executed I'd have to rank it in the bottom half (favorites wise) of the Preminger films I've seen. Ernest Golds score for the movie constituted the films only Academy Award win.
Exodus, based on the best selling book by Leon Uris, is Otto Premingers epic spectical on the establishment of the state of Israel. Intermixing real with fictitious characters the movie is probably not the best history lesson you could have the subject, and its portrayal of events has been harshly critiqued over the years. With a running time of approximately 3 1/2 hours, and a pacing that isn't in a hurry to get any where, sitting through this feature might feel as though it takes longer then some Israeli wars.
The plot concerns Kitty Fremont (Eva Marie Saint) the widow of photo-journalist who died covering Jewish uprisings in Palestine in the immediate post World War II years. Kitty has traveled to Cyprus to visit General Sutherland (Ralph Richardson) a British army officer who had been a friend of her late husbands. While there the General asks Mrs. Freemont (who happens to be a trained nurse) if she wouldn't mind spending a few days helping out at a refugee camp for Jews. The British Navy had been intercepting ships attempting to carry European Jews to Palestine, the reasoning being that the surge in Jewish population in the area was making it difficult for the imperial forces there to keep the peace with the Arabs. While volunteering at the camp Kitty befriends a teenage girl named Karen (Jill Haworth) whose mother and siblings died in the holocaust and whose father has been missing for years. Kitty eventually decides to (with the Generals permission) take Karen to America with her in the hopes of adopting the girl.
Kittys happy plans are disrupted however when Ari Ben Canaan (Paul Newman) arrives on the island to help implement a secret plan to transport the refuges who had been intercepted aboard a ship called 'The Star of David' (of which Karen is of course one) get to Palestine. Dressed as a military officer and carrying forged orders Ben Canaan manages to get the 'Star of David' passengers onto a new boat, which he calls 'Exodus'. The British figure out what he is up to before the boat can leave harbor and blockade the ship. In response the folks aboard 'Exodus' go on a hunger strike until they are permitted to leave for Palestine, promising to blow up the boat if the British try to board it. Eventually the U.K. decides to cave in to their demands and the ship sets out on its journey, with Kitty Fremont permitted to stay on board as ships nurse after their doctor dies of a heart attack brought on by the heat.
Once they all make it to the holy land the plot shifts to the search for Karens father, who she believes might have made it to Palestine in the after-math of the war. Eventually Karens father is found alive in a hospital, but so mentally and physically ravaged by his experiences that he can not even talk, let alone respond to his daughters presence. Karens story is not however the central focus of the movie, rather star Paul Newmans Ben Cannan character is. We see Ari struggle to reconcile the militant and non-violent camps of Zionism, help orchestrate an elaborate Great Escape style prison break, and defend the residents of the small Jewish settlement he calls home from Arabs in the wake of the U.N. granting of Israeli partition.
As I said before this movie is pretty long, it could be several movies, and while well executed I'd have to rank it in the bottom half (favorites wise) of the Preminger films I've seen. Ernest Golds score for the movie constituted the films only Academy Award win.
An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
7/11/06
A number of years ago I read a biography of Al Gore that stated the then Senator had hopes of turning his book Earth in the Balance into a documentary mini-series along the lines of Carl Sagan's Cosmos. Since Gore ended up running for, and of course winning election to the office of vice-president in 1992, his documentary plans were not realized, that is until recently.
According to The Nation the film An Inconvenient Truth, which is based on Gore's oft presented global warming slide show, was not initiated by him. No it was the film makers, including director Davis Guggenheim (a vetrine of several episodes of the Fox show 24), that came to Gore.
An Inconvenient Truth is an engaging documentary that revels Gore to be both an excellent teacher, and not the wooden cartoon he is often viewed as. The film does delve into elements of Gore's personal and professional life including, his childhood, the near death of his six year old son in 1989, the death of his older sister from lung cancer, and his defeat in the famously disputed presidential election of 2000. The focus of the movie however is on global warming, and Mr. Gore's case is overwhelming, this is no 'Manbearpig' phenomena. Through a glossy multi-media presentation (including a Futurerama clip), the former vice-president brings the satistical and photo-graphic evidence for our planets increased warming scarily to life, calling for a re-birth of 'political will' to address this issue while its effects are still relatively manageable.
Many have commented that this film appears to be part of an attempt by Gore to 'test the waters' for a possible presidential run in 2008. While the films start will dispute this, the more I think about it the better the prospect of another Gore campaign, and indeed a Gore presidency seems. Al Gore is, in my opinion, probably the best option for the country two years from now. This movie is only part of my gradual conversion to Gore fandom, something I'd like to see spread among others. If honestly addressed the issue of global warming could be faced, and even largely resolved by our generation, and possibly even serve a step towards a greater sense of unity of purpose in our land. So see An Inconvenient Truth and start thinking of a running-mate, I'm cerial.
A number of years ago I read a biography of Al Gore that stated the then Senator had hopes of turning his book Earth in the Balance into a documentary mini-series along the lines of Carl Sagan's Cosmos. Since Gore ended up running for, and of course winning election to the office of vice-president in 1992, his documentary plans were not realized, that is until recently.
According to The Nation the film An Inconvenient Truth, which is based on Gore's oft presented global warming slide show, was not initiated by him. No it was the film makers, including director Davis Guggenheim (a vetrine of several episodes of the Fox show 24), that came to Gore.
An Inconvenient Truth is an engaging documentary that revels Gore to be both an excellent teacher, and not the wooden cartoon he is often viewed as. The film does delve into elements of Gore's personal and professional life including, his childhood, the near death of his six year old son in 1989, the death of his older sister from lung cancer, and his defeat in the famously disputed presidential election of 2000. The focus of the movie however is on global warming, and Mr. Gore's case is overwhelming, this is no 'Manbearpig' phenomena. Through a glossy multi-media presentation (including a Futurerama clip), the former vice-president brings the satistical and photo-graphic evidence for our planets increased warming scarily to life, calling for a re-birth of 'political will' to address this issue while its effects are still relatively manageable.
Many have commented that this film appears to be part of an attempt by Gore to 'test the waters' for a possible presidential run in 2008. While the films start will dispute this, the more I think about it the better the prospect of another Gore campaign, and indeed a Gore presidency seems. Al Gore is, in my opinion, probably the best option for the country two years from now. This movie is only part of my gradual conversion to Gore fandom, something I'd like to see spread among others. If honestly addressed the issue of global warming could be faced, and even largely resolved by our generation, and possibly even serve a step towards a greater sense of unity of purpose in our land. So see An Inconvenient Truth and start thinking of a running-mate, I'm cerial.
The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
7/11/06
The best picture Oscar winner for 1937, The Life of Emile Zola is the movie that inspired the Laurie Holden character in Frank Darabont's The Majestic to become a lawyer. While Zola himself was never a lawyer he was a crusader for justice, a muckraking author in 19th century France, he was one of the best loved and most hated men of his time. Played in the film by Paul Muni, who won an oscar for his performance, Zola is the type of dedicated eccentric who makes for great entertainment (and could easily serve as the basis for a TV detective).
The first half hour of the film contains a severely abridged biography of Zola over about a 30 year period, the rest of the film (which runs just under two hours), is dedicated to the famous Dreyfus affiar. The Dreyfus affair is an incident in which honest and hardworking Capt. Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut) was used as a scapegoat for a massive intelligence leak in the French armys general staff, presumably just because he was Jewish. A few years after Dreyfus had been sent to languish on 'Devils Island' the Army chief of intelligence came upon new evidence that cleared the captain and identified the real culprit. However fearing the damage this revelation might inflict upon the reputation of the general staff, and the glory of the army, the officer to uncover this information ( I think he was played by Henry O'Neil) was silenced and the real offender cleared.
Zola who by the time of these events was an old man, was at first reluctantly drug into Dreyfus defense by the convicts wife (Gale Sondergaard). Emile however would eventually became such a champion of the wrongly accused officer that he would allow himself to go on trail for 'publicly liabling' the general staff, in order to clear his name. Zola would eventually face prison time for his actions, but fled into exile in England (despite a strong distaste for any cold climate) where he continued to lobby for Dreyfus through his writings, something which ultamilty proved successful. The court room scenes in this drama are stirring and Muni expertly delivers a couple great Zola monologues. A largely forgotten (for a best picture winner) classic film about a largely forgotten great man, this movie is certenly worth seeing. The films message about the dangers of overly secretive military justice, and the damages that can be done when any organization thinks it can do no wrong, couldn't be more timely. Zola's wife is played here by Gloria Holden, an actress best known for playing Draculas daughter in the movie of the same name.
The best picture Oscar winner for 1937, The Life of Emile Zola is the movie that inspired the Laurie Holden character in Frank Darabont's The Majestic to become a lawyer. While Zola himself was never a lawyer he was a crusader for justice, a muckraking author in 19th century France, he was one of the best loved and most hated men of his time. Played in the film by Paul Muni, who won an oscar for his performance, Zola is the type of dedicated eccentric who makes for great entertainment (and could easily serve as the basis for a TV detective).
The first half hour of the film contains a severely abridged biography of Zola over about a 30 year period, the rest of the film (which runs just under two hours), is dedicated to the famous Dreyfus affiar. The Dreyfus affair is an incident in which honest and hardworking Capt. Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut) was used as a scapegoat for a massive intelligence leak in the French armys general staff, presumably just because he was Jewish. A few years after Dreyfus had been sent to languish on 'Devils Island' the Army chief of intelligence came upon new evidence that cleared the captain and identified the real culprit. However fearing the damage this revelation might inflict upon the reputation of the general staff, and the glory of the army, the officer to uncover this information ( I think he was played by Henry O'Neil) was silenced and the real offender cleared.
Zola who by the time of these events was an old man, was at first reluctantly drug into Dreyfus defense by the convicts wife (Gale Sondergaard). Emile however would eventually became such a champion of the wrongly accused officer that he would allow himself to go on trail for 'publicly liabling' the general staff, in order to clear his name. Zola would eventually face prison time for his actions, but fled into exile in England (despite a strong distaste for any cold climate) where he continued to lobby for Dreyfus through his writings, something which ultamilty proved successful. The court room scenes in this drama are stirring and Muni expertly delivers a couple great Zola monologues. A largely forgotten (for a best picture winner) classic film about a largely forgotten great man, this movie is certenly worth seeing. The films message about the dangers of overly secretive military justice, and the damages that can be done when any organization thinks it can do no wrong, couldn't be more timely. Zola's wife is played here by Gloria Holden, an actress best known for playing Draculas daughter in the movie of the same name.
Love Actually (2003)
7/9/06
A friend of mine once described the movie Love Actually to me as Crash if it were a romantic comedy. I'd be hard pressed to provide a better little description of the film, everything else I can think of to describe it sounds like, well, blurbs of praise you'd put on the poster or DVD box. Love Actually is quite simply a joyous film, a celebration of all things love. There are about nine major stories going on throughout and you skip back and forth between them and over time see how many of them connect. There is so much going on in the film that I'm not even going to try and cover it, instead I refer you to this wikipedia entry, that is if you don't mind spoilers. But better yet just see the film and enjoy, it is deservidly rated R so know that going in, but the emotional core of the film as reveled in a roughly 35 minute end sequence set on Christmas eve is well worth it.
A friend of mine once described the movie Love Actually to me as Crash if it were a romantic comedy. I'd be hard pressed to provide a better little description of the film, everything else I can think of to describe it sounds like, well, blurbs of praise you'd put on the poster or DVD box. Love Actually is quite simply a joyous film, a celebration of all things love. There are about nine major stories going on throughout and you skip back and forth between them and over time see how many of them connect. There is so much going on in the film that I'm not even going to try and cover it, instead I refer you to this wikipedia entry, that is if you don't mind spoilers. But better yet just see the film and enjoy, it is deservidly rated R so know that going in, but the emotional core of the film as reveled in a roughly 35 minute end sequence set on Christmas eve is well worth it.
Eulogy (2004)
7/6/06
The Dredge family reunion is this weekend and I will be unable to attend, however I do have Eulogy to act as my substitute. Acutely compared with the Collins clan from this 2004 film, my extended family seems relatively normal, no lesbians or drug addicts there that I know of. Eulogy concerns the gathering together of a large and disfunctional family for the funeral of there patriarch Edmund (Rip Torn, seen as a corpse, in flashbacks, and in a video will). There are other movies built around this same sort of concept, and it seems that the creative powers that be thought that if they brought enough quirky characters together the thing would write its self. It is a fair picture for the first hour and then comes together in a satisfying (and of course quirky) way at the end, when Edmund's big secret is reveled.
Eulogy does have the virtue of containing one of the greatest casts of second teer celebrities ever assembled in one film. The anchoring character is Kate Collins, played by the lovely Zooey Deschanel, she is also one of the sanest figures in the movie. Jesse Bradford (who had an enjoyable extended guest shot on the 5th season of West Wing) plays Ryan Carmichael, Kate's childhood best friend and potential love interest. Hank Azaria is Kate's father Daniel, he is perhaps the most normal of the Edmunds progeny, a one time childhood spoaksperson for a peanut butter company now reduced to playing the non-sexual roles in porn movies. The great Piper Laurie is the suicidal widow Charlotte, Debra Winger her controlling oldest daughter, and Kelly Preston her youngest. Ray Romano plays the other son, Skip who is a barely competent lawyer raising twin delinquent boys Fred and Ted (Curtis and Keith Garcia). Also featured are Glenne Headly, Famke Janssen, Rance Howard, and Rene Auberjonois as the family parson who doesn't seem to really know anything about the family. This movie rates probably about 2 1/2 stars and is one you see primarily for the cast, be warned however this family comedy is hardly appropriate family viewing.
The Dredge family reunion is this weekend and I will be unable to attend, however I do have Eulogy to act as my substitute. Acutely compared with the Collins clan from this 2004 film, my extended family seems relatively normal, no lesbians or drug addicts there that I know of. Eulogy concerns the gathering together of a large and disfunctional family for the funeral of there patriarch Edmund (Rip Torn, seen as a corpse, in flashbacks, and in a video will). There are other movies built around this same sort of concept, and it seems that the creative powers that be thought that if they brought enough quirky characters together the thing would write its self. It is a fair picture for the first hour and then comes together in a satisfying (and of course quirky) way at the end, when Edmund's big secret is reveled.
Eulogy does have the virtue of containing one of the greatest casts of second teer celebrities ever assembled in one film. The anchoring character is Kate Collins, played by the lovely Zooey Deschanel, she is also one of the sanest figures in the movie. Jesse Bradford (who had an enjoyable extended guest shot on the 5th season of West Wing) plays Ryan Carmichael, Kate's childhood best friend and potential love interest. Hank Azaria is Kate's father Daniel, he is perhaps the most normal of the Edmunds progeny, a one time childhood spoaksperson for a peanut butter company now reduced to playing the non-sexual roles in porn movies. The great Piper Laurie is the suicidal widow Charlotte, Debra Winger her controlling oldest daughter, and Kelly Preston her youngest. Ray Romano plays the other son, Skip who is a barely competent lawyer raising twin delinquent boys Fred and Ted (Curtis and Keith Garcia). Also featured are Glenne Headly, Famke Janssen, Rance Howard, and Rene Auberjonois as the family parson who doesn't seem to really know anything about the family. This movie rates probably about 2 1/2 stars and is one you see primarily for the cast, be warned however this family comedy is hardly appropriate family viewing.
The Prairire Home Companion (2006)
7/6/06
Stylistically in the Altman realm while at the same time quite true to its source material, A Prairie Home Companion is doubtlessly one of the more unusual mass-market releases of 2006. A movie adaptation of something you might at first think unfilmable, Prairie brings to the screen Garrison Kellers long running public radio series within a semi-fictitious context. The premise of the movie is that the elderly couple who have long produced 'Prairie Home Companion' are retiring and have sold out to a large Texas corporation, which is sending its representative (Tommy Lee Jones as a born-again 'Axeman') up to Minnesota to shut down the program, and turn its base of operations (the historic Fitzgerald Theater) into a parking lot.
The action of the movie takes place just before and during the broadcast of what is likely to be the final episode of APHC, alternating between what's 'on the air' and various goings on back stage, there is also a brief less then five minute long epilogue to the film that takes place several years later. Like a highly scaled back and condensed version of Altmans Nashville the film follows a group of about 10 central characters most of which are played by big-name stars. Keillor plays himself in the film and many of the radio shows regulars also appear as themselves, including Tom Keith the programs trademark sound effects guy. Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep play Rhonda and Yolanda Johnson, sisters who are all thats left of a 'Carter family'-type musical group. Lindsy Lohan plays Yolanda's death-obsesed daughter Lola. John C. Reilly and Woody Harrelson are Lefty and Dusty, two cowboy singers who enjoy slightly risquey lyrics. Maya Rudolph from SNL is a pregnet production assistant named Molly, and Virginia Madsen is a deceased former fan of the show who has returned as an 'angel of death' to claim the life of elderly singer Chuck Akers (L. Q. Jones). Kevin Kline plays the radio programs 'Guy Noir' character as a real person, forced to give up detecting (due to lack of clients) and serve as head of security for the program.This movie is slow and not for everyone, if you don't like Kellers radio program then watching this movie would only put you through 105 minutes of hell. I however did like, if not love the picture, and left the theater feeling quite reflective. A Prairie Home Companion is a reflection on death, both literal and figurative, and is one of the most melancholy films made in years.
Stylistically in the Altman realm while at the same time quite true to its source material, A Prairie Home Companion is doubtlessly one of the more unusual mass-market releases of 2006. A movie adaptation of something you might at first think unfilmable, Prairie brings to the screen Garrison Kellers long running public radio series within a semi-fictitious context. The premise of the movie is that the elderly couple who have long produced 'Prairie Home Companion' are retiring and have sold out to a large Texas corporation, which is sending its representative (Tommy Lee Jones as a born-again 'Axeman') up to Minnesota to shut down the program, and turn its base of operations (the historic Fitzgerald Theater) into a parking lot.
The action of the movie takes place just before and during the broadcast of what is likely to be the final episode of APHC, alternating between what's 'on the air' and various goings on back stage, there is also a brief less then five minute long epilogue to the film that takes place several years later. Like a highly scaled back and condensed version of Altmans Nashville the film follows a group of about 10 central characters most of which are played by big-name stars. Keillor plays himself in the film and many of the radio shows regulars also appear as themselves, including Tom Keith the programs trademark sound effects guy. Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep play Rhonda and Yolanda Johnson, sisters who are all thats left of a 'Carter family'-type musical group. Lindsy Lohan plays Yolanda's death-obsesed daughter Lola. John C. Reilly and Woody Harrelson are Lefty and Dusty, two cowboy singers who enjoy slightly risquey lyrics. Maya Rudolph from SNL is a pregnet production assistant named Molly, and Virginia Madsen is a deceased former fan of the show who has returned as an 'angel of death' to claim the life of elderly singer Chuck Akers (L. Q. Jones). Kevin Kline plays the radio programs 'Guy Noir' character as a real person, forced to give up detecting (due to lack of clients) and serve as head of security for the program.This movie is slow and not for everyone, if you don't like Kellers radio program then watching this movie would only put you through 105 minutes of hell. I however did like, if not love the picture, and left the theater feeling quite reflective. A Prairie Home Companion is a reflection on death, both literal and figurative, and is one of the most melancholy films made in years.
Gilmore Girls: Season 2 (2001-2002)
7/6/06
"Oy with the poodle's already", last night I finished Gilmore Girls season two. What more can I say about the program that I haven't said about the first season, its just a really enjoyable show, richly developed, witty, full of likeable characters, and totaly enveloping. The first disc or so pretty much wraps up the major lose strings from last season, most notable of which is Lorelai's (Lauren Graham) brief engagement to Rory's (Alexis Bledel) teacher Max Medina (Scott Cohen). The narrative thrust of this season is largely focused on Lukes troubled nephew Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia) and a well handled love triangle that develops between him Rory and Dean (Jared Padalecki). This is also the season of the Edward Herrmann characters brief retirement and return to the business world as an insurance consultant. Gilmore Girls season 2 builds well on the first and has me excited about the third.
"Oy with the poodle's already", last night I finished Gilmore Girls season two. What more can I say about the program that I haven't said about the first season, its just a really enjoyable show, richly developed, witty, full of likeable characters, and totaly enveloping. The first disc or so pretty much wraps up the major lose strings from last season, most notable of which is Lorelai's (Lauren Graham) brief engagement to Rory's (Alexis Bledel) teacher Max Medina (Scott Cohen). The narrative thrust of this season is largely focused on Lukes troubled nephew Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia) and a well handled love triangle that develops between him Rory and Dean (Jared Padalecki). This is also the season of the Edward Herrmann characters brief retirement and return to the business world as an insurance consultant. Gilmore Girls season 2 builds well on the first and has me excited about the third.
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
7/2/06
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is based (apparently quite loosely) on the cartoons of David Low, and chronicles the 40+ year military career of officer Clive Candy. Roger Livesey gives a strong endearing performance as the career officer, aided by one of the most convincing make-up jobs of character aging I've ever seen in a film, from any period. Life and Death was the first Technicolor spectacle from the production team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (here after known as P&P), a writing and directing partnership that the New Yorker magazine has accurately described as "purveyors of high kitsch". While in form the film might seem an odd composite of the comic and mellowdramatic, it's acutely quite a moving story that explores a large tapestry of themes including aging, love, friendship, ethics & warfair, as well as the long and complicated history of German/English relations. Anton Walbrook plays Clives old friend Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff, a German character who is incredibly nuanced for one found in a World War Two era film. Deborah Kerr (a P&P favorite) plays three roles in the film, all expressions of Clives ideal female type. Presented in P&P's fanciful style Colonel Blimp is The Red Shoes for men.
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is based (apparently quite loosely) on the cartoons of David Low, and chronicles the 40+ year military career of officer Clive Candy. Roger Livesey gives a strong endearing performance as the career officer, aided by one of the most convincing make-up jobs of character aging I've ever seen in a film, from any period. Life and Death was the first Technicolor spectacle from the production team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (here after known as P&P), a writing and directing partnership that the New Yorker magazine has accurately described as "purveyors of high kitsch". While in form the film might seem an odd composite of the comic and mellowdramatic, it's acutely quite a moving story that explores a large tapestry of themes including aging, love, friendship, ethics & warfair, as well as the long and complicated history of German/English relations. Anton Walbrook plays Clives old friend Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff, a German character who is incredibly nuanced for one found in a World War Two era film. Deborah Kerr (a P&P favorite) plays three roles in the film, all expressions of Clives ideal female type. Presented in P&P's fanciful style Colonel Blimp is The Red Shoes for men.
The Big One (1997), Michael Moore Hates America (2004)
7/2/06
Michael Moore is one of the most polarizing figures in America today, in fact he's right up there with the president. This weekend I took a look at Moore from two different perspectives, his own, and that of a surprisingly good tempered critic named Michael Wilson. I watched two documentaries, Moores own The Big One, and Wilsons Michael Moore Hates America.
The Big One was the last of Moores feature length documentaries that I had yet to see, it is also very representative of his work and style containing his trademark populist activism, satirical humor, and own narrative centrality to his films. The Big One chronicles Moores 1996 book tour for his New York Times best seller Down Size This, as well as the aftermath of events initated there-in. Moore hops around the country cheering a surprising number of down trodden Americans and confronting powerful figures and corporations from Leaf Candies, to Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, to Nike chairman Phil Knight (one of the few executives ever willing to face Mr. Moore on camera). He laments a corporate America that in its 90's heyday was making record profits and downsizing blue collar works across the country. Moore has always been good at projecting an empathy towards people who find themselves trapped in his version of Edwards America, and despite his often being characterized as a near monster by some I think he truly is sincere. In the mostly pro-Moore film This Divided State Michael is also seen as very loving to those with whom he shares common cause, but capable of being caustic and dismissive towards those with whom he disagrees (though I'd still rather spend time with him then Sean Hannity). This all brings me to that other side of Michael Moore and the other documentary here in review.
Michael Moore Hates America is a 2004 film by young director Michael Wilson, who like Moore hails form the American mid-west. The title is meant to be ironic, a commentary on how vitriolic the political debate has become in this country. It is doubtful that Wilson ever thought that Moore really hated America, he just has some political disagreements with him that seem to flow from a libertarian perspective. In fact Wilson honors Moore by copying his style, though he is not as confrontational as, and seemingly more laid back then, 'the man from Flint'. Speaking of Flint, in the course of his film Wilson is able to confirm that Moore in fact did not grow up in that town which was once named the worst city in America, But rather was raised and attended school in the neighboring, and more prosperous suburb of Davison Michigan. Wilson does visit Flint and finds its a town in slow recovery, with members of the community expresseing a hopeful optimism and people starting to move back into town. The director/host does however go to pains to show things in an honest manner, admitting and apologizing on tape for several instances in which he was deceptive in landing interviews or gaining footage, perhaps realizing how easy it can be to become manipulative within the 'Moore' documentary format. Luckily he had Penn Jillette to keep him honest.
Michael Moore Hates America is essentially a follow up on many of the claims and persons presented in Moores documentary features, including Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 911. It also contains a Roger & Me like quest, ultimately unsuccessful, to land an interview with Moore, an endeavor that casts the liberal film maker in the role of the 'detached bigwig' that he frequently derides. The film is also interspersed with interviews with various talking heads ranging from What's So Great About America author Dinesh D'Souza, to former congressman J. C. Watts of Oklahoma, to the well respected documentary film maker Albert Maysles (who utters one of the funniest lines in the film). The only major fault with the film I can think of is the long distance psycho-analysis of Mr. Moore offered by some lawyer, he may be correct but it would have sounded better coming from someone with real credentials in that field.
In terms of a summation of my thoughts about Mr. Moore, I must again re-state that I think he is a sincere and compassionate guy, but also one of those people who can easily justify being manipulative if he thinks he's right. Michael Moore Hates America does a good job of exposing several instances of Michaels selective editing, but Fahrenhype 911 provides a more complete picture of his techniques in regards to the mans most famous picture, although that film has its own quite obvious political agenda. While Wilson is of course trying to prove a point, it is Moore who is truly manipulative (though not particularly so in The Big One, as opposed to his later work), and I think it is his strong tendency towards deceptive editing that is the mans great sin.
Michael Moore is one of the most polarizing figures in America today, in fact he's right up there with the president. This weekend I took a look at Moore from two different perspectives, his own, and that of a surprisingly good tempered critic named Michael Wilson. I watched two documentaries, Moores own The Big One, and Wilsons Michael Moore Hates America.
The Big One was the last of Moores feature length documentaries that I had yet to see, it is also very representative of his work and style containing his trademark populist activism, satirical humor, and own narrative centrality to his films. The Big One chronicles Moores 1996 book tour for his New York Times best seller Down Size This, as well as the aftermath of events initated there-in. Moore hops around the country cheering a surprising number of down trodden Americans and confronting powerful figures and corporations from Leaf Candies, to Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, to Nike chairman Phil Knight (one of the few executives ever willing to face Mr. Moore on camera). He laments a corporate America that in its 90's heyday was making record profits and downsizing blue collar works across the country. Moore has always been good at projecting an empathy towards people who find themselves trapped in his version of Edwards America, and despite his often being characterized as a near monster by some I think he truly is sincere. In the mostly pro-Moore film This Divided State Michael is also seen as very loving to those with whom he shares common cause, but capable of being caustic and dismissive towards those with whom he disagrees (though I'd still rather spend time with him then Sean Hannity). This all brings me to that other side of Michael Moore and the other documentary here in review.
Michael Moore Hates America is a 2004 film by young director Michael Wilson, who like Moore hails form the American mid-west. The title is meant to be ironic, a commentary on how vitriolic the political debate has become in this country. It is doubtful that Wilson ever thought that Moore really hated America, he just has some political disagreements with him that seem to flow from a libertarian perspective. In fact Wilson honors Moore by copying his style, though he is not as confrontational as, and seemingly more laid back then, 'the man from Flint'. Speaking of Flint, in the course of his film Wilson is able to confirm that Moore in fact did not grow up in that town which was once named the worst city in America, But rather was raised and attended school in the neighboring, and more prosperous suburb of Davison Michigan. Wilson does visit Flint and finds its a town in slow recovery, with members of the community expresseing a hopeful optimism and people starting to move back into town. The director/host does however go to pains to show things in an honest manner, admitting and apologizing on tape for several instances in which he was deceptive in landing interviews or gaining footage, perhaps realizing how easy it can be to become manipulative within the 'Moore' documentary format. Luckily he had Penn Jillette to keep him honest.
Michael Moore Hates America is essentially a follow up on many of the claims and persons presented in Moores documentary features, including Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 911. It also contains a Roger & Me like quest, ultimately unsuccessful, to land an interview with Moore, an endeavor that casts the liberal film maker in the role of the 'detached bigwig' that he frequently derides. The film is also interspersed with interviews with various talking heads ranging from What's So Great About America author Dinesh D'Souza, to former congressman J. C. Watts of Oklahoma, to the well respected documentary film maker Albert Maysles (who utters one of the funniest lines in the film). The only major fault with the film I can think of is the long distance psycho-analysis of Mr. Moore offered by some lawyer, he may be correct but it would have sounded better coming from someone with real credentials in that field.
In terms of a summation of my thoughts about Mr. Moore, I must again re-state that I think he is a sincere and compassionate guy, but also one of those people who can easily justify being manipulative if he thinks he's right. Michael Moore Hates America does a good job of exposing several instances of Michaels selective editing, but Fahrenhype 911 provides a more complete picture of his techniques in regards to the mans most famous picture, although that film has its own quite obvious political agenda. While Wilson is of course trying to prove a point, it is Moore who is truly manipulative (though not particularly so in The Big One, as opposed to his later work), and I think it is his strong tendency towards deceptive editing that is the mans great sin.
Friday, June 29, 2007
The Prestige (2006)
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Summers Lease (1989)
6/24/06
From the novel by John Mortimer (of Rumpole of the Bailey fame) comes the late 80's BBC mini-series Summers Lease. Part travel log, part domestic drama, and part mystery, Summers Lease is the story of an eventfully August that the Pargeter family spends on vacation in a Tuscan villa. Amid touring, marital problems between Molly (Susan Fleetwood) and her boring husband Hugh (Michael Pennington), and the efforts of Mrs. Pargeters libidinous father Haverford Downs (a very spry 85 year-old John Gielgud) at rekindling a thirty years past relationship with a wealthy widow (Rosemary Leach), the wife and mother finds herself stumbling upon a nefarious plot. The mystery involves the villas absentee owners the Ketterings, and corruption at the local water authority. There is much wit and intrigue in this somewhat quirky yet very grounded production which also boasts a memorable theme by Nigel Hess. Mostley however it just adds to my jealousy of fictional characters who can afford to spend a month abroad. Gielguds performance as the aging magazine columnist (Jottings which he writes for 'The Informer') and died-in-the-wool socialist Haverford is what makes the whole thing truly memorable. Those familiar with Gielguds personal life will find the discussion on homosexual artists toward the end of the piece rather amusing.
From the novel by John Mortimer (of Rumpole of the Bailey fame) comes the late 80's BBC mini-series Summers Lease. Part travel log, part domestic drama, and part mystery, Summers Lease is the story of an eventfully August that the Pargeter family spends on vacation in a Tuscan villa. Amid touring, marital problems between Molly (Susan Fleetwood) and her boring husband Hugh (Michael Pennington), and the efforts of Mrs. Pargeters libidinous father Haverford Downs (a very spry 85 year-old John Gielgud) at rekindling a thirty years past relationship with a wealthy widow (Rosemary Leach), the wife and mother finds herself stumbling upon a nefarious plot. The mystery involves the villas absentee owners the Ketterings, and corruption at the local water authority. There is much wit and intrigue in this somewhat quirky yet very grounded production which also boasts a memorable theme by Nigel Hess. Mostley however it just adds to my jealousy of fictional characters who can afford to spend a month abroad. Gielguds performance as the aging magazine columnist (Jottings which he writes for 'The Informer') and died-in-the-wool socialist Haverford is what makes the whole thing truly memorable. Those familiar with Gielguds personal life will find the discussion on homosexual artists toward the end of the piece rather amusing.
Backstairs at the White House (1979)
6/24/06
From the golden age of the mini-series came Ed Friendly's production of Backstairs at the White House, a sort of epic sitting room drama based on the memories of Lillian Rogers Parks. In 1909 Lillians mother Maggie (Olivia Cole), separated from her alcoholic husband and trying to raise her polio stricken daughter and rambunctious young son, took a position in the White House domestic staff as a maid and hair stylist, a job that would come to dominate her family's lives. In time Lillian (Leslie Uggams) would come to work at the White House too as a seamstress and maid, while brother Emmett would be gased in World War One and spend most of his life in Arizona 'recovering'. The Rogers story and those of many of the staff are quite endearing, indeed it is the personal narrative that gives this production its continuity and much of its heart. However its the 'backstairs' look at the private lives of eight first family's that provides the hook for most viewers.
Backstairs view of the presidency is mostly romantic, though some first family's come of better then others, often not the ones you might expect. I found myself really liking the Tafts and while one could rightly argue they were in over there heads, they never the less seem like quality people. Nellie Taft (Julie Harris) was a bit of perfectionist, and the true force behind her husbands political aspirations, yet some one whom you can readily understand. President Taft (Victor Buono) was a jovial, and surprisingly humble fat man who really loved his wife and wanted to do well by his country, while never really enjoying the presidency. The Wilsons, whom I've been fans of since watching a mid-40's bio-pic of the man, come off less well then the Tafts. It takes a while for the White House staff to warm up to this old school master (Robert Vaughn) and the two wives he had in office. The first was Mrs. Ellen Wilson (Kim Hunter) who was truley a rock to her husband, one on which he so depended that he rather quickly remarried after her passing. The second Mrs. Wilson (Claire Bloom) was a surprising strong women, whom many accuse of essentially running the country after her husbands stroke in 1919.
When the Wilsons left in came the Hardings. Warren Harding (George Kennedy) is now considered to be one of the most notoriously corrupt presidents in our nations history, though while he was in office he was near universally beloved. Mrs. Florence Harding (Celeste Holm) was the kind of First Lady spirituallist we now associate with Nancy Reagan, as well as being some what dotty and slyly knowing of her husbands indiscretions. When president Harding died while on a cross country train trip, Mrs. Harding stayed in mourning in the White House for a couple of weeks before the Coolidges moved in. Grace Coolidge (Lee Grant) is considered in some circles to have been the perfect model of a first lady, and I've long thought that Mr. Coolidge (Ed Flanders) could have handled a major crises had one occurred during his tenure in office. The Coolidges are probably my favorite first family depicted in the series, they are out of Lynch with their eccentricitys, weird seemingly contradictory traits, and the truth of their emotions.
The Hoovers however where cold toward the staff (especially Mr. Hoover played by Larry Gates), and often acted detached from what was going on in the country, as witness their constant elaborite entertaning of guests. Mrs. Lou Hoover (Jan Sterling) even took to communicating with the staff largely through 'short-hand' hand gestures. The Roosevelts (John Anderson and Eileen Heckart) where saintly idealists out of a screwball comedy or George Kaufman play. They where followed by the down to earth Trumans, with Bess played by Estelle Parsons and Harry Morgan as the obvious casting choice for the president. Andrew Duggans president Eisenhower was kind enough if emotionally distant from the staff, while Barbara Barrie's Mamie Eisenhower was kind of nuts. Some Elders I served around on my mission briefly taught a former member of Mamie Eisenhowers White House staff, and apparently he said she was a drunk, I wouldn't doubt it.
Backstairs at the White House also stars Louis Gossett Jr., Leslie Nielsen, and Cloris Leachman as members of the White House staff. This was a truly enjoyable mini-series, and though it sounds a little corny I really was sad when it ended.
From the golden age of the mini-series came Ed Friendly's production of Backstairs at the White House, a sort of epic sitting room drama based on the memories of Lillian Rogers Parks. In 1909 Lillians mother Maggie (Olivia Cole), separated from her alcoholic husband and trying to raise her polio stricken daughter and rambunctious young son, took a position in the White House domestic staff as a maid and hair stylist, a job that would come to dominate her family's lives. In time Lillian (Leslie Uggams) would come to work at the White House too as a seamstress and maid, while brother Emmett would be gased in World War One and spend most of his life in Arizona 'recovering'. The Rogers story and those of many of the staff are quite endearing, indeed it is the personal narrative that gives this production its continuity and much of its heart. However its the 'backstairs' look at the private lives of eight first family's that provides the hook for most viewers.
Backstairs view of the presidency is mostly romantic, though some first family's come of better then others, often not the ones you might expect. I found myself really liking the Tafts and while one could rightly argue they were in over there heads, they never the less seem like quality people. Nellie Taft (Julie Harris) was a bit of perfectionist, and the true force behind her husbands political aspirations, yet some one whom you can readily understand. President Taft (Victor Buono) was a jovial, and surprisingly humble fat man who really loved his wife and wanted to do well by his country, while never really enjoying the presidency. The Wilsons, whom I've been fans of since watching a mid-40's bio-pic of the man, come off less well then the Tafts. It takes a while for the White House staff to warm up to this old school master (Robert Vaughn) and the two wives he had in office. The first was Mrs. Ellen Wilson (Kim Hunter) who was truley a rock to her husband, one on which he so depended that he rather quickly remarried after her passing. The second Mrs. Wilson (Claire Bloom) was a surprising strong women, whom many accuse of essentially running the country after her husbands stroke in 1919.
When the Wilsons left in came the Hardings. Warren Harding (George Kennedy) is now considered to be one of the most notoriously corrupt presidents in our nations history, though while he was in office he was near universally beloved. Mrs. Florence Harding (Celeste Holm) was the kind of First Lady spirituallist we now associate with Nancy Reagan, as well as being some what dotty and slyly knowing of her husbands indiscretions. When president Harding died while on a cross country train trip, Mrs. Harding stayed in mourning in the White House for a couple of weeks before the Coolidges moved in. Grace Coolidge (Lee Grant) is considered in some circles to have been the perfect model of a first lady, and I've long thought that Mr. Coolidge (Ed Flanders) could have handled a major crises had one occurred during his tenure in office. The Coolidges are probably my favorite first family depicted in the series, they are out of Lynch with their eccentricitys, weird seemingly contradictory traits, and the truth of their emotions.
The Hoovers however where cold toward the staff (especially Mr. Hoover played by Larry Gates), and often acted detached from what was going on in the country, as witness their constant elaborite entertaning of guests. Mrs. Lou Hoover (Jan Sterling) even took to communicating with the staff largely through 'short-hand' hand gestures. The Roosevelts (John Anderson and Eileen Heckart) where saintly idealists out of a screwball comedy or George Kaufman play. They where followed by the down to earth Trumans, with Bess played by Estelle Parsons and Harry Morgan as the obvious casting choice for the president. Andrew Duggans president Eisenhower was kind enough if emotionally distant from the staff, while Barbara Barrie's Mamie Eisenhower was kind of nuts. Some Elders I served around on my mission briefly taught a former member of Mamie Eisenhowers White House staff, and apparently he said she was a drunk, I wouldn't doubt it.
Backstairs at the White House also stars Louis Gossett Jr., Leslie Nielsen, and Cloris Leachman as members of the White House staff. This was a truly enjoyable mini-series, and though it sounds a little corny I really was sad when it ended.
Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song (2001)
6/20/06
More then her acting and singing careers, or even her admirable service entertaining Allied troops during World War Two, the aspect of the life of Marlene Dietrich that generalyl commands the most attention is her much discussed romantic exploits. While French actor Jean Gabin is perhaps her most well known lover, she is rumored to have been "intament" with a string 20th Century celebritys running the spectrum from General George S. Patton to actress Greta Garbo. It is this tablody conception of her life that receives some counterbalance from the documentary Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song, which focuses not on her romances or career, but her role in, and relationship to her native German culture. The daughter of a Prussian military officer Dietrich maintained her family discipline while simultaneously breaking with Germanic tradition in her unconvertible life style, and opposition to Nazism even in the movements early years in power. Far from a complete picture of its intriguing subjects life, Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song at least provides the service of bringing to light some of her more nobel, but increasingly forgotten qualities.
More then her acting and singing careers, or even her admirable service entertaining Allied troops during World War Two, the aspect of the life of Marlene Dietrich that generalyl commands the most attention is her much discussed romantic exploits. While French actor Jean Gabin is perhaps her most well known lover, she is rumored to have been "intament" with a string 20th Century celebritys running the spectrum from General George S. Patton to actress Greta Garbo. It is this tablody conception of her life that receives some counterbalance from the documentary Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song, which focuses not on her romances or career, but her role in, and relationship to her native German culture. The daughter of a Prussian military officer Dietrich maintained her family discipline while simultaneously breaking with Germanic tradition in her unconvertible life style, and opposition to Nazism even in the movements early years in power. Far from a complete picture of its intriguing subjects life, Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song at least provides the service of bringing to light some of her more nobel, but increasingly forgotten qualities.
The Exterminating Angel (1962)
6/16/06
So last Night Mia Farrow was guest programming on TCM, and selected the 1962 Mexican film The Exterminating Angel by director Luis Bunuel. When Farrow said that there was no other film out there like this, it peaked my interest and I decided to watch. The movie is a surrealist drama, or as I've decided to dub it, an existential horror movie, about roughly twenty guests at a dinner party who discover that they are unable to leave the room. Nothings physically blocking them, there is no forcefield or anything, but when anyone tires to leave they find they just can't bring themselves to pass the threshold. The same thing is going on on the outside, with no able to get themselves to go up to the door. Those in the room end up being stuck there for some time, and the film focuses on their physical and psychological decay, as well as the rooms for that matter. Quite interesting and worth seeing, runs about an hour and forty minutes.
So last Night Mia Farrow was guest programming on TCM, and selected the 1962 Mexican film The Exterminating Angel by director Luis Bunuel. When Farrow said that there was no other film out there like this, it peaked my interest and I decided to watch. The movie is a surrealist drama, or as I've decided to dub it, an existential horror movie, about roughly twenty guests at a dinner party who discover that they are unable to leave the room. Nothings physically blocking them, there is no forcefield or anything, but when anyone tires to leave they find they just can't bring themselves to pass the threshold. The same thing is going on on the outside, with no able to get themselves to go up to the door. Those in the room end up being stuck there for some time, and the film focuses on their physical and psychological decay, as well as the rooms for that matter. Quite interesting and worth seeing, runs about an hour and forty minutes.
Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
6/15/06
After several attempts to get an audio post to work that contains a few brief comments on the movie Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, I've decided to give up and simply type a few lines myself. Anyway, Were-Rabbit has some funny moments, especially the bunnies and the bunny vacuum, but as a feature it has a hard time sustaining itself. The early Wallace and Gromit shorts worked largely because of there fast pace and roughly half-hour running times. The movie version has about a half-hours worth of gags to it that are just run to long. The rest is that slower British comedy that just doesn't translate great to animation. This is for children and hard-core fans.
(Note: My audio commentary reviews of several films, can not easily be included on this blog so I am forgoing them. I might list there titles at a later time.)
After several attempts to get an audio post to work that contains a few brief comments on the movie Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, I've decided to give up and simply type a few lines myself. Anyway, Were-Rabbit has some funny moments, especially the bunnies and the bunny vacuum, but as a feature it has a hard time sustaining itself. The early Wallace and Gromit shorts worked largely because of there fast pace and roughly half-hour running times. The movie version has about a half-hours worth of gags to it that are just run to long. The rest is that slower British comedy that just doesn't translate great to animation. This is for children and hard-core fans.
(Note: My audio commentary reviews of several films, can not easily be included on this blog so I am forgoing them. I might list there titles at a later time.)
Batman Begins (2005)
6/13/06
Director Christopher Nolans surprisingly grounded re-imaging of the dark knight in Batman Begins, is preciously what the franchise needed. More realistic and honest then any previous cinematic offering of the capped crusader, Batman Begins is pretty smart for a summer superhero movie. Though it spends it first hour re-hashing back story, its done in a fairly satisfying way, in fact when you think about it we've never really been given a lot of Batman back story in a movie. Most of what I know of Bruce Waynes youthful saga comes from the above par 1990's animated version, to which Begins bares more tonal resemblance then to the other Batman films. The picture boasts an impressive cast, though none of them are really stretching any acting muscles. I liked this Batman, and think there's a lot of potential in a sequel.
Director Christopher Nolans surprisingly grounded re-imaging of the dark knight in Batman Begins, is preciously what the franchise needed. More realistic and honest then any previous cinematic offering of the capped crusader, Batman Begins is pretty smart for a summer superhero movie. Though it spends it first hour re-hashing back story, its done in a fairly satisfying way, in fact when you think about it we've never really been given a lot of Batman back story in a movie. Most of what I know of Bruce Waynes youthful saga comes from the above par 1990's animated version, to which Begins bares more tonal resemblance then to the other Batman films. The picture boasts an impressive cast, though none of them are really stretching any acting muscles. I liked this Batman, and think there's a lot of potential in a sequel.
Imitation of Life (1934), Imitation of Life (1959)
6/8/06
Universals two-sided DVD release of both film adaptations of Fannie Hursts novel Imitation of Life, provides a great opportunity to compare and contrast times and styles for the 'picturization' of a work of literature. The novel itself is the story of two single mothers, one white, one black, their friendship, and the sacrifices they made for their daughters. From what I can gather from both films the novel was probably quite progressive for its time, though some elements would now doubtless seem retrograde.The 1934 version of the film is my favorite of the two, it was truer to the novel and lacked some of the harshness of the 59 version. In this first film adaptation (directed by John M. Stahl), the never disappointing Claudette Colbert is Beatrice 'Bea' Pullman, recently widowed from a husband who had been picked by her father, she is just barely scraping by peddling the maple syrup her late spouse sold. Louise Beavers is Delilah Johnson, a stereotypical 'Mammy' figure who shows up at Bea's backdoor, having misread the address for a job interview. Though she can't really afford it, Bea takes Delilah and her very light skinned daughter Peola, in to live with her and her daughter Jessie.
Eventually Bea is able to take Delilah's pancake recipe and use it to launch a restaurant, and later with the help of a derelict/entrepreneur named Elmer Smith (Ned Sparks, who I now believe is who David Lynch was doing an impression of in his characterization of Gordon Cole for the Twin Peaks TV series), create a successful corporation that boxes the mix. While I'm very impressed with some of the issues that the film delt with in 1934, certain elements are so out dated as to make one uncomfortable. For example in true 'mammy style', even when the success of her pancake mix entitles Delilah to a small fortune, she prefers to stay on living with 'Ms. Bea'. Of course I could go on for some time talking about the ways in which this Imitation is a racial through back, and designed to minimize the potential discomfort of a white audience, but still considering its time it was a step forward, and still and effective story.
The 1959 version was director Douglas Sirks last Hollywood film. Sirk, who had risen from semi-obscurity to name recognition with a series of lavish technicolor romances, is working with a highly altered version of the story that fits in that category. There are many repeated elements, and some repeated scenes, but the course of action is all together different from the original. This time Lana Turner is Lora Meredith, and Juanita Moore plays Annie Johnson as a good deal less of a charactcher then Beavers Delilah. Here the set up is similar, but Lora is an aspiring New York actress who eventually makes it big, and Annie is less responsible for her success.
Of course both films largely focus on the daughters stories in their second halfs. Jessie/Susie falls in love with the one man who truly sets 'their' mothers heart on fire, in both cases his name is Steven Archer, but both films 'resolve' the situation differently. In the 34' version Steven is an Ichtiologist, played by the theatrical looking Warren William. In the 1959 adaptation Steven (John Gavin) is a fustrated photographer turned advertising executive.
The plot involving Mrs. Johnsons daughter has to do with her light skin, and a desire from earliest childhood to be 'white'. In both versions she is capable of "passing" to use the parlance of the times, and fustrated whenever her mother gives her away by showing up at an inopportune time. In Sirks version Sarah Jane, as she is called, is played for sex appeal by the 'developed' Susan Kohner, in 34' she is a morose Fredi Washington and slightly more likeable. The Johnson girl gets her big scene at the end in both pictures, its perhaps the most memorable moment of each but seems less believable and more out of nowhere in its second rendering.
Both Imitations of Life of are good, but if you have to pick just one see the original. For a good introduction to Douglas Sirks work see All That Heaven Allows.
Universals two-sided DVD release of both film adaptations of Fannie Hursts novel Imitation of Life, provides a great opportunity to compare and contrast times and styles for the 'picturization' of a work of literature. The novel itself is the story of two single mothers, one white, one black, their friendship, and the sacrifices they made for their daughters. From what I can gather from both films the novel was probably quite progressive for its time, though some elements would now doubtless seem retrograde.The 1934 version of the film is my favorite of the two, it was truer to the novel and lacked some of the harshness of the 59 version. In this first film adaptation (directed by John M. Stahl), the never disappointing Claudette Colbert is Beatrice 'Bea' Pullman, recently widowed from a husband who had been picked by her father, she is just barely scraping by peddling the maple syrup her late spouse sold. Louise Beavers is Delilah Johnson, a stereotypical 'Mammy' figure who shows up at Bea's backdoor, having misread the address for a job interview. Though she can't really afford it, Bea takes Delilah and her very light skinned daughter Peola, in to live with her and her daughter Jessie.
Eventually Bea is able to take Delilah's pancake recipe and use it to launch a restaurant, and later with the help of a derelict/entrepreneur named Elmer Smith (Ned Sparks, who I now believe is who David Lynch was doing an impression of in his characterization of Gordon Cole for the Twin Peaks TV series), create a successful corporation that boxes the mix. While I'm very impressed with some of the issues that the film delt with in 1934, certain elements are so out dated as to make one uncomfortable. For example in true 'mammy style', even when the success of her pancake mix entitles Delilah to a small fortune, she prefers to stay on living with 'Ms. Bea'. Of course I could go on for some time talking about the ways in which this Imitation is a racial through back, and designed to minimize the potential discomfort of a white audience, but still considering its time it was a step forward, and still and effective story.
The 1959 version was director Douglas Sirks last Hollywood film. Sirk, who had risen from semi-obscurity to name recognition with a series of lavish technicolor romances, is working with a highly altered version of the story that fits in that category. There are many repeated elements, and some repeated scenes, but the course of action is all together different from the original. This time Lana Turner is Lora Meredith, and Juanita Moore plays Annie Johnson as a good deal less of a charactcher then Beavers Delilah. Here the set up is similar, but Lora is an aspiring New York actress who eventually makes it big, and Annie is less responsible for her success.
Of course both films largely focus on the daughters stories in their second halfs. Jessie/Susie falls in love with the one man who truly sets 'their' mothers heart on fire, in both cases his name is Steven Archer, but both films 'resolve' the situation differently. In the 34' version Steven is an Ichtiologist, played by the theatrical looking Warren William. In the 1959 adaptation Steven (John Gavin) is a fustrated photographer turned advertising executive.
The plot involving Mrs. Johnsons daughter has to do with her light skin, and a desire from earliest childhood to be 'white'. In both versions she is capable of "passing" to use the parlance of the times, and fustrated whenever her mother gives her away by showing up at an inopportune time. In Sirks version Sarah Jane, as she is called, is played for sex appeal by the 'developed' Susan Kohner, in 34' she is a morose Fredi Washington and slightly more likeable. The Johnson girl gets her big scene at the end in both pictures, its perhaps the most memorable moment of each but seems less believable and more out of nowhere in its second rendering.
Both Imitations of Life of are good, but if you have to pick just one see the original. For a good introduction to Douglas Sirks work see All That Heaven Allows.
Kiss Me, Stupid (1964)
6/5/06
The Billy Wilder comedy Kiss Me, Stupid is a middling entry in the directors cannon, and a film that generated some degree of ill-will against its creator in the Hollywood community. Enough people found this lightly tawdry comedy objectionable, that Wilder later commented that he made sure that his next film, the 1966 Matthau/Lemmon pairing The Fortune Cookie, have a fairly straight forward moral along conventional lines. But back to Stupid.
Kiss Me, Stupid stars Ray Walston and Cliff Osmond as a piano teacher (Orville J. Spooner) and service station operator (Barney Milsap) respectively. The two men live in the small town of Climax, Nevada (yes Wilder intended the name to have a double meaning), where they collaborate on song composition in their spare time, hoping to one day make it big. An opportunity to do just that comes along when a popular singer(Dean Martin who is playing a stereotyped version of himself, though in the film he is always referred to by his nickname of 'Dino') runs into some car trouble while passing through town.
With Dino being put up in Orville's house for the night while Barny 'fixes' his 'broken' car, the two anticipate having an easy time forcing the crooner to listen to their tunes, which they are sure he will love. However the sex-manic singer is more interested in finding a little action in the form of Mrs. Spooner, whose black negligee he stumbles upon, then in discovering new compositional talent. So Barny comes up with the idea of replacing Orville's wife Zelda (Mrs. Jack Lemon, Felicia Farr) for the night with Polly the Pistol (Kim Novak), a prostitute/waitress who works at towns only night spot. Mel Blanc also appears in a small cameo as Mrs. Spooners dentist.
The film contains all the standard Wilder/Diamond characters types, the schemer (Osmond), the dreamer (Walston), the womanizer (Martin), the prostitute with the heart of gold (Novak), and the idealized women (Farr). While all the pieces are there its still pretty mechanical, I mean I enjoyed it, it didn't disappoint, but it contained nothing the director hadn't done better in an earlier film. Compared to Wilders some what similar theatrical release of the previous year, that lost gem of a comedy that is Irma La Douce, Kiss Me, Stupid is merely an after thought.
The Billy Wilder comedy Kiss Me, Stupid is a middling entry in the directors cannon, and a film that generated some degree of ill-will against its creator in the Hollywood community. Enough people found this lightly tawdry comedy objectionable, that Wilder later commented that he made sure that his next film, the 1966 Matthau/Lemmon pairing The Fortune Cookie, have a fairly straight forward moral along conventional lines. But back to Stupid.
Kiss Me, Stupid stars Ray Walston and Cliff Osmond as a piano teacher (Orville J. Spooner) and service station operator (Barney Milsap) respectively. The two men live in the small town of Climax, Nevada (yes Wilder intended the name to have a double meaning), where they collaborate on song composition in their spare time, hoping to one day make it big. An opportunity to do just that comes along when a popular singer(Dean Martin who is playing a stereotyped version of himself, though in the film he is always referred to by his nickname of 'Dino') runs into some car trouble while passing through town.
With Dino being put up in Orville's house for the night while Barny 'fixes' his 'broken' car, the two anticipate having an easy time forcing the crooner to listen to their tunes, which they are sure he will love. However the sex-manic singer is more interested in finding a little action in the form of Mrs. Spooner, whose black negligee he stumbles upon, then in discovering new compositional talent. So Barny comes up with the idea of replacing Orville's wife Zelda (Mrs. Jack Lemon, Felicia Farr) for the night with Polly the Pistol (Kim Novak), a prostitute/waitress who works at towns only night spot. Mel Blanc also appears in a small cameo as Mrs. Spooners dentist.
The film contains all the standard Wilder/Diamond characters types, the schemer (Osmond), the dreamer (Walston), the womanizer (Martin), the prostitute with the heart of gold (Novak), and the idealized women (Farr). While all the pieces are there its still pretty mechanical, I mean I enjoyed it, it didn't disappoint, but it contained nothing the director hadn't done better in an earlier film. Compared to Wilders some what similar theatrical release of the previous year, that lost gem of a comedy that is Irma La Douce, Kiss Me, Stupid is merely an after thought.
24: Season 3 (2003-2004)
6/4/06
The 3rd season of Fox's 24 is generally considered its weakest. Now that doesn't mean its bad, it's just not as good as the others. I really didn't care for the first half of the season, they were trying to do something different, and I applaud them for that, but it just didn't quite work for me. Also the first eight hours of the President Palmer storyline ended to neatly. Anyways, this season does hold the distinction of having the only semi-humorous 24 sub-plot, namely the mysterious baby. That's really all I have to say about this season, looking forward to number four.
The 3rd season of Fox's 24 is generally considered its weakest. Now that doesn't mean its bad, it's just not as good as the others. I really didn't care for the first half of the season, they were trying to do something different, and I applaud them for that, but it just didn't quite work for me. Also the first eight hours of the President Palmer storyline ended to neatly. Anyways, this season does hold the distinction of having the only semi-humorous 24 sub-plot, namely the mysterious baby. That's really all I have to say about this season, looking forward to number four.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
6/1/06
It was for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, an adaptation of the novel by (the now recently deceased) Muriel Spark, that Maggie Smith won a completely deserved Academy Award. Set at a privet girls school in 1930's Scotland, the feature starts out like your standard, inspiring and unconventional teacher movie. For the first forty minutes or so the film is just that, and not overly good at it either. Brodie is quite extreme, and none of the girls are particularly likeable. But the plot takes a dark turn there after, focusing more on Jean Brodies complicated personal life and strained relationship with pupil Sandy (an impressive performance by young Pamela Franklin). Robert Stephens and Gordon Jackson play Jeans two love interests, while Celia Johnson is Miss Mackay, the headmistress who never liked Miss Brodie.
Brodie is an interesting character, who starts out the film a tad over the top, and stays that way throughout, though we do get to look deeper and deeper into her complicated soul as the movie progresses. To give you a sense of her oddness, lets look at her admiration for Fascism, she literally gushes about Mussolini throughout the film. Her support of the Fascists brings out a, shall we say, unconventinal combination of traits in her character. First off she fancies the brown shirts in a highley romanticiesd way, a by product I suppose, of the fact that she lives in her own intellectually self-indulgent world, divorced from reality. What she sees as a quirk that exemplifies her unconventionality, others see as disturbing and dangerous. Though she is set up in one way, we are meant to come and see her in another. Miss Jean Brodie is dangerous, and she should probably not be influencing children. Now while she says she has devoted her life to "her girls", even that phrasing reveals that it is really all about her in the end, even if she could never admit as much to herself. Don't get me wrong, you'll probably not hate Miss Brodie, mostly you'll just pity her. I did not like this movie at first, but it really hit me out of left field in the second half and I have to give it good marks, though like Miss Brodie this film is not for young children, so be advised.
It was for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, an adaptation of the novel by (the now recently deceased) Muriel Spark, that Maggie Smith won a completely deserved Academy Award. Set at a privet girls school in 1930's Scotland, the feature starts out like your standard, inspiring and unconventional teacher movie. For the first forty minutes or so the film is just that, and not overly good at it either. Brodie is quite extreme, and none of the girls are particularly likeable. But the plot takes a dark turn there after, focusing more on Jean Brodies complicated personal life and strained relationship with pupil Sandy (an impressive performance by young Pamela Franklin). Robert Stephens and Gordon Jackson play Jeans two love interests, while Celia Johnson is Miss Mackay, the headmistress who never liked Miss Brodie.
Brodie is an interesting character, who starts out the film a tad over the top, and stays that way throughout, though we do get to look deeper and deeper into her complicated soul as the movie progresses. To give you a sense of her oddness, lets look at her admiration for Fascism, she literally gushes about Mussolini throughout the film. Her support of the Fascists brings out a, shall we say, unconventinal combination of traits in her character. First off she fancies the brown shirts in a highley romanticiesd way, a by product I suppose, of the fact that she lives in her own intellectually self-indulgent world, divorced from reality. What she sees as a quirk that exemplifies her unconventionality, others see as disturbing and dangerous. Though she is set up in one way, we are meant to come and see her in another. Miss Jean Brodie is dangerous, and she should probably not be influencing children. Now while she says she has devoted her life to "her girls", even that phrasing reveals that it is really all about her in the end, even if she could never admit as much to herself. Don't get me wrong, you'll probably not hate Miss Brodie, mostly you'll just pity her. I did not like this movie at first, but it really hit me out of left field in the second half and I have to give it good marks, though like Miss Brodie this film is not for young children, so be advised.
Nashville (1975)
5/30/06
Just minutes ago I finished Robert Altmans Nashville, a film that I have wanted to see for some time but also viewed in preparation for the upcoming A Prairie Home Companion. Nashville is a sort of War and Peace of country music, a character study film with too many characters. Yet despite the brush confusion of the piece at the beginning, its many storylines fade away to reveil a hard to define whole that make provocative statements about politics, humanity, and America. I don't know if I'd say this movie is really my thing, I think I'll have to think and reflect on it some more, but I do recognize that its some kind of genius because I hated the first half of it (and this is a 2 hour and 40 minute long movie), but had achieved detente with it by the end. Never-the-less an important film of the 1970's. I am however a 'supporter' of Altmans Jack Tanner mini-series Tanner 88', and Tanner on Tanner, both of which star Michael Murphy who played a political consultant in Nashville.
Just minutes ago I finished Robert Altmans Nashville, a film that I have wanted to see for some time but also viewed in preparation for the upcoming A Prairie Home Companion. Nashville is a sort of War and Peace of country music, a character study film with too many characters. Yet despite the brush confusion of the piece at the beginning, its many storylines fade away to reveil a hard to define whole that make provocative statements about politics, humanity, and America. I don't know if I'd say this movie is really my thing, I think I'll have to think and reflect on it some more, but I do recognize that its some kind of genius because I hated the first half of it (and this is a 2 hour and 40 minute long movie), but had achieved detente with it by the end. Never-the-less an important film of the 1970's. I am however a 'supporter' of Altmans Jack Tanner mini-series Tanner 88', and Tanner on Tanner, both of which star Michael Murphy who played a political consultant in Nashville.
Gilmore Girls: Season 1 (2000-2001)
5/29/06
Now this is kind of embarising for me, but I'm coming out, I am a Gilmore Girls fan. I have a long history of flirting with this show (owing largely to its attractive leads and witty banter), wanting to watch it and then recoiling, thinking that somehow it would not be proper. First off the paly relationship between the lead mother and daughter characters of Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) Gilmore seemed kind of creepy to me, I mean didn't the Lewinski's having something similar going on when mother told daughter to 'save that dress.' That creepiness factor was re-enforced by a first season episode of Six Feet Under, which used a clip of the show playing in the background to reinforce the 'not-rightness' of the mother/daughter relationship of some Fisher cousins. However television is a world of suspended disbelief, and if the writing is good and the characters are interesting, I am willing to bend to their logic. Also I found out that a married friend of mine and his wife watch the program regularly and that made viewing it seem okay. So some time later I started watching some 4th season reruns on ABC Family, this occurred at about the same time that a wave of Gilmore interest swept my household, and its wasn't long before we owned the first two seasons on DVD.
This is my review of the first season, when the show was at the height of its freshness. Now while this program is a 'chick-flick' for television, it is also one of the last refuges of screwball comedy, and has the wittiest TV dialogue this side of Aaron Sorkin. Also it is set in one of those TV small towns that you just want to move to, Stars Hollow, Connecticut. I am a big fan of televisions quirky little municipalities from Evening Shade, Arkansas, to Sicily Alaska, and Twin Peaks, Washington inbetween. Stars Hollow has a large cast of recurring local eccentrics, but its host program is really anchored to its titles namesake the Gilmore Girls, Lorelai and Rory. Lorelai came from an upercrust New England establishment family involved in international business, she had an unhappy childhood with her largely absentee father Richard (Edward Herrmann) and domineering mother Emily (Kelly Bishop). At 16 she got 'with child', and as soon as she was old enough left home with her young daughter and took up both residence and employment at a historic Connecticut inn. The series takes up just under 16 years after Rorys birth (which was apparently in the fall of 1984), with Lorelai now managing the inn, and her daughter just acepted to a prestigious private school called Chilton.
The action of the series starts when Lorelai's parents agree to give their daughter the money she needs to send Rory to Chilton, in exchange for the eventual repayel of the cash and a bigger part in the two girls lives, manifested chiefly in mandatory Friday night dinners together. Aside from the intra-family elements of the program, much time is spent on the lead characters love lives, and with their friends and the wacky towns folks. Melissa McCarthy is Lorelais best friend Sookie, a cook at the inn, while Keiko Agena plays Rorys best friend Lane Kim, a closet rock and roll lover who bristles under the rule of her strict Seventh-day Adventist Korean parents (though we only ever see the mother). Scott Patterson is Luke Danes, Lorelai's apparent soul mate and owner of the local cafe, while Jared Padalecki is Dean Forrester, Rory's first boyfriend. Liza Weil is Rory's sometimes friend, sometimes nemesis Paris Geller, and Yanic Truesdale is Michel Gerard, a stereotypically rude French receptionist at the inn, who left France because he can not stand French people. Liz Torres is Miss Patty, a local dance instructor and one time Broadway star who is the first seasons featured wacky local.
Basically this is just a really fun show with unique sensibilities. It is loaded with obscure references courtesy of head writer and series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, who always manages to make her characters well rounded enough to avoid being cliches. Things progress in the series as they do in real life, and you are not returned to square one at the end of every episode. Though in recent years its viewership has fallen off somewhat, and many are unhappy with the direction the program has taken, at least in its early seasons it truly is a treasure and well worth the embarrassment that might come with watching.
Now this is kind of embarising for me, but I'm coming out, I am a Gilmore Girls fan. I have a long history of flirting with this show (owing largely to its attractive leads and witty banter), wanting to watch it and then recoiling, thinking that somehow it would not be proper. First off the paly relationship between the lead mother and daughter characters of Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) Gilmore seemed kind of creepy to me, I mean didn't the Lewinski's having something similar going on when mother told daughter to 'save that dress.' That creepiness factor was re-enforced by a first season episode of Six Feet Under, which used a clip of the show playing in the background to reinforce the 'not-rightness' of the mother/daughter relationship of some Fisher cousins. However television is a world of suspended disbelief, and if the writing is good and the characters are interesting, I am willing to bend to their logic. Also I found out that a married friend of mine and his wife watch the program regularly and that made viewing it seem okay. So some time later I started watching some 4th season reruns on ABC Family, this occurred at about the same time that a wave of Gilmore interest swept my household, and its wasn't long before we owned the first two seasons on DVD.
This is my review of the first season, when the show was at the height of its freshness. Now while this program is a 'chick-flick' for television, it is also one of the last refuges of screwball comedy, and has the wittiest TV dialogue this side of Aaron Sorkin. Also it is set in one of those TV small towns that you just want to move to, Stars Hollow, Connecticut. I am a big fan of televisions quirky little municipalities from Evening Shade, Arkansas, to Sicily Alaska, and Twin Peaks, Washington inbetween. Stars Hollow has a large cast of recurring local eccentrics, but its host program is really anchored to its titles namesake the Gilmore Girls, Lorelai and Rory. Lorelai came from an upercrust New England establishment family involved in international business, she had an unhappy childhood with her largely absentee father Richard (Edward Herrmann) and domineering mother Emily (Kelly Bishop). At 16 she got 'with child', and as soon as she was old enough left home with her young daughter and took up both residence and employment at a historic Connecticut inn. The series takes up just under 16 years after Rorys birth (which was apparently in the fall of 1984), with Lorelai now managing the inn, and her daughter just acepted to a prestigious private school called Chilton.
The action of the series starts when Lorelai's parents agree to give their daughter the money she needs to send Rory to Chilton, in exchange for the eventual repayel of the cash and a bigger part in the two girls lives, manifested chiefly in mandatory Friday night dinners together. Aside from the intra-family elements of the program, much time is spent on the lead characters love lives, and with their friends and the wacky towns folks. Melissa McCarthy is Lorelais best friend Sookie, a cook at the inn, while Keiko Agena plays Rorys best friend Lane Kim, a closet rock and roll lover who bristles under the rule of her strict Seventh-day Adventist Korean parents (though we only ever see the mother). Scott Patterson is Luke Danes, Lorelai's apparent soul mate and owner of the local cafe, while Jared Padalecki is Dean Forrester, Rory's first boyfriend. Liza Weil is Rory's sometimes friend, sometimes nemesis Paris Geller, and Yanic Truesdale is Michel Gerard, a stereotypically rude French receptionist at the inn, who left France because he can not stand French people. Liz Torres is Miss Patty, a local dance instructor and one time Broadway star who is the first seasons featured wacky local.
Basically this is just a really fun show with unique sensibilities. It is loaded with obscure references courtesy of head writer and series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, who always manages to make her characters well rounded enough to avoid being cliches. Things progress in the series as they do in real life, and you are not returned to square one at the end of every episode. Though in recent years its viewership has fallen off somewhat, and many are unhappy with the direction the program has taken, at least in its early seasons it truly is a treasure and well worth the embarrassment that might come with watching.
Night and Day (1946)
5/29/06
Night and Day is a white-washed musical biography of composer Cole Porter. As the real life of Mr. Porter was not fit for a mainstream motion picture of the 1940's, the writers obviously took plenty of liberty's in their screenplay. In fact in the more recent and true to life film about Porter, De-Lovely the characters comment about how inaccurate this film was. Having now sat throughout the movie I find yet further evidence to support Irving Berlins claim that with the exception of Yankee Doodle Dandy (and I suppose now Amadeus), every bio-film about a composer stinks. Cary Grant plays homosexual rake Porter as a heterosexual workaholic, and Alexis Smith plays the composite feeling Linda Lee Porter. Monty Woolley and Mary Martin play themselves in the film. Despite a wealth of strong musical material the only memorable production number in the thing is Begin the Beguine. A disappointment.
Night and Day is a white-washed musical biography of composer Cole Porter. As the real life of Mr. Porter was not fit for a mainstream motion picture of the 1940's, the writers obviously took plenty of liberty's in their screenplay. In fact in the more recent and true to life film about Porter, De-Lovely the characters comment about how inaccurate this film was. Having now sat throughout the movie I find yet further evidence to support Irving Berlins claim that with the exception of Yankee Doodle Dandy (and I suppose now Amadeus), every bio-film about a composer stinks. Cary Grant plays homosexual rake Porter as a heterosexual workaholic, and Alexis Smith plays the composite feeling Linda Lee Porter. Monty Woolley and Mary Martin play themselves in the film. Despite a wealth of strong musical material the only memorable production number in the thing is Begin the Beguine. A disappointment.
Flightplan (2005)
5/28/06
Flightplan stars Jodie Foster in an action heroin role as a recently widowed engineer returning to the U.S. from Germany with her young daughter and the body of her late husband. Of course she just happens to be flying across the Atlantic on a plane which she knows inside-out, and fall asleep long enough to awake and find that her daughter has disappeared Bunny Lake-like, with no one on board seeming to remember that the little girl was ever on the plane. The rest of the movie proceeds along fairly predictable lines, with Foster and co-star Peter Sarsgaard giving fine if not particularly remarkable performances. A fair to average film. For a better movie about an ex-patriot engineer with a young daughter, and a possible crises aboard a new airplane see the 1951 Jimmy Stewart feature No Highway in the Sky.
Flightplan stars Jodie Foster in an action heroin role as a recently widowed engineer returning to the U.S. from Germany with her young daughter and the body of her late husband. Of course she just happens to be flying across the Atlantic on a plane which she knows inside-out, and fall asleep long enough to awake and find that her daughter has disappeared Bunny Lake-like, with no one on board seeming to remember that the little girl was ever on the plane. The rest of the movie proceeds along fairly predictable lines, with Foster and co-star Peter Sarsgaard giving fine if not particularly remarkable performances. A fair to average film. For a better movie about an ex-patriot engineer with a young daughter, and a possible crises aboard a new airplane see the 1951 Jimmy Stewart feature No Highway in the Sky.
Elizabethtown (2005)
5/28/06
Elizabethtown wants to be a deep and meaningful movie populated by lovable characters, however sufficient time, resources, and creativity were not properly devoted in its developmental stages to make that so. Despite two likeable leads (Orlando Bloom, and Kirsten Dunst), and a strong supporting cast (Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Bruce McGill), this overly trite film never rises above the ho-hum. Here are some of its failing: Excessive use of songs to set mood. 'Quirky' characters seldom if ever rise above surface development. Every sequence in the film plays far to long. Lackluster and sappy narration by Bloom. The very presence of Jessica Biel (as well as under use of Judy Greer). Elizabethtown tries too hard but with to little thought. Sarandons performance however is deceptively good.
Elizabethtown wants to be a deep and meaningful movie populated by lovable characters, however sufficient time, resources, and creativity were not properly devoted in its developmental stages to make that so. Despite two likeable leads (Orlando Bloom, and Kirsten Dunst), and a strong supporting cast (Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Bruce McGill), this overly trite film never rises above the ho-hum. Here are some of its failing: Excessive use of songs to set mood. 'Quirky' characters seldom if ever rise above surface development. Every sequence in the film plays far to long. Lackluster and sappy narration by Bloom. The very presence of Jessica Biel (as well as under use of Judy Greer). Elizabethtown tries too hard but with to little thought. Sarandons performance however is deceptively good.
Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
5/27/06
Lucky Number Slevin. Though the critics have been divided about it, this is the best movie I've seen in the theater this year (granted I've only seen about five movies theatrically in the last five months, and its been a rather weak year for film). I knew next to nothing about the movie when I went into the theater and I think that really helped the experience for me, this is not a film you want explained to you it's one you just have to see to enjoy. To give away as little about the plot as possible while still setting the stage let me just say that it involves a feud between two mob bosses played by Morgan Freemen and Sir. Ben Kingsley, and the legacy of a fixed horse race from 1979. The movie employees unusual story structure and visuals (what's the deal with the wall-paper?), and has a very dry sense of humor in the first half, which gives way as the plot gets more intense. Freemen and Kingsly play their parts as embittered eccentrics, with Kingslys portrayal of the Jewish mob-boss bordering on light camp. Lucy Liu, who I've never found particularly attractive is quite appealing in her characterization of a cornier who plays love interest to main character Slevin Kelevra, who is played by Josh Hartnett one of todays few young leading men who I list in my 'do not hate' department. Bruce Willis and Stanley Tucci also star. This is a fun possibly Tarantino inspired caper film that brings the contemporary and 70's elements of the genera together quite enjoyably.
Lucky Number Slevin. Though the critics have been divided about it, this is the best movie I've seen in the theater this year (granted I've only seen about five movies theatrically in the last five months, and its been a rather weak year for film). I knew next to nothing about the movie when I went into the theater and I think that really helped the experience for me, this is not a film you want explained to you it's one you just have to see to enjoy. To give away as little about the plot as possible while still setting the stage let me just say that it involves a feud between two mob bosses played by Morgan Freemen and Sir. Ben Kingsley, and the legacy of a fixed horse race from 1979. The movie employees unusual story structure and visuals (what's the deal with the wall-paper?), and has a very dry sense of humor in the first half, which gives way as the plot gets more intense. Freemen and Kingsly play their parts as embittered eccentrics, with Kingslys portrayal of the Jewish mob-boss bordering on light camp. Lucy Liu, who I've never found particularly attractive is quite appealing in her characterization of a cornier who plays love interest to main character Slevin Kelevra, who is played by Josh Hartnett one of todays few young leading men who I list in my 'do not hate' department. Bruce Willis and Stanley Tucci also star. This is a fun possibly Tarantino inspired caper film that brings the contemporary and 70's elements of the genera together quite enjoyably.
They Drive by Night (1940)
5/23/06
Directed by Raoul Walsh and released in 1940 They Drive by Night is a hard to classify film. Starting out as a fairly straight forward drama about the hard life of truckers, by its second half its become almost noirish and the setting completly changed. In the film George Raft and Humphrey Bogart play the Fabrini brothers, freelance truck drivers just scraping by in life. When an accident destroys their truck and coasts Paul (Bogart) his arm, Joe's (Raft) friend Ed J. Carlson (Alan Hale Sr.) offers the less injured brother a job as 'traffic supervisor' (which for some reason requires he wear a white lab coat) at his trucking company.
When Ed dies from exhaust inhalation when passed out drunk in his garage, his widow Lana (Ida Lupino) gets Joe to run the company for her. Joe then gives Paul his old job as traffic supervisor. But it turns out that Lana's crazy and let her husband die so that she would be free to pursue Joe. When she discovers that Joe is getting married to a red-head named Cassie (Ann Sheridan), an enraged Lana cooks up a story about his putting her up to Ed's murder to get a share of the company. It looks like Joe is headed up the river until Lana loses it on the stand during the trial, which is the memorable scene that made Ida Lupino (who would go on to become a pioneering female director) a star. Of course her cries of "the doors made me due it!", was a lame excuse because Jim Morrison hadn't even been born yet. Also worth looking for in the movie is George Tobias in a small ethnic role that is one of the few times I've seen him depart from his standard Brooklyn persona.
The DVD also contains a short staring Fritz Feld as 'Mr. Nitvitch the temperamental director', one of a series he did using that persona.
And now the opening sequence for B.J. and the Bear.
Directed by Raoul Walsh and released in 1940 They Drive by Night is a hard to classify film. Starting out as a fairly straight forward drama about the hard life of truckers, by its second half its become almost noirish and the setting completly changed. In the film George Raft and Humphrey Bogart play the Fabrini brothers, freelance truck drivers just scraping by in life. When an accident destroys their truck and coasts Paul (Bogart) his arm, Joe's (Raft) friend Ed J. Carlson (Alan Hale Sr.) offers the less injured brother a job as 'traffic supervisor' (which for some reason requires he wear a white lab coat) at his trucking company.
When Ed dies from exhaust inhalation when passed out drunk in his garage, his widow Lana (Ida Lupino) gets Joe to run the company for her. Joe then gives Paul his old job as traffic supervisor. But it turns out that Lana's crazy and let her husband die so that she would be free to pursue Joe. When she discovers that Joe is getting married to a red-head named Cassie (Ann Sheridan), an enraged Lana cooks up a story about his putting her up to Ed's murder to get a share of the company. It looks like Joe is headed up the river until Lana loses it on the stand during the trial, which is the memorable scene that made Ida Lupino (who would go on to become a pioneering female director) a star. Of course her cries of "the doors made me due it!", was a lame excuse because Jim Morrison hadn't even been born yet. Also worth looking for in the movie is George Tobias in a small ethnic role that is one of the few times I've seen him depart from his standard Brooklyn persona.
The DVD also contains a short staring Fritz Feld as 'Mr. Nitvitch the temperamental director', one of a series he did using that persona.
And now the opening sequence for B.J. and the Bear.
Morning Glory (1933)
5/21/06
It was for Morning Glory, only her third theatrical film that Katharine Hepburn won her first Best Actress Academy Award. Her part in the film, that of aspiring actress Eva Lovelace was just perfect for her, and I think that the more you know about Ms. Hepburns personality and early career the more you will agree with that statement. Though her characterization in the film was later much lampooned, "really it was", she sells it well and it works in the context of its time. Adolphe Menjou and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. play Kates two love interests, with Mr. Douglas's acting in this picture being a step up from his performance in the only other of his films I remember seeing, Little Caesar. C. Aubrey Smith plays Eva's mentor and teacher R. H. "Bob" Hedges, the character who offers the metaphor that gives the film its title. Though the film is only 74 minutes in length my biggest complaint with it is that the closing sequence ran to long, was a little corny and not completely satisfying. The film was produced by Merian C. Cooper, and released the same year as his immortal King Kong.
It was for Morning Glory, only her third theatrical film that Katharine Hepburn won her first Best Actress Academy Award. Her part in the film, that of aspiring actress Eva Lovelace was just perfect for her, and I think that the more you know about Ms. Hepburns personality and early career the more you will agree with that statement. Though her characterization in the film was later much lampooned, "really it was", she sells it well and it works in the context of its time. Adolphe Menjou and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. play Kates two love interests, with Mr. Douglas's acting in this picture being a step up from his performance in the only other of his films I remember seeing, Little Caesar. C. Aubrey Smith plays Eva's mentor and teacher R. H. "Bob" Hedges, the character who offers the metaphor that gives the film its title. Though the film is only 74 minutes in length my biggest complaint with it is that the closing sequence ran to long, was a little corny and not completely satisfying. The film was produced by Merian C. Cooper, and released the same year as his immortal King Kong.
Beyond the Sea (2004)
5/20/06
A long time pet project of director/star Kevin Spacey, Beyond the Sea gives a purposefully non-literal account of the life of singer Bobby Darin. Like a lighter version of All That Jazz its the story of an often narcissistic man that from the first ten minutes is largely grounded in its subjects destined pre-mature death (Darin was only 37 at the time of his passing). While somewhat flamboyant in style the film sets course to follow the now well-worn path of the self-destructive music legend picture. However the events of Bobbys life, particularly those portrayed in the later half of the film, are different enough from the standard storyline as to almost salvage the movie. There is a particularly big twist in Bobby's life story that if I had known it before I had forgotten it, or attributed it to somebody else. It is this twist that really makes the film something different and psychologically interesting.
The performances are all good in the picture, with Spacey's having attracted particular attention because he did all his own singing and dancing (he was in musicals before going into movies). Kate Bosworth acutely does a really good Sandra Dee, capturing the teen queen actresses energy and innocence quite brilliantly in the first half of the film. John Goodman and Bob Hoskins also portray major players in Darins life, with Bob's turn as brother-in-law Charlie Maffia particularly endearing. While the source of Bobbys anxieties is interesting their manifestations are really quite mundane and drawn out, I felt as though a documentary on Darin would communicate most of what I learned in this film without having to sit through scenes such as his writing songs in his trailer or the corny childhood sequences. While a more then watchable picture I would predict that little would come from a second viewing. A craftsman like nobel effort.
A long time pet project of director/star Kevin Spacey, Beyond the Sea gives a purposefully non-literal account of the life of singer Bobby Darin. Like a lighter version of All That Jazz its the story of an often narcissistic man that from the first ten minutes is largely grounded in its subjects destined pre-mature death (Darin was only 37 at the time of his passing). While somewhat flamboyant in style the film sets course to follow the now well-worn path of the self-destructive music legend picture. However the events of Bobbys life, particularly those portrayed in the later half of the film, are different enough from the standard storyline as to almost salvage the movie. There is a particularly big twist in Bobby's life story that if I had known it before I had forgotten it, or attributed it to somebody else. It is this twist that really makes the film something different and psychologically interesting.
The performances are all good in the picture, with Spacey's having attracted particular attention because he did all his own singing and dancing (he was in musicals before going into movies). Kate Bosworth acutely does a really good Sandra Dee, capturing the teen queen actresses energy and innocence quite brilliantly in the first half of the film. John Goodman and Bob Hoskins also portray major players in Darins life, with Bob's turn as brother-in-law Charlie Maffia particularly endearing. While the source of Bobbys anxieties is interesting their manifestations are really quite mundane and drawn out, I felt as though a documentary on Darin would communicate most of what I learned in this film without having to sit through scenes such as his writing songs in his trailer or the corny childhood sequences. While a more then watchable picture I would predict that little would come from a second viewing. A craftsman like nobel effort.
Goddess Remembered (1996)
5/18/06
Also seen by me today (in class): Goddess Remembered, a Canadian produced look at ancient Goddess worship and its effects on the spirituality of some influential contemporary women. Okay for what it is, had some interesting information but really only scratched the surface of its subject matter.
Also seen by me today (in class): Goddess Remembered, a Canadian produced look at ancient Goddess worship and its effects on the spirituality of some influential contemporary women. Okay for what it is, had some interesting information but really only scratched the surface of its subject matter.
CSA: The Confederate States of America (2004)
5/18/06
Having made its rounds of the film festivals and the big cities, writer/director Kevin Willmontt's 2004 mockumentary CSA: The Confederate States of America has finally arrived in Boise. This flawed and relatively low-budgeted picture is presented as the initial CS broadcast (on a San Francisco station) of a controversial British documentary on the history of the Confederate nation (this format allows for the insert of various fake commercials, my favorite featuring a Martha Stewart-type character). Through this look at an alternate American history the film makers are able to take on issues of American racism, imperialism, commercialism, ect. in a manner more likely to be viewed by audiences who would never otherwise see a Spike Lee 'presented' film. While I think the incredibly short lived Discovery Channel series What If? did a better job on the alternate history, CSA effectively conveys its political message, one that encourages us to examine the often unquestioned assumptions of our American culture.
Having made its rounds of the film festivals and the big cities, writer/director Kevin Willmontt's 2004 mockumentary CSA: The Confederate States of America has finally arrived in Boise. This flawed and relatively low-budgeted picture is presented as the initial CS broadcast (on a San Francisco station) of a controversial British documentary on the history of the Confederate nation (this format allows for the insert of various fake commercials, my favorite featuring a Martha Stewart-type character). Through this look at an alternate American history the film makers are able to take on issues of American racism, imperialism, commercialism, ect. in a manner more likely to be viewed by audiences who would never otherwise see a Spike Lee 'presented' film. While I think the incredibly short lived Discovery Channel series What If? did a better job on the alternate history, CSA effectively conveys its political message, one that encourages us to examine the often unquestioned assumptions of our American culture.
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
5/17/06
Queen Elizabeth loves the Earl of Essex. The Earl loves the Queen. Lady Penelope Gray loves the Earl. Sir Robert Cecil hates the Earl. Francis Bacon wants the Essex to succeed. Sir Walter Raleigh hopes that Essex gets his head chopped off. This pretty much captures the intrigue that abounds in director Michael Curtiz's melodramatic, technocolor, costume spectacle The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. Bette Davis is quite theatrical and regal in her portrait of the aging Queen, while Errol Flynn (be prepared for blazing soundtrack from The Adventures of Robin Hood when clicking his link) portays the Earl Robert Devereux as one of his standard action-hero characters. A not particularly engaging film that would have been helped had Davis's original choice for the part of Essex, Sir. Laurence Olivier, been cast instead of the largely static Flynn. Best Line in Movie- Essex: "And now, may I go? This dying sticks in my mind and makes me poor company."
Queen Elizabeth loves the Earl of Essex. The Earl loves the Queen. Lady Penelope Gray loves the Earl. Sir Robert Cecil hates the Earl. Francis Bacon wants the Essex to succeed. Sir Walter Raleigh hopes that Essex gets his head chopped off. This pretty much captures the intrigue that abounds in director Michael Curtiz's melodramatic, technocolor, costume spectacle The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. Bette Davis is quite theatrical and regal in her portrait of the aging Queen, while Errol Flynn (be prepared for blazing soundtrack from The Adventures of Robin Hood when clicking his link) portays the Earl Robert Devereux as one of his standard action-hero characters. A not particularly engaging film that would have been helped had Davis's original choice for the part of Essex, Sir. Laurence Olivier, been cast instead of the largely static Flynn. Best Line in Movie- Essex: "And now, may I go? This dying sticks in my mind and makes me poor company."
Transformers: The Movie (1986)
(Earth, space, and several other planets; 2005)
IMDb
It will never cease being sad that Orson Wells went from Citizen Kane to Transformers: The Movie. Wells however wasn't the only accomplished actor who must of really needed money to appear in this film, Robert Stack did as well. Anyway you might be wondering why I even watched this thing, well a friend of mine got a group of us together to view this in preparation for the upcoming Transformers film, which I personally am boycotting because it looks awful and was directed by Micheal Bay. I watched this retro Transformers movies because it was retro, I watched it for the camp and to spend some time with friends. Anyway the plot is completely unimportant, save to say that Wells plays a giant, planet-eating Transformer called Unicron (shades of another summer blockbuster). The quality of the dialogue makes its writers the anti-Sorkin, and mostly its just a lot of robots blasting each other, endlessly, and attempting one-liners. All and all I felt mostly neutral to the film, (though I did make fun of it a lot while it was on) because I know I'm not its target audience anymore, and maintain shades of childhood affinity for the series from which it was based. I do have to applaud however the fact that the movie and the program allowed characters to die, to the extent that Robots can die. Though Optimus Prime, was later resurrected in the final season of the television show, I swear that's one of the only things I remember about the program. That and Grimlock is king.
IMDb
It will never cease being sad that Orson Wells went from Citizen Kane to Transformers: The Movie. Wells however wasn't the only accomplished actor who must of really needed money to appear in this film, Robert Stack did as well. Anyway you might be wondering why I even watched this thing, well a friend of mine got a group of us together to view this in preparation for the upcoming Transformers film, which I personally am boycotting because it looks awful and was directed by Micheal Bay. I watched this retro Transformers movies because it was retro, I watched it for the camp and to spend some time with friends. Anyway the plot is completely unimportant, save to say that Wells plays a giant, planet-eating Transformer called Unicron (shades of another summer blockbuster). The quality of the dialogue makes its writers the anti-Sorkin, and mostly its just a lot of robots blasting each other, endlessly, and attempting one-liners. All and all I felt mostly neutral to the film, (though I did make fun of it a lot while it was on) because I know I'm not its target audience anymore, and maintain shades of childhood affinity for the series from which it was based. I do have to applaud however the fact that the movie and the program allowed characters to die, to the extent that Robots can die. Though Optimus Prime, was later resurrected in the final season of the television show, I swear that's one of the only things I remember about the program. That and Grimlock is king.
Monday, June 25, 2007
American Dreamz (2006)
5/12/06
In his last two films About A Boy and In Good Company, director Paul Weitz set about creating a style in which he fleshes out characters that you would be prone to make snap judgments about into surprising empathetically figures, this is a trend he continues in his new feature American Dreamz. On the surface it is a rather obvious and thin political satire about a Bush-like president who agrees to be a guest judge on a popular reality talent search program in order to boost his sagging poll numbers, and the terrorist/contestant assigned to kill him when he does. Now I realize that this movie has not been well received with the public in general, but I acutely found it to be a deceptively profound film. Beneath everything it is a movie about people who have become things that they never intended to be, whether that's a shallow person, a political puppet, or a suicide-bomber designate. It is also more obviously about the American dream as continuously elusive concept, no matter what one accomplishes in life.
While lampooning our silly reality TV, celebrity obsessed culture, uninspiring leadership, and ineffective handling of foreign policy, the film blames none of these things for our current state of malaise. Instead Weitz puts the blame for our sorry, sorry world and lives right where it belongs, on us. It is an uncomfortable truth the film conveys in an almost parable like fashion, you can skip over it if your not paying attention, but be moved and struck by if you are. Most of these characters have good hearts, they've just kind of given up and allowed themselves to be trapped by circumstance.
Dennis Quaids President Joe Staton is no mere mockery of George W. Bush, though both can seem a bit slow and simplisticly religious. Staton is a recovering alcoholic who's found Jesus, his mother wanted him to get into politices to prove to his father (himself now a former President) that "any idiot can do it." Having just scored a re-election victory after a long and hard fought campaign, Staton wakes-up the Wednesday after to a crises of identity, 'why me?', 'why did I win?', 'Am I truly good enough?', and sends his butler on the unusual quest to get him a newspaper. Willem Dafoe is Statons Cheney-like Chief of Staff and the true power behind the throne, for years he has been controlling Joe and when the nations chief executive starts exhibiting signs of independence he re-asserts that control and even starts medicating the head of State. But even Dafoe's harsh character is opened up somewhat near the end of the film, when one of Statons actions reminds him of the spark he saw in the man years earlier that made him think he could mold him into a great president. I also loved Marcia Gay Harden as the caring and quietly strong Laura Bush-type First Lady.
Hugh Grant's Martin Tweed is a slightly harsher, much more self-destructive version of Idols Simon Cowell. Self-loathing and often cruel his humanity shows signs of reawakening when he meets a contestant on his top-rated TV show from a small, poor Ohio town who is almost as false as he is. Her name is Sally Kendoo and she is played to perfection by Mandy Moore, an actress I never wanted to like but I'm afraid I do. Kendoo ends up beating out an assortment of other contestants (some appear to have been based on real idol participants, such as Clay Aakin), to end up competing against Omar (the very likeable Sam Golzari) for the grandprize.
That Omar was a misfit, show-tune loving, terror trainee whose superiors had given up on him until under deep cover he landed what was suppose to have been his cousin's gig on American Dreamz, is the storyline that sets up the films potently explosive climax.
While there are a number of other characters in American Dreamz worth exploring, I'm going to end this review now and suggest you see the film in order to get acquainted with them. American Dreamz is not a great film in the traditional sense, but it certainly goes beyond its conventional trappings to create an unusual comedy that is worth thinking about.
In his last two films About A Boy and In Good Company, director Paul Weitz set about creating a style in which he fleshes out characters that you would be prone to make snap judgments about into surprising empathetically figures, this is a trend he continues in his new feature American Dreamz. On the surface it is a rather obvious and thin political satire about a Bush-like president who agrees to be a guest judge on a popular reality talent search program in order to boost his sagging poll numbers, and the terrorist/contestant assigned to kill him when he does. Now I realize that this movie has not been well received with the public in general, but I acutely found it to be a deceptively profound film. Beneath everything it is a movie about people who have become things that they never intended to be, whether that's a shallow person, a political puppet, or a suicide-bomber designate. It is also more obviously about the American dream as continuously elusive concept, no matter what one accomplishes in life.
While lampooning our silly reality TV, celebrity obsessed culture, uninspiring leadership, and ineffective handling of foreign policy, the film blames none of these things for our current state of malaise. Instead Weitz puts the blame for our sorry, sorry world and lives right where it belongs, on us. It is an uncomfortable truth the film conveys in an almost parable like fashion, you can skip over it if your not paying attention, but be moved and struck by if you are. Most of these characters have good hearts, they've just kind of given up and allowed themselves to be trapped by circumstance.
Dennis Quaids President Joe Staton is no mere mockery of George W. Bush, though both can seem a bit slow and simplisticly religious. Staton is a recovering alcoholic who's found Jesus, his mother wanted him to get into politices to prove to his father (himself now a former President) that "any idiot can do it." Having just scored a re-election victory after a long and hard fought campaign, Staton wakes-up the Wednesday after to a crises of identity, 'why me?', 'why did I win?', 'Am I truly good enough?', and sends his butler on the unusual quest to get him a newspaper. Willem Dafoe is Statons Cheney-like Chief of Staff and the true power behind the throne, for years he has been controlling Joe and when the nations chief executive starts exhibiting signs of independence he re-asserts that control and even starts medicating the head of State. But even Dafoe's harsh character is opened up somewhat near the end of the film, when one of Statons actions reminds him of the spark he saw in the man years earlier that made him think he could mold him into a great president. I also loved Marcia Gay Harden as the caring and quietly strong Laura Bush-type First Lady.
Hugh Grant's Martin Tweed is a slightly harsher, much more self-destructive version of Idols Simon Cowell. Self-loathing and often cruel his humanity shows signs of reawakening when he meets a contestant on his top-rated TV show from a small, poor Ohio town who is almost as false as he is. Her name is Sally Kendoo and she is played to perfection by Mandy Moore, an actress I never wanted to like but I'm afraid I do. Kendoo ends up beating out an assortment of other contestants (some appear to have been based on real idol participants, such as Clay Aakin), to end up competing against Omar (the very likeable Sam Golzari) for the grandprize.
That Omar was a misfit, show-tune loving, terror trainee whose superiors had given up on him until under deep cover he landed what was suppose to have been his cousin's gig on American Dreamz, is the storyline that sets up the films potently explosive climax.
While there are a number of other characters in American Dreamz worth exploring, I'm going to end this review now and suggest you see the film in order to get acquainted with them. American Dreamz is not a great film in the traditional sense, but it certainly goes beyond its conventional trappings to create an unusual comedy that is worth thinking about.
New AFI List
AFI did a tenth anniversary update of the 100 Greatest Movies list that originally came out when I was in high school. Now Raging Bull (1980) is a good movie, but its no where near the 3rd greatest of all time in my opinion. I suppose I could go on and critique the list for some time but I'll limited myself to two points: 1) They shouldn't have removed Giant (1955), and 2) they should have included American Beauty (1999).
Bunny Lake is Missing (1965)
5/10/06
Bunny Lake is Missing is a movie that just didn't work for me. This 1965 film about the disappearance of a four year old girl who might or might not be real, is alternately jarring and proddingly slow. With the exception of Sir. Laurence Olivier and Noel Coward the cast is made up of relative unknowns, the strongest of whom as a performer is Carol Lynley as Ann Lake. I've said before that for me Preminger films usually divide between the great and the horrible, and while Bunny is not the worst thing Preminger did (to me that would be The Man With The Golden Arm, though granted I've not seen any of his ill-reputed later work), it's still something I don't ever care to see again. Here is hopping that the upcomming remake with Reese Witherspoon is better.
Bunny Lake is Missing is a movie that just didn't work for me. This 1965 film about the disappearance of a four year old girl who might or might not be real, is alternately jarring and proddingly slow. With the exception of Sir. Laurence Olivier and Noel Coward the cast is made up of relative unknowns, the strongest of whom as a performer is Carol Lynley as Ann Lake. I've said before that for me Preminger films usually divide between the great and the horrible, and while Bunny is not the worst thing Preminger did (to me that would be The Man With The Golden Arm, though granted I've not seen any of his ill-reputed later work), it's still something I don't ever care to see again. Here is hopping that the upcomming remake with Reese Witherspoon is better.
This Divided State (2005)
5/5/06
Director Steven Greenstreet dropped out of college to make this film documenting the controversy surrounding the visit of liberal filmmaker Michael Moore to the UVSC campus just weeks before the 2004 general election. The film does a good job at capturing in microcosm our nations polarization at that time even in the reddest of the red states, providing many examples of the intemperate rhetoric employed by both right and left in regards to the Iraq War, freedom of speech, matters of decorum and of course the 2004 presidential race itself. But perhaps most importantly, at least to me, this film documents the disturbing political intolerance that can be found among a large portion of (largely western) Latter-day Saints. This is a subject that is under-addresed by Mormons in general and we are lucky that Greenstreets documentary contains so many compelling personal narratives to bring that point home to the viewer. I highly recommend this film as a tool for Mormons who would like to further promote discussion on the important issues of faith, politics, tolerance, and decorum.
Director Steven Greenstreet dropped out of college to make this film documenting the controversy surrounding the visit of liberal filmmaker Michael Moore to the UVSC campus just weeks before the 2004 general election. The film does a good job at capturing in microcosm our nations polarization at that time even in the reddest of the red states, providing many examples of the intemperate rhetoric employed by both right and left in regards to the Iraq War, freedom of speech, matters of decorum and of course the 2004 presidential race itself. But perhaps most importantly, at least to me, this film documents the disturbing political intolerance that can be found among a large portion of (largely western) Latter-day Saints. This is a subject that is under-addresed by Mormons in general and we are lucky that Greenstreets documentary contains so many compelling personal narratives to bring that point home to the viewer. I highly recommend this film as a tool for Mormons who would like to further promote discussion on the important issues of faith, politics, tolerance, and decorum.
United 93 (2006)
5/1/06
The film United 93 by writer director Paul Greengrass is not a film that can easily be captured in words. To come even close I would suggest somehow getting ahold of Glenn Becks broadcast of last Friday. Sufice it to say a powerful moving film that recaptures much of how you felt that September day nearly five years ago. Benefits greatly from a highly focused scope and meticulous research.
The film United 93 by writer director Paul Greengrass is not a film that can easily be captured in words. To come even close I would suggest somehow getting ahold of Glenn Becks broadcast of last Friday. Sufice it to say a powerful moving film that recaptures much of how you felt that September day nearly five years ago. Benefits greatly from a highly focused scope and meticulous research.
Heaven Can Wait (1943)
4/25/06
Heaven Can Wait (1943) was not what I expected it to be, it is not the inspiration for the 1978 film staring Warren Beatty (that movie is a remake of the 1941 feature Here Comes Mr. Jordan), but rather a sentimental Ernst Lubitsch picture with some slight supernatural framing. Having died comfortably at 9:36 PM following a large and enjoyable dinner, Mr. Henry Van Cleve (national treasure Don Ameche) presents himself at Satans offices in Hell confident that is where he belongs. The courteous and surprisingly reasonable dark prince finding no obvious reason to let him in agrees to hear the story of the old mans life. Covering the period from his birth in the 1870's to his death in 1942, Mr. Van Cleve tells the story of his mortality with emphasis on his relationships with women. The most significant women in his life was his late wife Martha Strabel Van Cleve (dead celebraty of the month Gene Tierney in her first mother role), whom he stole away from his boorish cousin Albert (Allyn Joslyn).
This is a movie about a man who thinks he's a worse person then he acutely is, granted he had a taste for the ladies and made his share of mistakes in life, but he was no monster, and on the all a likeable chap who loved his family. The story as I said is quite sentimental and very old timey, it plucks along at a leisurely pace, has likeable characters, and is generally a relaxing cinematic experience. Special note has to go to the always good Charles Coburn who is wonderful as Grandpa Hugo Van Cleve, as well as the uncredited Clarence Muse who as black butler Jasper is better then Benson. This movie also has excellent use of color, an aspect of film aesthetics' that we pay little attention to now days. A fine if not overwhelming good film.
Heaven Can Wait (1943) was not what I expected it to be, it is not the inspiration for the 1978 film staring Warren Beatty (that movie is a remake of the 1941 feature Here Comes Mr. Jordan), but rather a sentimental Ernst Lubitsch picture with some slight supernatural framing. Having died comfortably at 9:36 PM following a large and enjoyable dinner, Mr. Henry Van Cleve (national treasure Don Ameche) presents himself at Satans offices in Hell confident that is where he belongs. The courteous and surprisingly reasonable dark prince finding no obvious reason to let him in agrees to hear the story of the old mans life. Covering the period from his birth in the 1870's to his death in 1942, Mr. Van Cleve tells the story of his mortality with emphasis on his relationships with women. The most significant women in his life was his late wife Martha Strabel Van Cleve (dead celebraty of the month Gene Tierney in her first mother role), whom he stole away from his boorish cousin Albert (Allyn Joslyn).
This is a movie about a man who thinks he's a worse person then he acutely is, granted he had a taste for the ladies and made his share of mistakes in life, but he was no monster, and on the all a likeable chap who loved his family. The story as I said is quite sentimental and very old timey, it plucks along at a leisurely pace, has likeable characters, and is generally a relaxing cinematic experience. Special note has to go to the always good Charles Coburn who is wonderful as Grandpa Hugo Van Cleve, as well as the uncredited Clarence Muse who as black butler Jasper is better then Benson. This movie also has excellent use of color, an aspect of film aesthetics' that we pay little attention to now days. A fine if not overwhelming good film.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 1 (2000)
4/23/06
Seinfeld c0-creator and inspiration for the character George, Larry David is the creator and star of the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm. While Seinfeld was iconicly New York Enthusiasm is very much about Los Angeles. In the series David plays himself much as Jerry Seinfeld did in his program, and indeed both shows have a similar sense of humor, only Curb Your Enthusiasm by virtue of being on pay-cable is able to present it in a highly concentrated form that would never get by on 'the Networks'. Basically the show is about bad karma, Larry through virtue of his innate selfishness and hang-ups over life's unwritten rules will inevitably make a poor decision in each episode that will come back to bit him in the end. For example when he refuses to pick up a golf ball for a guy on the course because he is wearing an annoying hat, he ends up needing that same guys assistance later on to get directions. Also in a Seinfeld type manner Larry will obsess over the little niceties such as what is the cut-off time for calling someone with kids, and how long of an appearance are you obligated to make at a party you do not want to attend. Rounding out the cast are Cheryl Hines as Larrys wife Cheryl and Jeff Garlin as his agent Jeff Green. Curb Your Enthusiasm is one of the only shows that can make me uncontrollably laugh aloud, but simultaneously has reduced me to hiding my face on several occasions. This program is all about the awkward. Not for everybody but very funny Curb Your Enthusiasm is strong comedy.
Seinfeld c0-creator and inspiration for the character George, Larry David is the creator and star of the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm. While Seinfeld was iconicly New York Enthusiasm is very much about Los Angeles. In the series David plays himself much as Jerry Seinfeld did in his program, and indeed both shows have a similar sense of humor, only Curb Your Enthusiasm by virtue of being on pay-cable is able to present it in a highly concentrated form that would never get by on 'the Networks'. Basically the show is about bad karma, Larry through virtue of his innate selfishness and hang-ups over life's unwritten rules will inevitably make a poor decision in each episode that will come back to bit him in the end. For example when he refuses to pick up a golf ball for a guy on the course because he is wearing an annoying hat, he ends up needing that same guys assistance later on to get directions. Also in a Seinfeld type manner Larry will obsess over the little niceties such as what is the cut-off time for calling someone with kids, and how long of an appearance are you obligated to make at a party you do not want to attend. Rounding out the cast are Cheryl Hines as Larrys wife Cheryl and Jeff Garlin as his agent Jeff Green. Curb Your Enthusiasm is one of the only shows that can make me uncontrollably laugh aloud, but simultaneously has reduced me to hiding my face on several occasions. This program is all about the awkward. Not for everybody but very funny Curb Your Enthusiasm is strong comedy.
The Public Enemy (1931), Angles With Dirty Faces (1938), and White Heat (1949)
4/12/06
Now I had seen Cagney do drama (Man of a Thousand Faces), comedy (One,Two, Three), and musical (Yankee Doodle Dandy) and all quite well, but until recently had never seen him in the genre for which he is most famous, namely the 'gangster picture'. So to rectify this situation I netflixed the three gangster titles listed above. The first is the most arch-typical of the genre, the second a gangster picture with heart, and the last a valedictory gangster film that has a little of just about everything in it. All are fine examples of the kind of role that really established James Cagneys in the industry and for which he will always be best remembered despite the great versatility of his long career.
The Public Enemy was the film that put him on the map. Originally cast in the role of Tom Powers buddy Matt Doyle, he was switched to the lead a few weeks before shooting began do to his great success opposite George Arliss in The millionaire (which for some reason is listed after The Public Enemy on imdb). This 1931 feature still holds up remarkable well with memorable and innovative direction by William A. Wellman. Watching this pre-production code film you might be surprised with how contemporary it feels, while it shows little in the way of acutel 'sex and violence' there presence is heavily implied and felt. There is also a bit character in this movie who comes across as very gay, something I just didn't expect to see in a Cagney gangster picture.
Like many of the gangster pictures of its time The Public Enemy both glorified its subjects while attempting to use them as morality lessons. Following the rise and eventuall fall of street hood Tom Powers, the Cagney characters larceny and wickedness is counterpointed by the behavior and utter virtue of his brother, World War One vet Mike Powers (Donald Cook), with their torn mother Ma Powers (Beryl Mercer) brought in to further play-up the pain that a life of crime can bring to ones family. Of course even in these pre-production code times the crooked Tom can not be allowed to get away with his evil doing, and he is humbled, brought-down and punished in a real 'hit home' manner (pardon the pun for those who have seen it). It is interesting that our leads demise is brought on indirectly by the randomness of life, for it is the death of gangster 'Nails' Nathan (Leslie Fenton), in of all things a horse-back riding accident, that triggers the films climatic gang war. Jean Harlow is here, a sex-symbol whose then popular statues I don't fully understand, as well as frequent frequent Cagny co-star Joan Blondell, and the infamous 'grapfruit scene'. While similar story wise to the Edward G. Robinson starrier of the previous year Little Caesar, this film is more fluid and technically superior to the later as well as containing the better performances.
Angles with Dirty Faces is the best and most memorable of the three films I saw. James Cagney and Pat O'Brien are child hood friends who do to pure chance grow up to be on opposite sides of the law. Cagney is William 'Rocky' Sullivan a notorius hood who has just gotten out of jail, while Pat is Father Jerome 'Jerry' Connelly pastor of their boyhood church. Ann Sheridan plays Laury Ferguson, the widow of a small time crook turned social worker who is a love interest for Cagney. A pre-Maltese Falcon Humphrey Bogart plays Rockys crocked lawyer James 'Jim' Frazier, while George Bancroft is Mac Keefer the kingpin who control's the cites underworld. Also notable in this film is the presence of 'The Dead End Kids' a group of young actors who had been brought in by Warner Brothers to reprise their stage roles from the hit Broadway play 'Dead End'. The 'Kids' sustainability would be assured by their casting in Angels, and they would continue to appear in vehicles of continualy decreasing quality, as a group and apart, at several studios over the ensuing years. Leo Gorcey being the most memorable of the group.
Angels story of friends divided by cirumstance is an iconic one that still resonates, and in this telling has earned a endearing place in our popular culture. In a sense I had seen this movie before because its template was used, right down to the child hood train sequence, in an episode of the Warner produced Batman cartoon of the 1990's. Angels with Dirty Faces was also the favorite movie of the Robbie Coltrain character in the British crime investigation series Cracker.
The most talked about aspect of the movie of course is its semi-ambiguous ending which features a powerful performance by Cagney on his way to the electric chair. To this day its meaning is debated.
Cagney didn't like to be type-cast and for a long period refused to make more gangster pictures, but he returned to the genre triumphantly for an inspired performance in one of its later entries. White Heat really does have a little bit of everything, in addition to being a gangster picture its also a police procedural, caper feature, prison picture, revenge saga, film noir, psycho-drama and epic tragedy. Cagney's Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett is unlike his previous gangster characters, no matter how mean, because he's simply crazy. Emotionally unstable and mother-obsessed Cody as an animal, capable of being your friend one minute and bitterest enemy the next. Giving us a character it might well have been impossible to top it is no wonder that Cagney retired from this kind of picture, save for some lose plays on his earlier persona in a few later pictures.
I really did get into these movies and intend to see more of their like in the future. The gangster fim is a part of our film heritage that any serious movie fan should take some time and invest in, as they really don't make them like this any more.
Now I had seen Cagney do drama (Man of a Thousand Faces), comedy (One,Two, Three), and musical (Yankee Doodle Dandy) and all quite well, but until recently had never seen him in the genre for which he is most famous, namely the 'gangster picture'. So to rectify this situation I netflixed the three gangster titles listed above. The first is the most arch-typical of the genre, the second a gangster picture with heart, and the last a valedictory gangster film that has a little of just about everything in it. All are fine examples of the kind of role that really established James Cagneys in the industry and for which he will always be best remembered despite the great versatility of his long career.
The Public Enemy was the film that put him on the map. Originally cast in the role of Tom Powers buddy Matt Doyle, he was switched to the lead a few weeks before shooting began do to his great success opposite George Arliss in The millionaire (which for some reason is listed after The Public Enemy on imdb). This 1931 feature still holds up remarkable well with memorable and innovative direction by William A. Wellman. Watching this pre-production code film you might be surprised with how contemporary it feels, while it shows little in the way of acutel 'sex and violence' there presence is heavily implied and felt. There is also a bit character in this movie who comes across as very gay, something I just didn't expect to see in a Cagney gangster picture.
Like many of the gangster pictures of its time The Public Enemy both glorified its subjects while attempting to use them as morality lessons. Following the rise and eventuall fall of street hood Tom Powers, the Cagney characters larceny and wickedness is counterpointed by the behavior and utter virtue of his brother, World War One vet Mike Powers (Donald Cook), with their torn mother Ma Powers (Beryl Mercer) brought in to further play-up the pain that a life of crime can bring to ones family. Of course even in these pre-production code times the crooked Tom can not be allowed to get away with his evil doing, and he is humbled, brought-down and punished in a real 'hit home' manner (pardon the pun for those who have seen it). It is interesting that our leads demise is brought on indirectly by the randomness of life, for it is the death of gangster 'Nails' Nathan (Leslie Fenton), in of all things a horse-back riding accident, that triggers the films climatic gang war. Jean Harlow is here, a sex-symbol whose then popular statues I don't fully understand, as well as frequent frequent Cagny co-star Joan Blondell, and the infamous 'grapfruit scene'. While similar story wise to the Edward G. Robinson starrier of the previous year Little Caesar, this film is more fluid and technically superior to the later as well as containing the better performances.
Angles with Dirty Faces is the best and most memorable of the three films I saw. James Cagney and Pat O'Brien are child hood friends who do to pure chance grow up to be on opposite sides of the law. Cagney is William 'Rocky' Sullivan a notorius hood who has just gotten out of jail, while Pat is Father Jerome 'Jerry' Connelly pastor of their boyhood church. Ann Sheridan plays Laury Ferguson, the widow of a small time crook turned social worker who is a love interest for Cagney. A pre-Maltese Falcon Humphrey Bogart plays Rockys crocked lawyer James 'Jim' Frazier, while George Bancroft is Mac Keefer the kingpin who control's the cites underworld. Also notable in this film is the presence of 'The Dead End Kids' a group of young actors who had been brought in by Warner Brothers to reprise their stage roles from the hit Broadway play 'Dead End'. The 'Kids' sustainability would be assured by their casting in Angels, and they would continue to appear in vehicles of continualy decreasing quality, as a group and apart, at several studios over the ensuing years. Leo Gorcey being the most memorable of the group.
Angels story of friends divided by cirumstance is an iconic one that still resonates, and in this telling has earned a endearing place in our popular culture. In a sense I had seen this movie before because its template was used, right down to the child hood train sequence, in an episode of the Warner produced Batman cartoon of the 1990's. Angels with Dirty Faces was also the favorite movie of the Robbie Coltrain character in the British crime investigation series Cracker.
The most talked about aspect of the movie of course is its semi-ambiguous ending which features a powerful performance by Cagney on his way to the electric chair. To this day its meaning is debated.
Cagney didn't like to be type-cast and for a long period refused to make more gangster pictures, but he returned to the genre triumphantly for an inspired performance in one of its later entries. White Heat really does have a little bit of everything, in addition to being a gangster picture its also a police procedural, caper feature, prison picture, revenge saga, film noir, psycho-drama and epic tragedy. Cagney's Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett is unlike his previous gangster characters, no matter how mean, because he's simply crazy. Emotionally unstable and mother-obsessed Cody as an animal, capable of being your friend one minute and bitterest enemy the next. Giving us a character it might well have been impossible to top it is no wonder that Cagney retired from this kind of picture, save for some lose plays on his earlier persona in a few later pictures.
I really did get into these movies and intend to see more of their like in the future. The gangster fim is a part of our film heritage that any serious movie fan should take some time and invest in, as they really don't make them like this any more.
The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
4/9/06
The Thirteenth Floor: Now I was intrigued by the concept of this film when I first learned of it back in 1999. In the movie computer scientists have created an exact replica of 1937 Los Angeles on the13th floor of a city high-rise. In short The Thirteenth Floor is an attempt at Film Noir by way of The Matrix. This movie promises much but delivers little, at least part of this is due to the trailer which gives away far to much. You start out the movie knowing exactly where its going and what the twist is, your just a little short on the details. It reminded me of watching The Boys From Brazil, you know those Nazi's are cloning little Hitlers from the start, it just takes Sir Laurence so *#%! long to figure it out! None of the characters in the movie is all that interesting and the casts acting is sub-par, this is especially true of Vincent D'Onofrio's two one-note characterizations. However Dennis Haysbert is in it, and when President Palmer is stuck in Los Angeles you just know craziness is about to ensue. The Thirteenth Floor has craziness aplenty, but little else worth recommending.
The Thirteenth Floor: Now I was intrigued by the concept of this film when I first learned of it back in 1999. In the movie computer scientists have created an exact replica of 1937 Los Angeles on the13th floor of a city high-rise. In short The Thirteenth Floor is an attempt at Film Noir by way of The Matrix. This movie promises much but delivers little, at least part of this is due to the trailer which gives away far to much. You start out the movie knowing exactly where its going and what the twist is, your just a little short on the details. It reminded me of watching The Boys From Brazil, you know those Nazi's are cloning little Hitlers from the start, it just takes Sir Laurence so *#%! long to figure it out! None of the characters in the movie is all that interesting and the casts acting is sub-par, this is especially true of Vincent D'Onofrio's two one-note characterizations. However Dennis Haysbert is in it, and when President Palmer is stuck in Los Angeles you just know craziness is about to ensue. The Thirteenth Floor has craziness aplenty, but little else worth recommending.
Sabrina (1954)
4/9/06
Sabrina is probably the most well-known Wilder film I had yet to see before last night, it is also his most successful romance, and I'm saying this as an utter devotee of The Apartment. It is the story of two rich men who both fall in love with the daughter of the family chauffeur. The daughter is Audrey Hepburn, who as Sabrina Fairchild grew up in the shadow of the vast Larrabee estate and was stricken at a young age with a love for the youngest Larrabee child, David. David is played by Wilder favorite William Holden, returning to work with the director who revitalized his career, just a year after his Oscar win for Stalage 17. David is an irresponsible play-boy who never really noticed Sabrina until after her transformative return from cooking school in Paris. When David decides to forgo his 4th marriage, this time to the daughter of wealthy businessman whose support is vital to the company's landing a successful plastics merger, so that he can run off with Sabrina, his brother is forced to intervene.
Playing the part of older brother Linus is Humphrey Bogart, in his middle-50's he seems an unlikely suitor for the waffish young Audrey Hepburn, but it works in this picture. Linus ensures that David experience a little 'accident' that puts him out of commission for a while, and then attempts to romance Sabrina himself so as to save the plastics deal. For those of you who might think Bogart mis-cast as a wealthy Long Island born businessman, its important to remember that Humphry, cragy features and all, came from a weal-to-do New York family and was going to be a doctor before catching the acting bug. The slow formation of Linus and Sabrinas mutual love in the film is brought about in subtle and intricately constructed ways, and despite its seeming unlikelihood feels more real them most any other romance I've seen in a motion picture.
This is a strong little cast in a beautiful and simple film that seems a real break from the kind of slightly callused stuff Wilder was doing in this period. The director in fact seems to be letting us all know that inside that cynical exterior he's a real softy, and I find myself wondering how much of his take on this movie (which comes form the Samuel Taylor play) was inspired by his deep love for his much younger wife Audry. Sabrina was remade in 1995, and though I haven't seen it I can't imagine it topping the original. Billy Wilders Sabrinia is an A1 romance enjoyable for even those who are not huge on the genre, and thusly comes highly recommended by me.
Sabrina is probably the most well-known Wilder film I had yet to see before last night, it is also his most successful romance, and I'm saying this as an utter devotee of The Apartment. It is the story of two rich men who both fall in love with the daughter of the family chauffeur. The daughter is Audrey Hepburn, who as Sabrina Fairchild grew up in the shadow of the vast Larrabee estate and was stricken at a young age with a love for the youngest Larrabee child, David. David is played by Wilder favorite William Holden, returning to work with the director who revitalized his career, just a year after his Oscar win for Stalage 17. David is an irresponsible play-boy who never really noticed Sabrina until after her transformative return from cooking school in Paris. When David decides to forgo his 4th marriage, this time to the daughter of wealthy businessman whose support is vital to the company's landing a successful plastics merger, so that he can run off with Sabrina, his brother is forced to intervene.
Playing the part of older brother Linus is Humphrey Bogart, in his middle-50's he seems an unlikely suitor for the waffish young Audrey Hepburn, but it works in this picture. Linus ensures that David experience a little 'accident' that puts him out of commission for a while, and then attempts to romance Sabrina himself so as to save the plastics deal. For those of you who might think Bogart mis-cast as a wealthy Long Island born businessman, its important to remember that Humphry, cragy features and all, came from a weal-to-do New York family and was going to be a doctor before catching the acting bug. The slow formation of Linus and Sabrinas mutual love in the film is brought about in subtle and intricately constructed ways, and despite its seeming unlikelihood feels more real them most any other romance I've seen in a motion picture.
This is a strong little cast in a beautiful and simple film that seems a real break from the kind of slightly callused stuff Wilder was doing in this period. The director in fact seems to be letting us all know that inside that cynical exterior he's a real softy, and I find myself wondering how much of his take on this movie (which comes form the Samuel Taylor play) was inspired by his deep love for his much younger wife Audry. Sabrina was remade in 1995, and though I haven't seen it I can't imagine it topping the original. Billy Wilders Sabrinia is an A1 romance enjoyable for even those who are not huge on the genre, and thusly comes highly recommended by me.
Erin Brockovich (2000)
4/5/06
Erin Brockovich- Julia Roberts and Albert Finny make an entertaining team in this inspiring Academy Award winner based on a true story. I watched this in my 'environmental communication' class and quite enjoyed, though I am aware that some things about this movie and about Ms. Brockovich herself have been questioned by John Stossel and others.
Erin Brockovich- Julia Roberts and Albert Finny make an entertaining team in this inspiring Academy Award winner based on a true story. I watched this in my 'environmental communication' class and quite enjoyed, though I am aware that some things about this movie and about Ms. Brockovich herself have been questioned by John Stossel and others.
The Fifties (1997)
4/5/06
The Fifties- Taken from journalist David Halberstam's book of the same title, this 1997 History Channel documentary series explores the zeitgeist of one of the most mis-understood decades of the 20th Century. Over seven episodes topics examined include teen culture, sexuality, advertising, the beatnik's, race relations and McCarthyism. Generally informative and entertaining, though some episodes do tend to drag, this is a good introduction to the era and would be perfect for high school use. The one area in which I must find fault with Mr. Halberstam and the producers is their over focus on the 50's as 'pathing way' for the 60's. While a lot of what exploded during the 60's was building up steam in the 50's, you almost get the sense that the makers of this series felt they had to justify taking a look at the decade based on later events. The fifties stands on its own as a fascinating era to explore, no excuses are needed. Narrated by Edward Herrman.
The Fifties- Taken from journalist David Halberstam's book of the same title, this 1997 History Channel documentary series explores the zeitgeist of one of the most mis-understood decades of the 20th Century. Over seven episodes topics examined include teen culture, sexuality, advertising, the beatnik's, race relations and McCarthyism. Generally informative and entertaining, though some episodes do tend to drag, this is a good introduction to the era and would be perfect for high school use. The one area in which I must find fault with Mr. Halberstam and the producers is their over focus on the 50's as 'pathing way' for the 60's. While a lot of what exploded during the 60's was building up steam in the 50's, you almost get the sense that the makers of this series felt they had to justify taking a look at the decade based on later events. The fifties stands on its own as a fascinating era to explore, no excuses are needed. Narrated by Edward Herrman.
Blazing Saddles (1974)
4/5/06
The 1970's where by far the strongest decade for the work of Mel Brooks, and while I had seen most of his films of that era, until tonight my major oversight was Blazing Saddles. A 'spot-on' spoofing of films about the American west from John Ford to Sergio Leoni there are a few good belly laughs in this picture. The most delightfully subversive aspect of the film though is its look at the stereotyping and casual racism that mark both the real old west and much of the historic western genre. The plot deals with a black man (Cleavon Little) appointed by a an inept politician (Mel Brooks) at the behest of a corrupt swindler (Harvy Korman) as the sheriff of a small western town. The villain hopes that the presence of a black sheriff will alienate the towns folk and make it easyer for him to run the locals off of their own property so he can make money in a railroad scam. Of course the plot itself isn't that important, as with all Brooks films its the comic performances and the gags that count. Madline Kahn is great as a Marlene Dietrich-style saloon girl, right down to the low German accent and promanite use of her legs. Young Frankenstein is still probably the best Brooks film, though this movies 'western brawl in the Warner Brother studio' sequence is arguably the funniest thing he's ever done. Finally notice must go to Slim Pickins for so masterfully making fun of his own persona.
The 1970's where by far the strongest decade for the work of Mel Brooks, and while I had seen most of his films of that era, until tonight my major oversight was Blazing Saddles. A 'spot-on' spoofing of films about the American west from John Ford to Sergio Leoni there are a few good belly laughs in this picture. The most delightfully subversive aspect of the film though is its look at the stereotyping and casual racism that mark both the real old west and much of the historic western genre. The plot deals with a black man (Cleavon Little) appointed by a an inept politician (Mel Brooks) at the behest of a corrupt swindler (Harvy Korman) as the sheriff of a small western town. The villain hopes that the presence of a black sheriff will alienate the towns folk and make it easyer for him to run the locals off of their own property so he can make money in a railroad scam. Of course the plot itself isn't that important, as with all Brooks films its the comic performances and the gags that count. Madline Kahn is great as a Marlene Dietrich-style saloon girl, right down to the low German accent and promanite use of her legs. Young Frankenstein is still probably the best Brooks film, though this movies 'western brawl in the Warner Brother studio' sequence is arguably the funniest thing he's ever done. Finally notice must go to Slim Pickins for so masterfully making fun of his own persona.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
The Red Shoes (1948)
3/30/06
I first became acquainted with the work of the British writer director duo of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger by watching a documentary on Technicolor. From the clips of their movies I saw I was immediately impressed by what they did with color, the hues and spectrum you'll find in a Powell/Pressburger film is like nothing else you've seen on screen. Last year I managed to find a copy of their Nuns in the Himalayas picture Black Narcissus. An interesting film its narrative didn't entirely work for me but I did get a good sense of the pairs unusual taste in stores and fantastic sets (filmed on a sound stage but a dead ringer for India). The films of theirs I've really wanted to see Stairway to Heaven (it's British title) and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (just released on DVD), were not available so I selected as my next Powell/Pressburger film The Red Shoes from 1948.
Set in London, Paris, and Monte Carlo The Red Shoes follows the rise (and fall) of a prima ballerina and her split allegiance between the love of a young composer (Marius Goring) and loyalty to an old mentor (Anton Walbrook). A kind of cross between Chaplins Limelight and Moulin Rouge with a near Anna Karenina ending, the film seems ahead of its time in that the subtext apears to be about a women's impossible choice between homelife and a career. Acclaimed ballet dancer Moria Shearer (who died earlier this year) was plucked off the London stage to play the lead role of Victoria Page, the first of a mere handful of screen appearances for her. Succeeding as a new spin on the old Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale from which it was inspired, The Red Shoes is none-the-less most memorable for its surreal visuals and some of the most elaborate dance numbers ever put on film.
I first became acquainted with the work of the British writer director duo of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger by watching a documentary on Technicolor. From the clips of their movies I saw I was immediately impressed by what they did with color, the hues and spectrum you'll find in a Powell/Pressburger film is like nothing else you've seen on screen. Last year I managed to find a copy of their Nuns in the Himalayas picture Black Narcissus. An interesting film its narrative didn't entirely work for me but I did get a good sense of the pairs unusual taste in stores and fantastic sets (filmed on a sound stage but a dead ringer for India). The films of theirs I've really wanted to see Stairway to Heaven (it's British title) and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (just released on DVD), were not available so I selected as my next Powell/Pressburger film The Red Shoes from 1948.
Set in London, Paris, and Monte Carlo The Red Shoes follows the rise (and fall) of a prima ballerina and her split allegiance between the love of a young composer (Marius Goring) and loyalty to an old mentor (Anton Walbrook). A kind of cross between Chaplins Limelight and Moulin Rouge with a near Anna Karenina ending, the film seems ahead of its time in that the subtext apears to be about a women's impossible choice between homelife and a career. Acclaimed ballet dancer Moria Shearer (who died earlier this year) was plucked off the London stage to play the lead role of Victoria Page, the first of a mere handful of screen appearances for her. Succeeding as a new spin on the old Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale from which it was inspired, The Red Shoes is none-the-less most memorable for its surreal visuals and some of the most elaborate dance numbers ever put on film.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
3/30/06
Probably about a year ago I remember seeing a review for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants on Ebert and Roeper, in which the trusted reviewers stated the film was much 'smarter' then the average entry in its genera. So when a rented copy of this movie ended up in my house I consented to see it. The film follows four friends who share an unusually elastic pair of blue jeans over their summer vacation. Lena (Gilmore Girls Alexis Bledel) is spending her summer with her grandparents on a Greek island. Bridget (Blake Lively) whose mother recently committed suicide is at a soccer camp in Mexico. Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) who is staying home in Maryland is working at a Wal-Mart type store and attempting to make a documentary. Finally Carmen (America Ferrera) has traveled to South Carolina to stay with her semi-estranged dad (The West Wing's Bradley Whitford). At the start this film is far to much teenage girl (even given that most of the actresses are underplaying their age), but it does get better and acutely addresses some important issues in a way that is of relevance to its target audience. There are some surprisingly good performances in the film, highlighted by young Jenna Boyd as a leukemia stricken girl who is deceptively wise. So if your ever in a situation where you are asked to sit through some Hillary Duff Schlauk, I'd recommend suggesting this movie instead.
Probably about a year ago I remember seeing a review for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants on Ebert and Roeper, in which the trusted reviewers stated the film was much 'smarter' then the average entry in its genera. So when a rented copy of this movie ended up in my house I consented to see it. The film follows four friends who share an unusually elastic pair of blue jeans over their summer vacation. Lena (Gilmore Girls Alexis Bledel) is spending her summer with her grandparents on a Greek island. Bridget (Blake Lively) whose mother recently committed suicide is at a soccer camp in Mexico. Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) who is staying home in Maryland is working at a Wal-Mart type store and attempting to make a documentary. Finally Carmen (America Ferrera) has traveled to South Carolina to stay with her semi-estranged dad (The West Wing's Bradley Whitford). At the start this film is far to much teenage girl (even given that most of the actresses are underplaying their age), but it does get better and acutely addresses some important issues in a way that is of relevance to its target audience. There are some surprisingly good performances in the film, highlighted by young Jenna Boyd as a leukemia stricken girl who is deceptively wise. So if your ever in a situation where you are asked to sit through some Hillary Duff Schlauk, I'd recommend suggesting this movie instead.
Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
3/28/06
Based on Jonathan Safran Foer's much praised novel and directed by actor Liev Schreiber, Everything Is Illuminated stars Elijah Wood as a young American Jew searching the Ukraine for the women who saved his grandfathers life during World War II. While American cinema is heavy on holocaust remembrances and sentimental searches for family origins, I don't know if this kind of story has ever been attempted as a sort of quirky comedy-drama. Light in the first hour the movie becomes very serious there after and frankly ends on a disturbing note. Everything Is Illuminated comes across as an awkward translation of what was probably a good book.
Based on Jonathan Safran Foer's much praised novel and directed by actor Liev Schreiber, Everything Is Illuminated stars Elijah Wood as a young American Jew searching the Ukraine for the women who saved his grandfathers life during World War II. While American cinema is heavy on holocaust remembrances and sentimental searches for family origins, I don't know if this kind of story has ever been attempted as a sort of quirky comedy-drama. Light in the first hour the movie becomes very serious there after and frankly ends on a disturbing note. Everything Is Illuminated comes across as an awkward translation of what was probably a good book.
Walk The Line (2005)
3/27/06
Had it not been for the success last year of Ray (a film to which this movie has many similarities), and the unusual number of 'artie' nominees this year, I believe that James Mangolds Walk The Line would have done pretty well at the Academy Awards. Well I guess it didn't do to shabby at that, producing a well earned Oscar for its lead actress. In fact Reese Witherspoon is so sweet and charming in full southern bell mode as June Carter, you just about want to convert to country music.
This Johnny Cash bio-pic focuses on two important strains in the mans life in addition to the music. First we have the substance abuse problem. While an over-arching fondness for music was able to get Johnny through an apparently abusive childhood, the tragic death of his beloved older brother Jake, and the early years of a lackluster first marriage, he eventually turned to drugs while on tour in the mid-50's. The film shows in highly edited form Johnnys long journey with drugs, and while constantly popping pills seemed to have little effect at first it eventually left him in tatters from which he was lucky to recover. The whole recoup thing is perhaps dealt with over-quickly, but then again we did get more then our fair share of those scenes last year with Ray.
But it is Johnnys even longer courtship with singer June Carter that is the heart of the movie and center of his life. The relationship between these two is one of the more fascinating and engaging true love stores ever put to film. As mentioned before Witherspoon is wonderful as June, but Joaquin Phoneix looks and sounds remarkably like the late Mr. Cash and gives quite a performance. So much truth about the inter-relationship between the two lead characters is communicated in song that Walk The Line qualifies as one the best musicals of the decade (we've seen a slight increase in this genre lately so I'm acutely saying something). Solid all the way through and just right at about 2 hours and 15 minutes, Walk The Line is time well spent.
Had it not been for the success last year of Ray (a film to which this movie has many similarities), and the unusual number of 'artie' nominees this year, I believe that James Mangolds Walk The Line would have done pretty well at the Academy Awards. Well I guess it didn't do to shabby at that, producing a well earned Oscar for its lead actress. In fact Reese Witherspoon is so sweet and charming in full southern bell mode as June Carter, you just about want to convert to country music.
This Johnny Cash bio-pic focuses on two important strains in the mans life in addition to the music. First we have the substance abuse problem. While an over-arching fondness for music was able to get Johnny through an apparently abusive childhood, the tragic death of his beloved older brother Jake, and the early years of a lackluster first marriage, he eventually turned to drugs while on tour in the mid-50's. The film shows in highly edited form Johnnys long journey with drugs, and while constantly popping pills seemed to have little effect at first it eventually left him in tatters from which he was lucky to recover. The whole recoup thing is perhaps dealt with over-quickly, but then again we did get more then our fair share of those scenes last year with Ray.
But it is Johnnys even longer courtship with singer June Carter that is the heart of the movie and center of his life. The relationship between these two is one of the more fascinating and engaging true love stores ever put to film. As mentioned before Witherspoon is wonderful as June, but Joaquin Phoneix looks and sounds remarkably like the late Mr. Cash and gives quite a performance. So much truth about the inter-relationship between the two lead characters is communicated in song that Walk The Line qualifies as one the best musicals of the decade (we've seen a slight increase in this genre lately so I'm acutely saying something). Solid all the way through and just right at about 2 hours and 15 minutes, Walk The Line is time well spent.
Rope (1948)
3/25/06
Alfred Hitchcocks Rope was an experiment, an attempt at putting a one set play on film, it is something that Hitch would do again six years later with Dial M for Murder, only then with less rigidity and to more success. Based on Patrick Hamilton's play 'Ropes End' and inspired by the famous Leopold & Loeb case of the 1920's, Rope was both Hitchcocks first color film as well as first of four memorable collaborations with actor James Stewart. This technically innovative dark comedy was staged like a theatrical play, only filmed in 8-minute takes to accommodate the capacity of the cameras. I have seen this movie quite a few times and while it runs 80 minutes I can still only notice about 4-to-5 cuts.
Rope concerns two 'intellectual' young men, Brandon Shaw (John Dall) and Phillip Morgan (Farley Granger, whom Hitch would use again three years later as the lead in Strangers on a Train), who kill their friend David with the titular instrument out of a sense of being superior and to see if they could get away with it. This murder takes place in their apartment just before a party they are hosting which is to be attended by the deceased father, girlfriend and best friend, among others. For added effect Brandon choses to serve their company dinner on top of the old chest in which they are temporally storing Davids body. Stewart enters the picture as the boys boarding school headmaster Rupert Cadell, a disciple of Nietzsche who through his teachings is indirectly responsible for the boys act (this applies to both Nietzsche and Rupert).
Starting out as a darkly comic suspense film it gradually shifts into a philosophical detective story as Rupert begins to figure out whats going on and to regret the part he played in leading the boys to commit murder.
Not a big success when it first came out Rope is now considered both an oddity and a classic, and is like no other film of its time. In addition to all its technical and performance achievements the films writing is a definite stand-out. While the treatment was by Hume Cronyn and some additional dialogue was provided by the great Ben Hecht, the bulk of the screenplay was written by Arthur Lauvents, who in the companion documentary to the film has his own theories as to why this movie was not originally successful. First off he faults the casting of James Stewart, who although very good in the film is not completely credible as the type of character he is suppose to be playing. Secondly Lauvents says that the films homosexual undertones scared off audiences (insert own Brokeback Mountain joke here). Apparently both the British stage play from which the film was taken, as well as the perpetrators of the original crime that inspired it were fairly blatantly homosexual. This is not something I noticed the first time I viewed the film, being then so caught up in the story, but further viewing has reveled this subtext to be there albeit very subtly. If this was indeed intentionally the case on the part of the screenwriter it should be noted that the gay characters seem much more politically correct then most offered on film today. Indeed the 'gay' charictatur most commonly offered in current media portals of homosexuals is no where near as sophisticated as the portraits offered here, which stand up on their own as characters not merely as token representations of their 'orientation'. Current screen writers should note that ideologically driven portrayals of any group, Gay, Mormon, Black, or what have you are not that interesting. Give us real characters and the audience is much more likely to go further with them then when presented with a cookie-cutter stereotype. Rope was indeed very ahead of its time, in some ways even beyond today.
Lastely I'd just like to add that those who have seen the film before might enjoy the original theatrical trailer included on the DVD. This trailer contains a sort of 'prolog' scene of Janet and Davids last visit together before his death. Here you actually get to hear David talk and gain more of a sense of his character, you also kind of understand why Brandon and Phillip though he was so inferior. Also Ironic is that this film marks the last role for the actor who played David, Dick Hogan.
Alfred Hitchcocks Rope was an experiment, an attempt at putting a one set play on film, it is something that Hitch would do again six years later with Dial M for Murder, only then with less rigidity and to more success. Based on Patrick Hamilton's play 'Ropes End' and inspired by the famous Leopold & Loeb case of the 1920's, Rope was both Hitchcocks first color film as well as first of four memorable collaborations with actor James Stewart. This technically innovative dark comedy was staged like a theatrical play, only filmed in 8-minute takes to accommodate the capacity of the cameras. I have seen this movie quite a few times and while it runs 80 minutes I can still only notice about 4-to-5 cuts.
Rope concerns two 'intellectual' young men, Brandon Shaw (John Dall) and Phillip Morgan (Farley Granger, whom Hitch would use again three years later as the lead in Strangers on a Train), who kill their friend David with the titular instrument out of a sense of being superior and to see if they could get away with it. This murder takes place in their apartment just before a party they are hosting which is to be attended by the deceased father, girlfriend and best friend, among others. For added effect Brandon choses to serve their company dinner on top of the old chest in which they are temporally storing Davids body. Stewart enters the picture as the boys boarding school headmaster Rupert Cadell, a disciple of Nietzsche who through his teachings is indirectly responsible for the boys act (this applies to both Nietzsche and Rupert).
Starting out as a darkly comic suspense film it gradually shifts into a philosophical detective story as Rupert begins to figure out whats going on and to regret the part he played in leading the boys to commit murder.
Not a big success when it first came out Rope is now considered both an oddity and a classic, and is like no other film of its time. In addition to all its technical and performance achievements the films writing is a definite stand-out. While the treatment was by Hume Cronyn and some additional dialogue was provided by the great Ben Hecht, the bulk of the screenplay was written by Arthur Lauvents, who in the companion documentary to the film has his own theories as to why this movie was not originally successful. First off he faults the casting of James Stewart, who although very good in the film is not completely credible as the type of character he is suppose to be playing. Secondly Lauvents says that the films homosexual undertones scared off audiences (insert own Brokeback Mountain joke here). Apparently both the British stage play from which the film was taken, as well as the perpetrators of the original crime that inspired it were fairly blatantly homosexual. This is not something I noticed the first time I viewed the film, being then so caught up in the story, but further viewing has reveled this subtext to be there albeit very subtly. If this was indeed intentionally the case on the part of the screenwriter it should be noted that the gay characters seem much more politically correct then most offered on film today. Indeed the 'gay' charictatur most commonly offered in current media portals of homosexuals is no where near as sophisticated as the portraits offered here, which stand up on their own as characters not merely as token representations of their 'orientation'. Current screen writers should note that ideologically driven portrayals of any group, Gay, Mormon, Black, or what have you are not that interesting. Give us real characters and the audience is much more likely to go further with them then when presented with a cookie-cutter stereotype. Rope was indeed very ahead of its time, in some ways even beyond today.
Lastely I'd just like to add that those who have seen the film before might enjoy the original theatrical trailer included on the DVD. This trailer contains a sort of 'prolog' scene of Janet and Davids last visit together before his death. Here you actually get to hear David talk and gain more of a sense of his character, you also kind of understand why Brandon and Phillip though he was so inferior. Also Ironic is that this film marks the last role for the actor who played David, Dick Hogan.
The Inside Man (2006)
3/25/06
Spike Lee's The Inside Man is one of those movies that you just can't say much about without spoiling it so I'll keep this brief. Basically this is a well done, mostly formula heist/hostage picture that I would give three stars. You'll enjoy yourself but not be blown away, however as we are currently in a weak part of the year for motion pictures you probably can't expect much more out of a theater experience.
Spike Lee's The Inside Man is one of those movies that you just can't say much about without spoiling it so I'll keep this brief. Basically this is a well done, mostly formula heist/hostage picture that I would give three stars. You'll enjoy yourself but not be blown away, however as we are currently in a weak part of the year for motion pictures you probably can't expect much more out of a theater experience.
Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers: To Live and Die in Starlight (2002)
3/24/06
It's a bit of a treat to get to write a Babylon 5 related review as I've already seen just about everything Straczynski's done with that 'universe' save for a couple of episodes of the ill-fated sequel series Crusade. Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers: To Live and Die in Starlight, in addition to being an excessively long title was the 2002 pilot movie for another attempted sequel series to the venerable 90's space opera. Like Crusade which lasted only one season, Rangers would fail at having much of a life span, not even having a single regular episode produced.
The premise of the program was to follow the adventures of Ranger Capitan David Martell (Dylan Neal) and his rag-tag crew aboard the 20-year-old ship the Liandra as they investigate the emergence of a new power on the galactic scene, the mysterious race known only as 'The Hand'. Set in 2264 roughly 2-years after the events of B5's last season and three years before the start of Crusades storyline, if this series had continued it would have been interesting to see how its events might intertwine with those of the Gary Cole helmed series.
The best thing about this slightly better then average Sci-Fi Channel TV movie is the late Andreas Katsulas in his final performance as the wonderful G'Kar. More then a cameo appearance G'Kar does play an important role at a couple points during the film, he even delivers a little speech about death rendered kind of creepy granted the actors recent passing. Legend of the Rangers is best for hard core B5 fans who'd just like to have one last look into Straczynskis fascinating 'universe'.
It's a bit of a treat to get to write a Babylon 5 related review as I've already seen just about everything Straczynski's done with that 'universe' save for a couple of episodes of the ill-fated sequel series Crusade. Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers: To Live and Die in Starlight, in addition to being an excessively long title was the 2002 pilot movie for another attempted sequel series to the venerable 90's space opera. Like Crusade which lasted only one season, Rangers would fail at having much of a life span, not even having a single regular episode produced.
The premise of the program was to follow the adventures of Ranger Capitan David Martell (Dylan Neal) and his rag-tag crew aboard the 20-year-old ship the Liandra as they investigate the emergence of a new power on the galactic scene, the mysterious race known only as 'The Hand'. Set in 2264 roughly 2-years after the events of B5's last season and three years before the start of Crusades storyline, if this series had continued it would have been interesting to see how its events might intertwine with those of the Gary Cole helmed series.
The best thing about this slightly better then average Sci-Fi Channel TV movie is the late Andreas Katsulas in his final performance as the wonderful G'Kar. More then a cameo appearance G'Kar does play an important role at a couple points during the film, he even delivers a little speech about death rendered kind of creepy granted the actors recent passing. Legend of the Rangers is best for hard core B5 fans who'd just like to have one last look into Straczynskis fascinating 'universe'.
All That Jazz (1979)
3/21/06
The recent recommendation of All That Jazz by a friend of mine as one of the top 5 musicals of all time, pushed me over the edge to view this film that I have long intended to see. One of the first American films done in the Dennis Potter style, Jazz is director Bob Fosses semi-autobiographical account of the last few months in the life of a self-destructive, sex addicted, drug abusing, death obsessed but brilliant choreographer and director. Roy Scheider plays that director, Joe Gideon, in what is probably the best performance of his career.
Gideon is in the middle of pre-production for a musical set to star his ex-wife Audry Paris (played byLeland Plamer which by-the-way was the name of Ray Wise's character on Twin Peaks), while simultaneously editing a feature film he directed about a stand-up comedian. Despite the busy work-aholic schedule he loves, Joe still manages to find time to sleep with a dancer from his show. His girlfriend Anqelique (Jessica Lang) is none to pleased but sticks with him despite the pattern of unfaithfulness that ruined his first marriage. Joe by the way has a daughter from that first marriage named Michelle (Erzsebet Foldi) whom he adores but neglects because of his work.
Joe Gideon is basically a deceitful person, an unfaithful lair who will say nearly anything to get what he wants, yet he is non-the-less quite charming, very good at what he does, and you understand why people want to be around him. Though actually happy with his current life style and estranged from any real emotion, Gideon is forced to confront his own mortality when a series of minor symptoms turn out to be signs of angina, and his very life might be in danger. This all leads to lavish Broadway style musical hallucinations, acting out, various internal conflicts, and ultimately an odd kind of redemption. Seldom does a musical make you think, let alone reflect upon matters of mortality, but All That Jazz succeeds in doing so. If you start the film be warned that the first half may take awhile to 1) get your interest, and 2) make sense, yet it all does come together nicely in the end (interesting choice of a last shot by the way). Feel free to fast-forward through an awkward musical number in the middle of the film, you'll know it when you see it and its not 100% essential for the plot. While I may not think Jazz is one of the five best musicals of all time it sure is one of the most unusual, and quite reveling about its director. Bob Fosse himself died of heart attack in 1987.
The recent recommendation of All That Jazz by a friend of mine as one of the top 5 musicals of all time, pushed me over the edge to view this film that I have long intended to see. One of the first American films done in the Dennis Potter style, Jazz is director Bob Fosses semi-autobiographical account of the last few months in the life of a self-destructive, sex addicted, drug abusing, death obsessed but brilliant choreographer and director. Roy Scheider plays that director, Joe Gideon, in what is probably the best performance of his career.
Gideon is in the middle of pre-production for a musical set to star his ex-wife Audry Paris (played byLeland Plamer which by-the-way was the name of Ray Wise's character on Twin Peaks), while simultaneously editing a feature film he directed about a stand-up comedian. Despite the busy work-aholic schedule he loves, Joe still manages to find time to sleep with a dancer from his show. His girlfriend Anqelique (Jessica Lang) is none to pleased but sticks with him despite the pattern of unfaithfulness that ruined his first marriage. Joe by the way has a daughter from that first marriage named Michelle (Erzsebet Foldi) whom he adores but neglects because of his work.
Joe Gideon is basically a deceitful person, an unfaithful lair who will say nearly anything to get what he wants, yet he is non-the-less quite charming, very good at what he does, and you understand why people want to be around him. Though actually happy with his current life style and estranged from any real emotion, Gideon is forced to confront his own mortality when a series of minor symptoms turn out to be signs of angina, and his very life might be in danger. This all leads to lavish Broadway style musical hallucinations, acting out, various internal conflicts, and ultimately an odd kind of redemption. Seldom does a musical make you think, let alone reflect upon matters of mortality, but All That Jazz succeeds in doing so. If you start the film be warned that the first half may take awhile to 1) get your interest, and 2) make sense, yet it all does come together nicely in the end (interesting choice of a last shot by the way). Feel free to fast-forward through an awkward musical number in the middle of the film, you'll know it when you see it and its not 100% essential for the plot. While I may not think Jazz is one of the five best musicals of all time it sure is one of the most unusual, and quite reveling about its director. Bob Fosse himself died of heart attack in 1987.
The Edward R. Murrow Collection (199?)
3/21/06
The tune from the old Shaker hymn 'Simple Gifts', as incorporated into Aaron Coplands 'Appalachian Spring' is used as the theme of The Edward R. Murrow Collection. This selection is appropriate not only because it was the theme music for the last news program that Murrow worked on, CBS Reports, but because the phrase 'simple gifts' amply captures the straight forward talents and uncomplecated style that helped make Murrow such a good, and now legendary reporter. This legend has been recently enhanced by George Clooneys solid film Good Night and Good Luck, which is what inspired me to view this boxed-set.
The Edward R. Murrow Collection I viewed is simply the DVD transfer of a mid-90's VHS set of the same title, it consestes of 4 discs. The first Disc is hosted by the late Charles Kuralt and contains a two-part PBS documentary from the early 90's on Murrow and his legacy. This first disc provides good background for the other DVD's but also kind of spoils them as it contains clips of some of their best moments. Disc two hosted by Mike Wallace is the best of See It Now, Murrows groundbreaking 50's evening news program, of special interest on this disc are interviews with Grandma Moses and Louie Armstrong.
Disc Three is the real meat of the set if you where fascinated by the Murrow/McCarthy feud chronicled in Good Night, and Good Luck. Hosted by Walter Cronkiet this disc contains segments from, and several complete episodes of See It Now that dealt with the unreputable Joe McCarthy. This includes the Senators lengthy response to Murrows claims and the famed broadcasters rebuttal to McCarthys counter-charges. Interestingly McCarthys speech on the program has the man coming off as ego-centric but not entirely uninformed, Murrow however calmly undoes anything his advisary may have accomplished with his half-hour on air in only a matter of minutes.
The Final disc (hosted by Dan Rather) contains the powerful documentary Harvest of Shame that aired on CBS Reports at Thanksgiving 1960, just a few months before Murrow left the network to head the US Information Agency for the Kennedy Administration. This look at the plight of migrant works still stings as sadly little has changed. On the whole not a set for great entertainment, but informative and enlightening, as well as one of the few chances you'll probably ever get to watch vintage 50's news broadcasts in some detail.
The tune from the old Shaker hymn 'Simple Gifts', as incorporated into Aaron Coplands 'Appalachian Spring' is used as the theme of The Edward R. Murrow Collection. This selection is appropriate not only because it was the theme music for the last news program that Murrow worked on, CBS Reports, but because the phrase 'simple gifts' amply captures the straight forward talents and uncomplecated style that helped make Murrow such a good, and now legendary reporter. This legend has been recently enhanced by George Clooneys solid film Good Night and Good Luck, which is what inspired me to view this boxed-set.
The Edward R. Murrow Collection I viewed is simply the DVD transfer of a mid-90's VHS set of the same title, it consestes of 4 discs. The first Disc is hosted by the late Charles Kuralt and contains a two-part PBS documentary from the early 90's on Murrow and his legacy. This first disc provides good background for the other DVD's but also kind of spoils them as it contains clips of some of their best moments. Disc two hosted by Mike Wallace is the best of See It Now, Murrows groundbreaking 50's evening news program, of special interest on this disc are interviews with Grandma Moses and Louie Armstrong.
Disc Three is the real meat of the set if you where fascinated by the Murrow/McCarthy feud chronicled in Good Night, and Good Luck. Hosted by Walter Cronkiet this disc contains segments from, and several complete episodes of See It Now that dealt with the unreputable Joe McCarthy. This includes the Senators lengthy response to Murrows claims and the famed broadcasters rebuttal to McCarthys counter-charges. Interestingly McCarthys speech on the program has the man coming off as ego-centric but not entirely uninformed, Murrow however calmly undoes anything his advisary may have accomplished with his half-hour on air in only a matter of minutes.
The Final disc (hosted by Dan Rather) contains the powerful documentary Harvest of Shame that aired on CBS Reports at Thanksgiving 1960, just a few months before Murrow left the network to head the US Information Agency for the Kennedy Administration. This look at the plight of migrant works still stings as sadly little has changed. On the whole not a set for great entertainment, but informative and enlightening, as well as one of the few chances you'll probably ever get to watch vintage 50's news broadcasts in some detail.
Carnivale: Season 1 (2003)
3/15/06
Carnivale season 1: Think of it as Lynch meets Browning by way of Stephen King. Carnivale was like no other show on television in its scale, themes and sensibilities. The brain child of Daniel Knauf, who himself said that of all the things he'd written he never thought it would be produced, Carnivale was suppose to be a 6-year 'serial for television' in much the same way that Babylon 5 was a '5-year novel for television'. Unfortunately Carnivale was cancelled by HBO after its 2nd season due to mounting expenses and declining viewership, what was done of the story however is worth a look for those who can handel its audacity.
The intro to the pilot sets up the basic mythological premise of the show, namely that to each generation of man is born "a creature of light, and a creature of darkness" to act out the old battle between good and evil. It is also stated that the beings of light and darkness who came to a head in the 1930's would be that last such beings to exist, as the explosion of the atomic bomb over Trinity would forever kill that magical element in man that allowed for true faith in the mystical. The series is presented as two sides of a coin, following the parallel rise of a savior and anti-Christ beginning in 1934.
The destined savior is Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl) an escape from an Oklahoma chain-gang who is picked up by a traveling carnivale and brought on as a 'roustabout'. Since his childhood Nick has had a strange ability to heal, even brining a dead kitten back to life as a young boy. Bens religiously fanatical mother convinced her son that this power was of the devil, and he has been hiding and neglecting his talent ever since. The rising anti-Christ comes from a much different and unexpected background, Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown) is a small town California Methodist Minister living alone with his sisiter Iris (Amy Madigan). Justin is a dull but well meaning pastor until he starts having visions and discovers he has magical powers, paramount among these is the ability to force others to relive their most shameful sins, an experience so dramatic that it drives at least one man to suicide. Justin starts out wanting to use his powers for good, but as the season progresses he gets drawn more and more to the darkside, coming to view himself as the Old Testaments 'Left Hand of God' a kind of destroying angel.
In addition to the cosmic battle between good and evil which is the shows primary thematic focus, you also have the more soap-opera style happings of the various carnivale folks. Samson (Michael J. Anderson) is the midget who runs the carnivale, a charming chap he is well liked by the troupe but always keeps his distance. Clayton Jones (Tim DeKay) or "Jonsey" to most people is the chief roustabout and 'John Wayne' figure of the show. Adrine Barbeau is Ruthie the 50ish snake charmer and Brian Turk her son Gabriel, "the strongest man in North America". There is also the whole Dreifuss clan, the family who run the carnivales 'hootchi-kootchi show'. Apparently these 'strip-tease' programs where often done as a family affair in the 30's, thus making the Dreifuses a rather screwed-up but oddly loving family. The break out star of the show in my book is Clea DuVall as Sofie, who through a telepathic link with her comatose mother Apollonia "The Queen of the Gypsy's" (Diane Salinger), is the troupes tarot card reader. The most notable freak is "Gecko" (John Fleck) a human lizard with a multing problem.
The Carnavale travels from town to town in the southern US between California and Texas encountering various other interesting characters along the way, including a 'lobster girl' and a town populated almost entirely by ghosts. Like 24 this show is not afraid to go in interesting directions and I can promises you that 2-3 major characters die in the 12-episode first season alone. The big arc in season one for Ben is his discovery that the father he never knew once worked at the carnaval as "Henry Scudder the Gentleman Geek" (guy who bits live chickens heads off). Nicks father, who is also known as "Hack" (John Savage) keeps appearing in his sons dreams, which often take place either in a corn field or the trenches of World War One where his father fought. It is quite possible that his father was either the being of light or of darkness for 'the lost generation'. "Management" the reclusive owner of the carnivale who never comes out of his trailer has been looking for Hack for years, though most folks think he's dead. While we are never shown what "Management" looks like and only hear him talking from behind the velvet curtain that hides his bed, I'm pretty sure the man is a former German solder who has been badly mauled by a performing bear. If you want to make any sense of that last statement your just going to have to watch the show. Again be warned that Carnavile is TV-M, but quite the show none the less.
Carnivale season 1: Think of it as Lynch meets Browning by way of Stephen King. Carnivale was like no other show on television in its scale, themes and sensibilities. The brain child of Daniel Knauf, who himself said that of all the things he'd written he never thought it would be produced, Carnivale was suppose to be a 6-year 'serial for television' in much the same way that Babylon 5 was a '5-year novel for television'. Unfortunately Carnivale was cancelled by HBO after its 2nd season due to mounting expenses and declining viewership, what was done of the story however is worth a look for those who can handel its audacity.
The intro to the pilot sets up the basic mythological premise of the show, namely that to each generation of man is born "a creature of light, and a creature of darkness" to act out the old battle between good and evil. It is also stated that the beings of light and darkness who came to a head in the 1930's would be that last such beings to exist, as the explosion of the atomic bomb over Trinity would forever kill that magical element in man that allowed for true faith in the mystical. The series is presented as two sides of a coin, following the parallel rise of a savior and anti-Christ beginning in 1934.
The destined savior is Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl) an escape from an Oklahoma chain-gang who is picked up by a traveling carnivale and brought on as a 'roustabout'. Since his childhood Nick has had a strange ability to heal, even brining a dead kitten back to life as a young boy. Bens religiously fanatical mother convinced her son that this power was of the devil, and he has been hiding and neglecting his talent ever since. The rising anti-Christ comes from a much different and unexpected background, Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown) is a small town California Methodist Minister living alone with his sisiter Iris (Amy Madigan). Justin is a dull but well meaning pastor until he starts having visions and discovers he has magical powers, paramount among these is the ability to force others to relive their most shameful sins, an experience so dramatic that it drives at least one man to suicide. Justin starts out wanting to use his powers for good, but as the season progresses he gets drawn more and more to the darkside, coming to view himself as the Old Testaments 'Left Hand of God' a kind of destroying angel.
In addition to the cosmic battle between good and evil which is the shows primary thematic focus, you also have the more soap-opera style happings of the various carnivale folks. Samson (Michael J. Anderson) is the midget who runs the carnivale, a charming chap he is well liked by the troupe but always keeps his distance. Clayton Jones (Tim DeKay) or "Jonsey" to most people is the chief roustabout and 'John Wayne' figure of the show. Adrine Barbeau is Ruthie the 50ish snake charmer and Brian Turk her son Gabriel, "the strongest man in North America". There is also the whole Dreifuss clan, the family who run the carnivales 'hootchi-kootchi show'. Apparently these 'strip-tease' programs where often done as a family affair in the 30's, thus making the Dreifuses a rather screwed-up but oddly loving family. The break out star of the show in my book is Clea DuVall as Sofie, who through a telepathic link with her comatose mother Apollonia "The Queen of the Gypsy's" (Diane Salinger), is the troupes tarot card reader. The most notable freak is "Gecko" (John Fleck) a human lizard with a multing problem.
The Carnavale travels from town to town in the southern US between California and Texas encountering various other interesting characters along the way, including a 'lobster girl' and a town populated almost entirely by ghosts. Like 24 this show is not afraid to go in interesting directions and I can promises you that 2-3 major characters die in the 12-episode first season alone. The big arc in season one for Ben is his discovery that the father he never knew once worked at the carnaval as "Henry Scudder the Gentleman Geek" (guy who bits live chickens heads off). Nicks father, who is also known as "Hack" (John Savage) keeps appearing in his sons dreams, which often take place either in a corn field or the trenches of World War One where his father fought. It is quite possible that his father was either the being of light or of darkness for 'the lost generation'. "Management" the reclusive owner of the carnivale who never comes out of his trailer has been looking for Hack for years, though most folks think he's dead. While we are never shown what "Management" looks like and only hear him talking from behind the velvet curtain that hides his bed, I'm pretty sure the man is a former German solder who has been badly mauled by a performing bear. If you want to make any sense of that last statement your just going to have to watch the show. Again be warned that Carnavile is TV-M, but quite the show none the less.
Carman Jones (1954)
3/14/06
Director Preminger was always on the look out for projects that were groundbreaking and unusual, and he certainly found one in Oscar Hammersteins all-black adaptation of the opera Carmen. Carman Jones depicts the ill-fated romance between straight-laced corporal Joe (Harry Belafonte) and the temptress Carmen (Dorothy Dandridge). Ms. Dandridge is by far the strongest thing that this film has going for it, an engaging personality who landed an Academy Award nomination for her performance here, she unfortunately never again in life achieved the acclaim and attention this film brought her. Dorthys story is really much more interesting then this film and I would highly recommend the excellent cable movie about her life Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, in which she is played by Halle Berry. Preminger had an affair with Dandridge while making this film but broke it off in part do to racial pressures after the movies release, although he did use her again five years later in the similar Porgy and Bess. Most significant as the first all-black major studio picture Carman Jones is otherwise pretty boring and not a good film for those just starting out on Preminger movies.
Director Preminger was always on the look out for projects that were groundbreaking and unusual, and he certainly found one in Oscar Hammersteins all-black adaptation of the opera Carmen. Carman Jones depicts the ill-fated romance between straight-laced corporal Joe (Harry Belafonte) and the temptress Carmen (Dorothy Dandridge). Ms. Dandridge is by far the strongest thing that this film has going for it, an engaging personality who landed an Academy Award nomination for her performance here, she unfortunately never again in life achieved the acclaim and attention this film brought her. Dorthys story is really much more interesting then this film and I would highly recommend the excellent cable movie about her life Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, in which she is played by Halle Berry. Preminger had an affair with Dandridge while making this film but broke it off in part do to racial pressures after the movies release, although he did use her again five years later in the similar Porgy and Bess. Most significant as the first all-black major studio picture Carman Jones is otherwise pretty boring and not a good film for those just starting out on Preminger movies.
Dune (The Extended Version) (1984)
3/12/06
Sunday: Dune (the extended version). The 'lost footage' from 1984's Dune has been much talked about and sought after by both Lynch and Herbert fans, now that previously cut material has been re-edited into an extended edition of the cult classic. Unfortunately the extra 40 minutes adds nothing to the over all picture and infact makes this already confused film into more of a long winded mess. I expected as much as Lynch himself has refused to have his name on the credits of this version, billed instead under his occasional fake name of Alan Smithee (that is the correct spelling). However I wanted to see it anyway even if just to confirm that it should have been left on the cutting room floor. This extended version is for fanatics only.
Sunday: Dune (the extended version). The 'lost footage' from 1984's Dune has been much talked about and sought after by both Lynch and Herbert fans, now that previously cut material has been re-edited into an extended edition of the cult classic. Unfortunately the extra 40 minutes adds nothing to the over all picture and infact makes this already confused film into more of a long winded mess. I expected as much as Lynch himself has refused to have his name on the credits of this version, billed instead under his occasional fake name of Alan Smithee (that is the correct spelling). However I wanted to see it anyway even if just to confirm that it should have been left on the cutting room floor. This extended version is for fanatics only.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
3/12/06
Saturday: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The fourth Harry Potter movie begins with what can best be called a 'terrorist attack' on the Quidich(sp) World Cup. This event marks the re-emergence of the forces of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Finnes) as an active presence in the magical realms. Infact Voldermorts 'specter' is felt more heavily throughout this film then in any of the others, and for good reason as the viewer will see. The lest bound to form of any of the 'Potter movies', Goblet of Fire focus most of its plot time on Harrys involuntary participation in the prestigious though dangerous 'Tri-Wizard Tournament'. The tournament is a compatetion pitting young wizards against various obstacles to prove their superior magical abilities. Harry is one of two participants representing Hogwarts (an unusual occurrence), with the others coming from a visiting French girls school and a boys school in Romania or Bulgaria or some such place.
Radcliffe, Watson and Grint are strong as always in their signature roles as Hogwarts most trouble prone students, but the real standout of this film is a new character. In what is now an established yearly tradition Hogwarts has a new 'defense against the dark arts' teacher, in this case its the gruff Alastor 'MadEye' Moody (Brendan Gleeson), who looks and acts like just like John Wayne in True Grit. Also Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) gets something of a love interest in the form of Madame Olympe Maxime (Frances de la Tour) the dean(et?) of the girls school, who looks like Allison Janney if she where a giant and slightly mutated. With the exception of Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) who is becoming increasingly less mystical, all the usual players on the schools staff have been seemingly reduced to bit parts. Gary Oldman however does enjoy one of the most unusual cameo appearances ever brought to the screen as his Sirius Black character from the 3rd film. Goblet of Fire is probably the best Harry Potter film so far, thought I'd say that Mike Newells direction is not quite as strong as Alfonso Cuarons was on Prisoner of Azkaban. This film stuck with me longer then I thought it would and I find myself incressingly excited for number five.
Saturday: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The fourth Harry Potter movie begins with what can best be called a 'terrorist attack' on the Quidich(sp) World Cup. This event marks the re-emergence of the forces of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Finnes) as an active presence in the magical realms. Infact Voldermorts 'specter' is felt more heavily throughout this film then in any of the others, and for good reason as the viewer will see. The lest bound to form of any of the 'Potter movies', Goblet of Fire focus most of its plot time on Harrys involuntary participation in the prestigious though dangerous 'Tri-Wizard Tournament'. The tournament is a compatetion pitting young wizards against various obstacles to prove their superior magical abilities. Harry is one of two participants representing Hogwarts (an unusual occurrence), with the others coming from a visiting French girls school and a boys school in Romania or Bulgaria or some such place.
Radcliffe, Watson and Grint are strong as always in their signature roles as Hogwarts most trouble prone students, but the real standout of this film is a new character. In what is now an established yearly tradition Hogwarts has a new 'defense against the dark arts' teacher, in this case its the gruff Alastor 'MadEye' Moody (Brendan Gleeson), who looks and acts like just like John Wayne in True Grit. Also Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) gets something of a love interest in the form of Madame Olympe Maxime (Frances de la Tour) the dean(et?) of the girls school, who looks like Allison Janney if she where a giant and slightly mutated. With the exception of Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) who is becoming increasingly less mystical, all the usual players on the schools staff have been seemingly reduced to bit parts. Gary Oldman however does enjoy one of the most unusual cameo appearances ever brought to the screen as his Sirius Black character from the 3rd film. Goblet of Fire is probably the best Harry Potter film so far, thought I'd say that Mike Newells direction is not quite as strong as Alfonso Cuarons was on Prisoner of Azkaban. This film stuck with me longer then I thought it would and I find myself incressingly excited for number five.
Aliens of the Deep (2005)
3/12/06
Friday: Aliens of the Deep (extended version). James Cameron is a water nut, the director of such high profile H2O heavy features as Titanic and The Abyss continues to explore his obsession with this documentary made for IMAX. Cameron has been concentrating on documentary features for several years now, and had previously made the sunken ship exposes Ghost of the Abyss and Expedition: Bismarck. In Aliens of the Deep the director goes in a slightly different direction with a look at the unusual life forms that dwell so deep in the ocean that they never encounter sunlight. Cameron is fascinated by these creatures and truth be told I find the little buggers a marvel myself. I mean these are animals that as humans we would never have been able to see where it not for relatively recent advances in technology. Some of these creatures look like they shouldn't even exist, such as the flowing doughnut of translucent fabric I call the "Jelly Cloth".
Filmed on a two ocean expedition with Cameron, his brothers, a Russian team, some scientist and a group of grad students who seem to function largely as figures for audience identification, Aliens of the Deep was no small undertaking. The unifying purpose of the expedition was to study how life manages to develop in extreme environments, with the hope that this information might give us some clue as to how alien life might have evolved in similar extreme conditions, like under Europas frozen seas. The sub-team ventures down into the cracks in the Earths crust to view the life the somehow flourishes near the hydro-thermal vents. It is important to note that scientists had not expected to find any life there when they first journyed to study these vents in the late 1970's, their encounter with a thriving ecosphere in the last place anyone would look for life was one of the great knowledge transformations of the 20th century. There are some pretty cool looking creatures in this documentary as well as some CG work of high end Discovery Channel quality. The extended version runs about an hour and forty minutes but the theatrical version is about half that if you don't think you could sit through the whole thing.
Friday: Aliens of the Deep (extended version). James Cameron is a water nut, the director of such high profile H2O heavy features as Titanic and The Abyss continues to explore his obsession with this documentary made for IMAX. Cameron has been concentrating on documentary features for several years now, and had previously made the sunken ship exposes Ghost of the Abyss and Expedition: Bismarck. In Aliens of the Deep the director goes in a slightly different direction with a look at the unusual life forms that dwell so deep in the ocean that they never encounter sunlight. Cameron is fascinated by these creatures and truth be told I find the little buggers a marvel myself. I mean these are animals that as humans we would never have been able to see where it not for relatively recent advances in technology. Some of these creatures look like they shouldn't even exist, such as the flowing doughnut of translucent fabric I call the "Jelly Cloth".
Filmed on a two ocean expedition with Cameron, his brothers, a Russian team, some scientist and a group of grad students who seem to function largely as figures for audience identification, Aliens of the Deep was no small undertaking. The unifying purpose of the expedition was to study how life manages to develop in extreme environments, with the hope that this information might give us some clue as to how alien life might have evolved in similar extreme conditions, like under Europas frozen seas. The sub-team ventures down into the cracks in the Earths crust to view the life the somehow flourishes near the hydro-thermal vents. It is important to note that scientists had not expected to find any life there when they first journyed to study these vents in the late 1970's, their encounter with a thriving ecosphere in the last place anyone would look for life was one of the great knowledge transformations of the 20th century. There are some pretty cool looking creatures in this documentary as well as some CG work of high end Discovery Channel quality. The extended version runs about an hour and forty minutes but the theatrical version is about half that if you don't think you could sit through the whole thing.
Bio-Dome (1996)
3/9/06
Also seen by me lately: Bio-Dome. I can not say that I saw this movie by choice, because I didn't. Somehow a student convinced an instructor of mine to show this during class, I am still in this class so I'm not going to say much more about it so as to avoid any awkward situations. This is an awful film, though admittedly the second half is better then the first. For your own good stay away from all films staring Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin, you have been warned.
Also seen by me lately: Bio-Dome. I can not say that I saw this movie by choice, because I didn't. Somehow a student convinced an instructor of mine to show this during class, I am still in this class so I'm not going to say much more about it so as to avoid any awkward situations. This is an awful film, though admittedly the second half is better then the first. For your own good stay away from all films staring Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin, you have been warned.
Stage Door Canteen (1943)
3/9/06
Stage Door Canteen was a 1943 film made (as many films were at that time) as an aide to the war effort. Its goal seemed to be to bring as many stars as possible together in one film to promote a good cause. The cause in question here is the titular 'stage door canteen' a New York City establishment that provided free food, entertainment, and female companionship (in a very chaperoned way), to service men of all branches who were on leave. As a bonus the boys in uniform would often be waited on and entertained by various celebrities, this movie poster contains the names of most of the celebs who appeared in that capacity in the film. The actual plot of the movie (what there is of it) concerns a group of four solders, three of whom spend several nights of leave at the canteen, one of whom possibly finding true love. The movie is mostly comedy sketches and musical numbers with a little drama thrown in, a great example of a type of film that simply doesn't get made anymore. I would recommend this flick as 'video wallpaper' to have on during various veterans holidays.
Stage Door Canteen was a 1943 film made (as many films were at that time) as an aide to the war effort. Its goal seemed to be to bring as many stars as possible together in one film to promote a good cause. The cause in question here is the titular 'stage door canteen' a New York City establishment that provided free food, entertainment, and female companionship (in a very chaperoned way), to service men of all branches who were on leave. As a bonus the boys in uniform would often be waited on and entertained by various celebrities, this movie poster contains the names of most of the celebs who appeared in that capacity in the film. The actual plot of the movie (what there is of it) concerns a group of four solders, three of whom spend several nights of leave at the canteen, one of whom possibly finding true love. The movie is mostly comedy sketches and musical numbers with a little drama thrown in, a great example of a type of film that simply doesn't get made anymore. I would recommend this flick as 'video wallpaper' to have on during various veterans holidays.
North Country (2005)
3/8/06
In the tradition of Norma Rae and A Civil Action comes the 2005 film North Country. 'Inspired' by the true story of a Minnesota women's landmark sexual harassment suit against her employer, North Country is a work of fiction in the Law & Order 'ripped from the headlines' tradition. It is a little disappointing that the movie didn't try and tell us the true story of the events in 1980's northern Minnesota from which its plot is loosely taken, but non-the-less what is presented here does work as a film (maybe the real story wouldn't have worked as much and that's why the writers had to spice-it-up beyond the realms of creative license). While a good picture it doesn't do anything that hasn't been done before in other movies of this type, both story and production wise.
The strongest thing about the picture, and what ultimately makes it work as a movie is the performances, which are only so-so at the beginning but stellar by the end. In fact there are so many strong performances in North Country that the usually stand-out Sissy Spacek just seemed to fade into the background. Of course both Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand got acting nominations for their roles here, nods they deserved despite the fact that neither was ever given much of a chance to win in the recently concluded Academy Awards. Six Feet Unders Richard Jenkins gives a very complicated and convincing portrayal as Josey's (Charlize Theron) father and fellow miner Hank Aimes. Ken Bean comes off quite sympathetic as the husband of Glory (Frances McDormand), Josey's best friend at the mine. But to me the most surprising performance came from Woody Harrelson, who as Josey's lawyer (and former high school hockey star) Bill White, is such a normal and well adjusted character that your just amazed that this actor of all people is playing him. North Country is a solid but not altogether great movie, a fine example of the 3 1/2 star film.
In the tradition of Norma Rae and A Civil Action comes the 2005 film North Country. 'Inspired' by the true story of a Minnesota women's landmark sexual harassment suit against her employer, North Country is a work of fiction in the Law & Order 'ripped from the headlines' tradition. It is a little disappointing that the movie didn't try and tell us the true story of the events in 1980's northern Minnesota from which its plot is loosely taken, but non-the-less what is presented here does work as a film (maybe the real story wouldn't have worked as much and that's why the writers had to spice-it-up beyond the realms of creative license). While a good picture it doesn't do anything that hasn't been done before in other movies of this type, both story and production wise.
The strongest thing about the picture, and what ultimately makes it work as a movie is the performances, which are only so-so at the beginning but stellar by the end. In fact there are so many strong performances in North Country that the usually stand-out Sissy Spacek just seemed to fade into the background. Of course both Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand got acting nominations for their roles here, nods they deserved despite the fact that neither was ever given much of a chance to win in the recently concluded Academy Awards. Six Feet Unders Richard Jenkins gives a very complicated and convincing portrayal as Josey's (Charlize Theron) father and fellow miner Hank Aimes. Ken Bean comes off quite sympathetic as the husband of Glory (Frances McDormand), Josey's best friend at the mine. But to me the most surprising performance came from Woody Harrelson, who as Josey's lawyer (and former high school hockey star) Bill White, is such a normal and well adjusted character that your just amazed that this actor of all people is playing him. North Country is a solid but not altogether great movie, a fine example of the 3 1/2 star film.
Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928)
3/1/06
While not as good as either The Camera Man or The General, Steamboat Bill Jr. is a funny Buster Keaton movie, and if I remember correctly a favorite of Bill Cosbys. Ernest Torrence is William Canfield Sr. the owner of a riverboat (The Stonewall Jackson) in the American heartland. Bill Sr. is excited about the coming visit of his son William Canfield Jr., whom he has not seen since he was a baby, as the child was raised by his mother in Boston. Expecting a rough-and-tumbler like himself Bill Sr. is horrified when he discovers his only son to be a prisyfied berea wearing weakling. Bill Jr. wants to please his pop but is somewhat distracted by his pursuit of college classmate Marion King (Marion Byron) whose father John James King (Tom McGuire) happens to be his dads biggest competitor in the riverboat business. Various highjinks ensue, the most memorable of which is Keatons prolonged battle with a terrible windstorm that completely decimates the small riverfront town. This movie also boasts one of the funniest title card lines I've ever seen in a silent film. When Bill Jr. comes to break Bill Sr. out of jail (long story) he is bringing his pop a loaf of bread with about half a dozen tools baked in it. Unfortunately the tools fall out of the loaf before Bill can hand it over to his father, when the Sheriff then gives young William a dirty look of realization upon the screen flashes the following: "That must have happened when the dough fell in the tool-box." At only 71-minutes Steamboat Bill Jr. is a worthy silent comedy.
While not as good as either The Camera Man or The General, Steamboat Bill Jr. is a funny Buster Keaton movie, and if I remember correctly a favorite of Bill Cosbys. Ernest Torrence is William Canfield Sr. the owner of a riverboat (The Stonewall Jackson) in the American heartland. Bill Sr. is excited about the coming visit of his son William Canfield Jr., whom he has not seen since he was a baby, as the child was raised by his mother in Boston. Expecting a rough-and-tumbler like himself Bill Sr. is horrified when he discovers his only son to be a prisyfied berea wearing weakling. Bill Jr. wants to please his pop but is somewhat distracted by his pursuit of college classmate Marion King (Marion Byron) whose father John James King (Tom McGuire) happens to be his dads biggest competitor in the riverboat business. Various highjinks ensue, the most memorable of which is Keatons prolonged battle with a terrible windstorm that completely decimates the small riverfront town. This movie also boasts one of the funniest title card lines I've ever seen in a silent film. When Bill Jr. comes to break Bill Sr. out of jail (long story) he is bringing his pop a loaf of bread with about half a dozen tools baked in it. Unfortunately the tools fall out of the loaf before Bill can hand it over to his father, when the Sheriff then gives young William a dirty look of realization upon the screen flashes the following: "That must have happened when the dough fell in the tool-box." At only 71-minutes Steamboat Bill Jr. is a worthy silent comedy.
The Women (1939)
3/1/06
Paramount Pictures decided to make a screen adaptation of the Clare Boothe Luce play The Women, it was only appropriate that they taped George Cukor to direct. Cukor was well known around Hollywood as a 'womens director' sometimes lavishing so much attention on the female players in his films that the men in the casts felt neglected. This was not to be a problem during production of The Women as the movie was to have an entirely female cast. It was the conceit of Ms. Luces play that the male characters (of which there are several) never be shown but only referred to, with all scenes featuring just the female characters alone.
The Women is a late entry in the 'white telephone' sub-genre of film, and unfortunately it does nothing that hadn't been done better in earlier examples of that cinematic type. The principle story has to do with a type of 'tug-of-war' over a Mr. Stephen Haines between his wife Mary (Norma Shearer) and mistress Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford), with Rosalind Russell thrown in as the gossipy Sylvia Fowlers to perpetuates the crises. There are many other talented women in the cast including future academy award winner Joan Fontaine, the then Mrs. Charlie Chaplin Paulette Goddard, and Hedda Hopper playing a gossip columnist much like she was in real life. Despite a somewhat funny exercise scene I found this movie mostly ponderous. The lady's are representative of the women of a particular class of a particular time and while it seems they are often ment to be progressive their logic and way of thinking would now be considered decidely retro-grade and unfemanist. The Women is an interesting experiment of a movie that probably worked better in 1939 then it does now.
Paramount Pictures decided to make a screen adaptation of the Clare Boothe Luce play The Women, it was only appropriate that they taped George Cukor to direct. Cukor was well known around Hollywood as a 'womens director' sometimes lavishing so much attention on the female players in his films that the men in the casts felt neglected. This was not to be a problem during production of The Women as the movie was to have an entirely female cast. It was the conceit of Ms. Luces play that the male characters (of which there are several) never be shown but only referred to, with all scenes featuring just the female characters alone.
The Women is a late entry in the 'white telephone' sub-genre of film, and unfortunately it does nothing that hadn't been done better in earlier examples of that cinematic type. The principle story has to do with a type of 'tug-of-war' over a Mr. Stephen Haines between his wife Mary (Norma Shearer) and mistress Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford), with Rosalind Russell thrown in as the gossipy Sylvia Fowlers to perpetuates the crises. There are many other talented women in the cast including future academy award winner Joan Fontaine, the then Mrs. Charlie Chaplin Paulette Goddard, and Hedda Hopper playing a gossip columnist much like she was in real life. Despite a somewhat funny exercise scene I found this movie mostly ponderous. The lady's are representative of the women of a particular class of a particular time and while it seems they are often ment to be progressive their logic and way of thinking would now be considered decidely retro-grade and unfemanist. The Women is an interesting experiment of a movie that probably worked better in 1939 then it does now.
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956)
2/25/06
Based on Sloan Wilsons semi-autobiographical novel, and with screenplay and direction by the great Nunnally Johnson (The Grapes of Wrath), The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit has been called the ultimate 50's movie. This title comes not by way of the movie being highly representative of films of the era (because its not) but rather due to the fact that the picture taps so deeply into the layer just below the surface of the notoriously banal decade. Gregory Peck plays Tom Rath a WWII veteran earning $7,000 dollars a year and living in Connecticut with his wife and three children. Tom is existing in a state of odd detachment from life, his kids hardly listen to him, he's averse to taking risks and his wife Betsy (Jennifer Jones, who also started opposite Peck in the notorious 1946 western Duel in the Sun) has grown disappointed in him, and repeatedly brings up how the now decade past war has changed her husband.
Like many veterans who have been through the trauma of battle Tom finds his war-time experiences difficult to talk about, infact he's kept them so bottled up that his wife hardly knows what happened to him during the four years he was away. We however do get to see what happened to him through a series of prolonged flashbacks. In 1945 Tom was an Army captain in Italy as part of the allied occupation force, when his unit receives orders that they will be shipped to the pacific in six weeks time, he becomes convinced that he will die in battle. Around this same time his army buddy Sgt. Caesar Gardella (Keenen Wynn) introduces Tom to Maria Montagne (Marisa Pavan) the cousin of his Italian girlfriend Gina. Despite his being married Tom and Maria have an affair at the end of which Maria revels to him that she is pragneit with his child. Tom has little time to react to this as he is transfered to the Pacific theater where he accidentaly kills a man under his command with a grenade, an event that severely traumatizes him. Deforest Kelly, best known as Dr. McCoy on the original Star Trek plays the army medic who informs Peck of the solders death, acutely using the line "this mans dead, captain."
Feeling that his wife's criticisms of his apparent malaise could be accurate, Tom decides to take a risk and leaves his old job at a charitable foundation for a position in the new field of public relations at the fictitious broadcast network GBC. At GBC his new coworkers come to see Tom as threat when he quickly becomes the new confidant of Network President Ralph Hopkins (Fredric March), who finds that Mr. Rath reminds him of his much beloved only son who died "in the war". Infect Mr. Hopkins has his own set of personal problems that provide counterpoint to Tom Raths story. Recently diagnosed with a weak heart Ralph Hopkins is attempting to make amends with his long estranged wife (Ann Harding), and 18 year old daughter (Gigi Perreau) who has been fooling around with unreputable older men only interested in her money. He is also trying to give something back to society by spearheading a national mental health campaign (his wife may or may not have mental problems, its seemingly implied but difficult to tell from her behavior) for which Tom is serving as his point man.
There is also a subplot involving a legal dispute between Tom and Edward Schultz (Joseph Sweeny) long time butler to his recently passed grandmother, over the rights to the deceased estate. It turns out that Mr. Schultz never liked the late Mrs. Rath and had been infact quietly padding his accounts with her money for years. It is in this story line that Lee J. Cobb gets the best part in the picture as Judge Bernstein an empathetic country magistrate constantly guzzling bi-carbonate.The tone of the picture is that of a house of cards, everything so precariously balanced in the characters lives that you feel the whole thing could come crashing down at any moment. The world of the picture is very well developed and realized growing out in all sorts of directions, giving us a piece of period life and a combination of characters that is wonderfully varied. The multiple story elements of the film all start to coalesce together toward the end when Tom is contacted by Maria (through old Army buddy Caeser who did in fact marry her cousin) and learns for certain of the existence of his 10 year old son. The resulting message on the importance of both marital honesty and forgiveness is a lesson that should not be lost on the viewer. A very good film The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit is defiantly a man worth meeting.
Based on Sloan Wilsons semi-autobiographical novel, and with screenplay and direction by the great Nunnally Johnson (The Grapes of Wrath), The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit has been called the ultimate 50's movie. This title comes not by way of the movie being highly representative of films of the era (because its not) but rather due to the fact that the picture taps so deeply into the layer just below the surface of the notoriously banal decade. Gregory Peck plays Tom Rath a WWII veteran earning $7,000 dollars a year and living in Connecticut with his wife and three children. Tom is existing in a state of odd detachment from life, his kids hardly listen to him, he's averse to taking risks and his wife Betsy (Jennifer Jones, who also started opposite Peck in the notorious 1946 western Duel in the Sun) has grown disappointed in him, and repeatedly brings up how the now decade past war has changed her husband.
Like many veterans who have been through the trauma of battle Tom finds his war-time experiences difficult to talk about, infact he's kept them so bottled up that his wife hardly knows what happened to him during the four years he was away. We however do get to see what happened to him through a series of prolonged flashbacks. In 1945 Tom was an Army captain in Italy as part of the allied occupation force, when his unit receives orders that they will be shipped to the pacific in six weeks time, he becomes convinced that he will die in battle. Around this same time his army buddy Sgt. Caesar Gardella (Keenen Wynn) introduces Tom to Maria Montagne (Marisa Pavan) the cousin of his Italian girlfriend Gina. Despite his being married Tom and Maria have an affair at the end of which Maria revels to him that she is pragneit with his child. Tom has little time to react to this as he is transfered to the Pacific theater where he accidentaly kills a man under his command with a grenade, an event that severely traumatizes him. Deforest Kelly, best known as Dr. McCoy on the original Star Trek plays the army medic who informs Peck of the solders death, acutely using the line "this mans dead, captain."
Feeling that his wife's criticisms of his apparent malaise could be accurate, Tom decides to take a risk and leaves his old job at a charitable foundation for a position in the new field of public relations at the fictitious broadcast network GBC. At GBC his new coworkers come to see Tom as threat when he quickly becomes the new confidant of Network President Ralph Hopkins (Fredric March), who finds that Mr. Rath reminds him of his much beloved only son who died "in the war". Infect Mr. Hopkins has his own set of personal problems that provide counterpoint to Tom Raths story. Recently diagnosed with a weak heart Ralph Hopkins is attempting to make amends with his long estranged wife (Ann Harding), and 18 year old daughter (Gigi Perreau) who has been fooling around with unreputable older men only interested in her money. He is also trying to give something back to society by spearheading a national mental health campaign (his wife may or may not have mental problems, its seemingly implied but difficult to tell from her behavior) for which Tom is serving as his point man.
There is also a subplot involving a legal dispute between Tom and Edward Schultz (Joseph Sweeny) long time butler to his recently passed grandmother, over the rights to the deceased estate. It turns out that Mr. Schultz never liked the late Mrs. Rath and had been infact quietly padding his accounts with her money for years. It is in this story line that Lee J. Cobb gets the best part in the picture as Judge Bernstein an empathetic country magistrate constantly guzzling bi-carbonate.The tone of the picture is that of a house of cards, everything so precariously balanced in the characters lives that you feel the whole thing could come crashing down at any moment. The world of the picture is very well developed and realized growing out in all sorts of directions, giving us a piece of period life and a combination of characters that is wonderfully varied. The multiple story elements of the film all start to coalesce together toward the end when Tom is contacted by Maria (through old Army buddy Caeser who did in fact marry her cousin) and learns for certain of the existence of his 10 year old son. The resulting message on the importance of both marital honesty and forgiveness is a lesson that should not be lost on the viewer. A very good film The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit is defiantly a man worth meeting.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
The Mysterious Doctor (1943)
(A small 'Cornish' village, England; during World War II)
IMDb
A traveling stranger, yeah a 'mysterious doctor' no less (Lester Matthews), disturbs the citizens of the village of Morganshead by his sudden arrival, followed shortly there after by an equally sudden disappearance. Less then an hour long programmer has local legend of the headless ghost of a mine owner, used as cover for a Nazi plot (the old Scooby-doo villain technique). Village of Morganshead populated by a colorful bunch including an earnest army officer, an MP, a semi-crippled simpleton, a comic drunk, and an innkeeper who wears a huded mask because of a disfiguring dynamite accident, as well as his sympathetic niece. Not very good.
IMDb
A traveling stranger, yeah a 'mysterious doctor' no less (Lester Matthews), disturbs the citizens of the village of Morganshead by his sudden arrival, followed shortly there after by an equally sudden disappearance. Less then an hour long programmer has local legend of the headless ghost of a mine owner, used as cover for a Nazi plot (the old Scooby-doo villain technique). Village of Morganshead populated by a colorful bunch including an earnest army officer, an MP, a semi-crippled simpleton, a comic drunk, and an innkeeper who wears a huded mask because of a disfiguring dynamite accident, as well as his sympathetic niece. Not very good.
Fever Pitch (2005)
(Boston, 2003-2004)
IMDb
Some changes had to be made to the end of the script to account for the Red Sox unexpected World Series victory capping the 2004 season. Of course unexpected is what this film is in a number of ways. First off its a Farrelly brothers picture, which caries certain expectations, which this feature defies. Its a mature romantic comedy, even while a subtext is male lead Jimmy Fallons obsession with Bostons 'cursed' baseball team. The Sox are his passion, as well as his emotional cruch, and help explain how such a funny, charismatic guy as him, could still be single at the age of thirty. While his new girlfriend Lindsy (a winning Drew Barrymore) at first gives plenty of slack to Ben's (Fallon) obsession, she grows concerned with the monopolising stranglehold it has on his life. Conversely however Lindsy is a workaholic, and things are in the stars to prove that a time for change is due in her life as well. This is a very satisfying picture, that sadly has not been followed up any worthy vehicles for the likes of Fallon and Barrymore. Author Nick Hornby, whose British novel this Americanized version is based on, has become a sure bet for date movies however.
IMDb
Some changes had to be made to the end of the script to account for the Red Sox unexpected World Series victory capping the 2004 season. Of course unexpected is what this film is in a number of ways. First off its a Farrelly brothers picture, which caries certain expectations, which this feature defies. Its a mature romantic comedy, even while a subtext is male lead Jimmy Fallons obsession with Bostons 'cursed' baseball team. The Sox are his passion, as well as his emotional cruch, and help explain how such a funny, charismatic guy as him, could still be single at the age of thirty. While his new girlfriend Lindsy (a winning Drew Barrymore) at first gives plenty of slack to Ben's (Fallon) obsession, she grows concerned with the monopolising stranglehold it has on his life. Conversely however Lindsy is a workaholic, and things are in the stars to prove that a time for change is due in her life as well. This is a very satisfying picture, that sadly has not been followed up any worthy vehicles for the likes of Fallon and Barrymore. Author Nick Hornby, whose British novel this Americanized version is based on, has become a sure bet for date movies however.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Arthur (1981)
(New York City; contemporary)
IMDb
Dudley Moore is a master at playing the comic drunk, this has been remarked upon before, and is on ample display in the 1981 feature Arthur. At the time Mr. Moore made the film his career was at its height, he was coming off of the success of 10, and with this feature seemed bound to be a reliable staple as a comic leading man for some time to come. However this was not be the case, his remake of Sturge's Unfaithfully Yours was a flop, the sequel to Arthur was critically panned, and before dying in near poverty in 2002, he did a short lived sitcom for TGIF (though I loved him as an elf in Santa Clause the Movie). I also understand he was quite cruel to his son. However you can still enjoy Arthur, because its a simple and well made comedy that serves booth broad one-liners, and subtler delights.
Among the subtler delights is the performance of John Gielgud, Arthur's valet and surrogate father figure. He is a cynical butler who can deliver a put-down with a cheery formality that brings a smile to my face. I even liked Liza Minnelli, who before she became a kind of trashy joke, had that endearing quality that so marked her mother. There's some other good supporting work here in, including a brief appearance by Lou Jacobi as a florist. This movies been getting some air time on TVLAND as of late, so if you have some time, say on a lazy Saturday afternoon, you might want to check it out.
IMDb
Dudley Moore is a master at playing the comic drunk, this has been remarked upon before, and is on ample display in the 1981 feature Arthur. At the time Mr. Moore made the film his career was at its height, he was coming off of the success of 10, and with this feature seemed bound to be a reliable staple as a comic leading man for some time to come. However this was not be the case, his remake of Sturge's Unfaithfully Yours was a flop, the sequel to Arthur was critically panned, and before dying in near poverty in 2002, he did a short lived sitcom for TGIF (though I loved him as an elf in Santa Clause the Movie). I also understand he was quite cruel to his son. However you can still enjoy Arthur, because its a simple and well made comedy that serves booth broad one-liners, and subtler delights.
Among the subtler delights is the performance of John Gielgud, Arthur's valet and surrogate father figure. He is a cynical butler who can deliver a put-down with a cheery formality that brings a smile to my face. I even liked Liza Minnelli, who before she became a kind of trashy joke, had that endearing quality that so marked her mother. There's some other good supporting work here in, including a brief appearance by Lou Jacobi as a florist. This movies been getting some air time on TVLAND as of late, so if you have some time, say on a lazy Saturday afternoon, you might want to check it out.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Riding in Cars With Boys (2001)
(Conneticut and New York; 1961-1986)
IMDb
Drew Barrymore gives an ambitious and convincing performance in this film adaptation of Beverly Donofiro's memoir of the same title. At the age of 15 Beverly becomes pregnant by her will meaning but minimally capable boyfriend Ray (Steve Zahn). Against her better judgement but in accordance with the social mores of the time, the two get married. They struggle to raise their son Jason (played by a number of different actors), with Beverly trying largely in vain to pursue a higher education, and Ray not always showing up for work, and eventually becoming an heroin addict. When Beverly forces Ray out of their lives after he is unable to overcome his addiction, the relationship between her and her son becomes even more complicated then it was before. The two become co-dependent and as destructive to one another as they are helpful. An affecting film ably helmed by Penny Marshell. James Woods plays Beverly's traditionalist, policeman father.
IMDb
Drew Barrymore gives an ambitious and convincing performance in this film adaptation of Beverly Donofiro's memoir of the same title. At the age of 15 Beverly becomes pregnant by her will meaning but minimally capable boyfriend Ray (Steve Zahn). Against her better judgement but in accordance with the social mores of the time, the two get married. They struggle to raise their son Jason (played by a number of different actors), with Beverly trying largely in vain to pursue a higher education, and Ray not always showing up for work, and eventually becoming an heroin addict. When Beverly forces Ray out of their lives after he is unable to overcome his addiction, the relationship between her and her son becomes even more complicated then it was before. The two become co-dependent and as destructive to one another as they are helpful. An affecting film ably helmed by Penny Marshell. James Woods plays Beverly's traditionalist, policeman father.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The Night Listiner (2006)
(New York and Wisconsin; the recent past)
IMDb
Based on the novel by author and gay rights advocate Armistend Maupin, which was intern inspired by the case of fictional abuse victim Anthony Godby Johnson, who was a sort of cause celeb in the middle 90's, and in whose 'story' the writer was tangentially involved. Robin Williams plays Gabriel Noone, a radio story teller who is in the midst of an agonizing breakup with his partner of eight years, a much younger man (Bobby Cannavele) who is suffering from AIDS. During this dark time in his life Gabriel is inspired by a young boy, whose self-authored memoir of sexual abuse at the hands of his parents, is nearing publication. Gabriel starts a friendly relationship with the boy, and his social worker adoptive mother (Toni Collette, in a great performance), over the telephone, but starts to have doubts about the authenticity of their story when it is brought to his attention that there is no proof that the two actually exist.
Gabriel starts a journey that takes him to Wisconsin and the small town in which the two supposedly live. He discovers the reality of the women, Donna, only to learn that she is blind, but is unable to make contact with the boy. In an obsessive quest to learn one way or another about the child's existence, Gabriel breaks laws and runs around the state searching for him, only to be arrested and abused by a local police officer because of (in a slightly round about way) his homosexuality. This film is so different from anything else I've seen that I greatly admired it, though I know a lot of people didn't like it, and felt it was a little bit of a cheat. Well I suppose it was, if you approach it as a thriller, but as psychological portrait, it worked surprisingly well for me. I certainly appreciate the effort here.
IMDb
Based on the novel by author and gay rights advocate Armistend Maupin, which was intern inspired by the case of fictional abuse victim Anthony Godby Johnson, who was a sort of cause celeb in the middle 90's, and in whose 'story' the writer was tangentially involved. Robin Williams plays Gabriel Noone, a radio story teller who is in the midst of an agonizing breakup with his partner of eight years, a much younger man (Bobby Cannavele) who is suffering from AIDS. During this dark time in his life Gabriel is inspired by a young boy, whose self-authored memoir of sexual abuse at the hands of his parents, is nearing publication. Gabriel starts a friendly relationship with the boy, and his social worker adoptive mother (Toni Collette, in a great performance), over the telephone, but starts to have doubts about the authenticity of their story when it is brought to his attention that there is no proof that the two actually exist.
Gabriel starts a journey that takes him to Wisconsin and the small town in which the two supposedly live. He discovers the reality of the women, Donna, only to learn that she is blind, but is unable to make contact with the boy. In an obsessive quest to learn one way or another about the child's existence, Gabriel breaks laws and runs around the state searching for him, only to be arrested and abused by a local police officer because of (in a slightly round about way) his homosexuality. This film is so different from anything else I've seen that I greatly admired it, though I know a lot of people didn't like it, and felt it was a little bit of a cheat. Well I suppose it was, if you approach it as a thriller, but as psychological portrait, it worked surprisingly well for me. I certainly appreciate the effort here.
The Cowboys (1972)
(Montana and due south; 1878)
IMDb
When his cattlemen abandon him to join a nearby gold rush, rancher John Wayne hires a bunch of school kids to lead his heard down south to market. On their journey the boys learn some life lessons, grow up a little, and are menaced by Bruce Dern and his band of outlaws. Directed in 'King of the Slow Film' director Mark Rydall's trademark style, nature is at the forefront and familial type tensions burn lightly below the surface. Good supporting part for Roscoe Lee Brown, also enjoyed the scene with the prostitutes. One of the few films in which John Wayne dies, and even more rarely, plays a married man.
IMDb
When his cattlemen abandon him to join a nearby gold rush, rancher John Wayne hires a bunch of school kids to lead his heard down south to market. On their journey the boys learn some life lessons, grow up a little, and are menaced by Bruce Dern and his band of outlaws. Directed in 'King of the Slow Film' director Mark Rydall's trademark style, nature is at the forefront and familial type tensions burn lightly below the surface. Good supporting part for Roscoe Lee Brown, also enjoyed the scene with the prostitutes. One of the few films in which John Wayne dies, and even more rarely, plays a married man.
Air Force One (1997)
2/24/06
Also seen by me for the first time this night is the 1997 film Air Force One, The movie stars aging action hero Harrison Ford as tough as nails American President James Marshall, who is returning home from Russia with his family (onboard the films name sake vessel) after giving a policy changing speech in Moscow on terrorism. The plane is taken over by a group of Kazaykstani terrorists (boy that country is a thorn in the side of fictional presidents) disguised as a Russian news crew and a treacherous Xander Berkely, all at the behest of the late 90's favorite villain Mr. Gary Oldman. The Kaziks take about fifty hostages and intend to use them to force the US government to put pressure on a weak Russian president to release a recently apprehend Kazik general who is bent on genocide and the re-establishment of a Russian empire.
However the terrorist should have seen more Harrison Ford movies, I mean if the fake President in question was played by Michaell Douglas, John Travolta or even James Cromwell they might have succeeded, but no against Indiana Jones/Hon Solo/Jack Ryan. While he should have exited the plane via escape pod "butt kicking president" Marshall stays onboard to personally execute his foreign policy, proto-24 style action and suspense follow. This film is great for what it is and I'm glade that I finally saw it. Lastley 'President Ford and the Deadites' would be a great name for a band.
Also seen by me for the first time this night is the 1997 film Air Force One, The movie stars aging action hero Harrison Ford as tough as nails American President James Marshall, who is returning home from Russia with his family (onboard the films name sake vessel) after giving a policy changing speech in Moscow on terrorism. The plane is taken over by a group of Kazaykstani terrorists (boy that country is a thorn in the side of fictional presidents) disguised as a Russian news crew and a treacherous Xander Berkely, all at the behest of the late 90's favorite villain Mr. Gary Oldman. The Kaziks take about fifty hostages and intend to use them to force the US government to put pressure on a weak Russian president to release a recently apprehend Kazik general who is bent on genocide and the re-establishment of a Russian empire.
However the terrorist should have seen more Harrison Ford movies, I mean if the fake President in question was played by Michaell Douglas, John Travolta or even James Cromwell they might have succeeded, but no against Indiana Jones/Hon Solo/Jack Ryan. While he should have exited the plane via escape pod "butt kicking president" Marshall stays onboard to personally execute his foreign policy, proto-24 style action and suspense follow. This film is great for what it is and I'm glade that I finally saw it. Lastley 'President Ford and the Deadites' would be a great name for a band.
Evil Dead (1992)
2/24/06
Well Tonight I watched a couple of films over at the home of my good friend Jackson Irish. It had been awhile sense we had gotten together for some movie watching and I guess we decided to start at the top of our list with a couple of A movies. The first movie we watched is one he had been building up so some time, the Bruce Campbell classic Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness. This is the third and final film in the 'Evil Dead Trilogy' which I believe started out as low budget horror and ended up as campy comedy/adventure. Clips from the first 'evil dead' film were used in one of my favorite films Donnie Darko, that combined with Campbells oddly moving embodiment of Elvis in Bubba Ho-Tep fueled my desire to see this film.
The first three minutes or so of the film recap the events of the first two films, most relevant among the occurrences in these movies being the discovery of an evil 'book of the dead', the death of main character Ash's girlfriend and the loss of his hand (which had 'gone bad' and was briefly replaced with a chainsaw). In this movie the evil unleashed by the book sucks Ash, his car and a tree back into 14th century England, were after a brief misunderstanding he is accepted as a prophesied savior figure sent to save the land from the evil Deadites, which are generally shown as walking skeletons done in Ray Haryhausen style. Most of this movie does not make a lot of sense but it is funny and entertaining and I wouldn't mind seeing more of its type.
Well Tonight I watched a couple of films over at the home of my good friend Jackson Irish. It had been awhile sense we had gotten together for some movie watching and I guess we decided to start at the top of our list with a couple of A movies. The first movie we watched is one he had been building up so some time, the Bruce Campbell classic Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness. This is the third and final film in the 'Evil Dead Trilogy' which I believe started out as low budget horror and ended up as campy comedy/adventure. Clips from the first 'evil dead' film were used in one of my favorite films Donnie Darko, that combined with Campbells oddly moving embodiment of Elvis in Bubba Ho-Tep fueled my desire to see this film.
The first three minutes or so of the film recap the events of the first two films, most relevant among the occurrences in these movies being the discovery of an evil 'book of the dead', the death of main character Ash's girlfriend and the loss of his hand (which had 'gone bad' and was briefly replaced with a chainsaw). In this movie the evil unleashed by the book sucks Ash, his car and a tree back into 14th century England, were after a brief misunderstanding he is accepted as a prophesied savior figure sent to save the land from the evil Deadites, which are generally shown as walking skeletons done in Ray Haryhausen style. Most of this movie does not make a lot of sense but it is funny and entertaining and I wouldn't mind seeing more of its type.
The Giant Gila Monster (1959)
2/24/06
Also seen by me that night was The Giant Gila Monster which came on a one dollar DVD I purchased from Target for the heck of it several months ago. This movie is a fairly straight forward picture concerning an intrepid teenagers efforts to rid his rural south west community of a Gila with a gland problem (the local sheriff suspects that the animal grew to be so big because of a hormone problem or change in diet). This movie quite deservedly was featured in a 4th season episode of MST3K and is a prime example of 50's sci-fly schlock, though admittedly more watchable then most films in that category that I have seen.
Also seen by me that night was The Giant Gila Monster which came on a one dollar DVD I purchased from Target for the heck of it several months ago. This movie is a fairly straight forward picture concerning an intrepid teenagers efforts to rid his rural south west community of a Gila with a gland problem (the local sheriff suspects that the animal grew to be so big because of a hormone problem or change in diet). This movie quite deservedly was featured in a 4th season episode of MST3K and is a prime example of 50's sci-fly schlock, though admittedly more watchable then most films in that category that I have seen.
The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (2002)
2/24/06
Well I had a reptile themed night of film on Wednesday when the netflix disc I expected in failed to arrive. I borrowed from my sister a movie that I had bought for her (at her request) for either her birthday or Christmas several years ago. The movie in question is 2002's The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course. When the folks at MGM decided to give a feature film to the popular nature show host they were no doubt confronted with the difficult task of translating his unique persona and talents to a motion picture format. So as you might expect rather then trying to be innovative the powers that be chose to integrate star Steve Irwins educational format with an inane plot about a crashed US spy satellite.
Well I had a reptile themed night of film on Wednesday when the netflix disc I expected in failed to arrive. I borrowed from my sister a movie that I had bought for her (at her request) for either her birthday or Christmas several years ago. The movie in question is 2002's The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course. When the folks at MGM decided to give a feature film to the popular nature show host they were no doubt confronted with the difficult task of translating his unique persona and talents to a motion picture format. So as you might expect rather then trying to be innovative the powers that be chose to integrate star Steve Irwins educational format with an inane plot about a crashed US spy satellite.
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
2/19/06
Released after Love in the Afternoon and The Spirit of St. Louis, Witness for the Prosecution would cap 1957 as Billy Wilders most productive year as a director. The film would also mark one of the last times that Mr. Wilder made a straight drama,(the last until 1978's Fedora) preferring throughout the last 25 years of his career to focus only on comedies, whereas previously he had alternating between that genre and drama and suspense films. Witness is most defiantly to be classified among the later, the only court room movie Wilder ever did, it was based on the stage play of the same name by mystery great Agatha Chrisite.
The play begins with Sir. Wilfrid Robarts (the rotund Charles Laughton) a well respecting English barrister and champion of lost causes, returning to his office for the first time sense suffering a mild heart attack. Sir Wilfrid is accompanied by his doting new nurse Miss Plimsoll (played by Laughtons real life wife Elsa Lanchester), whose primary job is to see that her charge does not over exert himself. Within minutes of getting back to his office (his living quarters are upstairs' in the same townhouse) he is visited by fellow lawyer Mr. Mayhew (Henry Daniell) who is bringing him a client involved in a sensational new case, a case that Sir Wilfrids health dictates he should turn down, but whose driven personality refuses to let him ignore.
The case involves a Mr. Leonard Stephen Vole (Tyrone Power), a man with a distinguished war record but little in the way of gainful employment, who is suspected of the murder of wealthy widow Emily Jane French (Norma Varden). Mr. Vole though married had meet Mrs. French on the street several months before and the two had become close, he was also trying to interest her in financing the production of a new kind of egg-beater he had invented. When it turned out that the late widow had left Leonard #800,000 in her will, the police along with the deceased housekeeper Janet McKenzie (Una O'Connor) instantly turned there attention to Mr. Vole. The accused only alibi would need to come from his wife Christine (Marlene Dietrich) a former dance hall girl that Leonard meet and married during the allied occupation of Germany. But Mr. Vole is quickly beset by disillusionment when his supposedly loving wife decides to not to come to his defense but rather to be a ... dum, dum, dum, Witness for the Prosecution!
The rest of the film focuses on Sir Wilfrids attempts to prove his clients innocence against mountains of circumstantial evidence to the contrary, all the while attempting to sneak cigars and liquor from his overbearing nurse. Charles Laughton himself warns the audience in the films previews not to revel the ending to others, so in deference to the man I will refrain. It should be enough for me to say that this is a really good movie (#163 on the IMDB's top 250 list). The strange combination of a play by an English Anglican women and the direction of an Austrian secularist Jew actually comes off quite well, resulting in 2 hours of suspense said to come only "once in 50 years."
Note: This movie was the last film that Tyrone Power completed before his sudden death from a heart attack in 1959. At only 45 years of age his death was tragic, but perhaps even more tragic was that Witness proved he was finally learning how to act. Tyrone constant co-star throughout his leading man hayday at 20th Century Fox, actress Linda Darnell also died young, always deathly affraid of flames she died in a house fire in 1965 at the age of 41.
Released after Love in the Afternoon and The Spirit of St. Louis, Witness for the Prosecution would cap 1957 as Billy Wilders most productive year as a director. The film would also mark one of the last times that Mr. Wilder made a straight drama,(the last until 1978's Fedora) preferring throughout the last 25 years of his career to focus only on comedies, whereas previously he had alternating between that genre and drama and suspense films. Witness is most defiantly to be classified among the later, the only court room movie Wilder ever did, it was based on the stage play of the same name by mystery great Agatha Chrisite.
The play begins with Sir. Wilfrid Robarts (the rotund Charles Laughton) a well respecting English barrister and champion of lost causes, returning to his office for the first time sense suffering a mild heart attack. Sir Wilfrid is accompanied by his doting new nurse Miss Plimsoll (played by Laughtons real life wife Elsa Lanchester), whose primary job is to see that her charge does not over exert himself. Within minutes of getting back to his office (his living quarters are upstairs' in the same townhouse) he is visited by fellow lawyer Mr. Mayhew (Henry Daniell) who is bringing him a client involved in a sensational new case, a case that Sir Wilfrids health dictates he should turn down, but whose driven personality refuses to let him ignore.
The case involves a Mr. Leonard Stephen Vole (Tyrone Power), a man with a distinguished war record but little in the way of gainful employment, who is suspected of the murder of wealthy widow Emily Jane French (Norma Varden). Mr. Vole though married had meet Mrs. French on the street several months before and the two had become close, he was also trying to interest her in financing the production of a new kind of egg-beater he had invented. When it turned out that the late widow had left Leonard #800,000 in her will, the police along with the deceased housekeeper Janet McKenzie (Una O'Connor) instantly turned there attention to Mr. Vole. The accused only alibi would need to come from his wife Christine (Marlene Dietrich) a former dance hall girl that Leonard meet and married during the allied occupation of Germany. But Mr. Vole is quickly beset by disillusionment when his supposedly loving wife decides to not to come to his defense but rather to be a ... dum, dum, dum, Witness for the Prosecution!
The rest of the film focuses on Sir Wilfrids attempts to prove his clients innocence against mountains of circumstantial evidence to the contrary, all the while attempting to sneak cigars and liquor from his overbearing nurse. Charles Laughton himself warns the audience in the films previews not to revel the ending to others, so in deference to the man I will refrain. It should be enough for me to say that this is a really good movie (#163 on the IMDB's top 250 list). The strange combination of a play by an English Anglican women and the direction of an Austrian secularist Jew actually comes off quite well, resulting in 2 hours of suspense said to come only "once in 50 years."
Note: This movie was the last film that Tyrone Power completed before his sudden death from a heart attack in 1959. At only 45 years of age his death was tragic, but perhaps even more tragic was that Witness proved he was finally learning how to act. Tyrone constant co-star throughout his leading man hayday at 20th Century Fox, actress Linda Darnell also died young, always deathly affraid of flames she died in a house fire in 1965 at the age of 41.
The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999)
2/18/06
In my high school speech and debate program we had this kid named Mike Rolig. Mike Rolig was an Ayn Rand nut, obsessed with the lady and her work and we teased him about it endlessly. But truth be told I knew very little about Ms. Rand at the time, mostly just that she was a rabid capitalist and free thinker. In 1997 the documentary film Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life was nominated for an Academy Award and I made a mental note to myself to see it later on. In 2002 I finally saw the film and must confess that it was very well done. Ayn Rand came across as a women of great conviction and strength, what she said seemed to make sense and I remember thinking that hers was perhaps the best philosophy for a theoretical 'godless' world. I saw the film adaptation of he novel The Fountainhead around the same time.
Whereas I used to think that Rands school of thought, (known as Objectivism) was a sharp and coherent secularist philosophy, I now think it is a dangerous cult! Now as a member of a religious organization that is often denigrated with that term I do not use it lightly, but after having watched the Showtime movie The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999), (which is based on the 1986 book of the same name by former Rand disciple Barbara Branden) I no longer think that. Like many systems that look good on paper Rands ideas about how the individual pursuit of selfish desires would ultimately be the best regulator for society,( kind of like Adam Smiths invisible hand of the marketplace) actually sows more sorrow then liberation.
Passion is not the life spanning bio-pic I was hopping to see when I rented the film. Anticipating the epic story of a Russian women who immigrated to America, befriended Cecil B. DeMille, wrote a couple of really long books, and founded a conservative to libertarian leaning movement, I instead got a 'intimate' little story covering the relationship of an already established Ryn (Helen Mirren) with her one-time designated successor Nathaniel Branden (Eric Stoltz). The two conducted a prolonged affair that they forced their spouses, played by Peter Fonda and Julie Delpy, to accept. Trapped by a philosophical system of abstraction and near impossible to obtain behavioral ideals and growing more and more distant from reality all parties to this arrangement suffered greatly and unnecessarily. While I recognize the description in the previous sentence as being largley applicable to most organized religions, what Objectism lacks that Christianity and other such systems have is a sense of compassion. A philosophy built on selfishness dismisses the more nobel elements of humanity and destroys the soul. Barabra was lucky to have ultimately escaped from it.
In one of the DVD's special features the films director Christopher Menaul comments that when working on and researching for this film he discovered that most of the converts to Rands philosophy were people who read her books at a young and impressionable point in their lives, say from late teens to early twenties. When I watched the Rand biography that made so much sense I was 22, I can only wonder what might have happened to me had I been truly exposed to the teachings of Objectivism at a young age and without an alternative belief system as an anchor. I don't think Ayn Rand was just trying to con people, I have no reason to doubt that she really believed what she was saying. Never-the-less what a dark life to live for conviction, she was not an evil person but I can't call her good. Its really hard for me to say what I think of this movie as a film, surfice it to say it got its point across, but it left me with one of those hole in the pit of your stomach feelings. The Passion of Ayn Rand is not the heroic story of a savior figure, but of a lost women and her followers. With all due respect to Mike Rolig (who really was no stranger then your avarge debater).
In my high school speech and debate program we had this kid named Mike Rolig. Mike Rolig was an Ayn Rand nut, obsessed with the lady and her work and we teased him about it endlessly. But truth be told I knew very little about Ms. Rand at the time, mostly just that she was a rabid capitalist and free thinker. In 1997 the documentary film Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life was nominated for an Academy Award and I made a mental note to myself to see it later on. In 2002 I finally saw the film and must confess that it was very well done. Ayn Rand came across as a women of great conviction and strength, what she said seemed to make sense and I remember thinking that hers was perhaps the best philosophy for a theoretical 'godless' world. I saw the film adaptation of he novel The Fountainhead around the same time.
Whereas I used to think that Rands school of thought, (known as Objectivism) was a sharp and coherent secularist philosophy, I now think it is a dangerous cult! Now as a member of a religious organization that is often denigrated with that term I do not use it lightly, but after having watched the Showtime movie The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999), (which is based on the 1986 book of the same name by former Rand disciple Barbara Branden) I no longer think that. Like many systems that look good on paper Rands ideas about how the individual pursuit of selfish desires would ultimately be the best regulator for society,( kind of like Adam Smiths invisible hand of the marketplace) actually sows more sorrow then liberation.
Passion is not the life spanning bio-pic I was hopping to see when I rented the film. Anticipating the epic story of a Russian women who immigrated to America, befriended Cecil B. DeMille, wrote a couple of really long books, and founded a conservative to libertarian leaning movement, I instead got a 'intimate' little story covering the relationship of an already established Ryn (Helen Mirren) with her one-time designated successor Nathaniel Branden (Eric Stoltz). The two conducted a prolonged affair that they forced their spouses, played by Peter Fonda and Julie Delpy, to accept. Trapped by a philosophical system of abstraction and near impossible to obtain behavioral ideals and growing more and more distant from reality all parties to this arrangement suffered greatly and unnecessarily. While I recognize the description in the previous sentence as being largley applicable to most organized religions, what Objectism lacks that Christianity and other such systems have is a sense of compassion. A philosophy built on selfishness dismisses the more nobel elements of humanity and destroys the soul. Barabra was lucky to have ultimately escaped from it.
In one of the DVD's special features the films director Christopher Menaul comments that when working on and researching for this film he discovered that most of the converts to Rands philosophy were people who read her books at a young and impressionable point in their lives, say from late teens to early twenties. When I watched the Rand biography that made so much sense I was 22, I can only wonder what might have happened to me had I been truly exposed to the teachings of Objectivism at a young age and without an alternative belief system as an anchor. I don't think Ayn Rand was just trying to con people, I have no reason to doubt that she really believed what she was saying. Never-the-less what a dark life to live for conviction, she was not an evil person but I can't call her good. Its really hard for me to say what I think of this movie as a film, surfice it to say it got its point across, but it left me with one of those hole in the pit of your stomach feelings. The Passion of Ayn Rand is not the heroic story of a savior figure, but of a lost women and her followers. With all due respect to Mike Rolig (who really was no stranger then your avarge debater).
Six Feet Under: Season 2 (2002)
2/18/06
Though they can often be hard to take I find that I have grown strangely attached to the dysfunctional Fisher family of HBO's Six Feet Under. I have just finished season 2 of the program and am as impressed as ever with the writing, camera work, acting, and of course those eerily convincing fake dead bodies (the Fishers run a funeral home for those few who didn't know). One of the things that I like about the show is its 'Patton like' sense of ambiguity. By 'Patton like' I am of course referring to the classic George C. Scott helmed bio-pic that portrayes its subject character in such a way that no easy interpretation is provided, a viewer can come out of that film thinking that 'old blood and guts' was anything between a madman and a genius and have plenty of 'ammunition' to support their argument. While show creator Alan Ball does have a liberal agenda as confirmed by the audio-commentaries, he does not shy away from portraying any point of view that is internally consistent. For example the same episode that champions gay parenting also does a wonderful job of portraying abortion-guilt. There are no easy answers on Six Feet Under.
Though each season of the program averages only 13 episodes (a standard compliment for a pay cable drama) there is more packed into those shows then most network dramas do in a season that is nearly twice as long. The engagement between Nate Fisher (Peter Krause) and Brenda Chenowith (Rachel Griffiths) manages to survive Nate's brain condition and having a child with another women, but not Brendas increasingly dangerous addiction to fooling around with strange men. David Fisher (Michael C. Hall) now openly gay is living in a multi-racial homosexual relationship with police officer Keith Charles (Matthew St. Patrick), and for a while the two were raising Keiths sisters young daughter (much to Keiths fathers chagrin) after her mother went to prison for vehicular manslaughter. Ruth Fisher(Frances Conroy) spent most of what was left from Nathaniel Sr.'s life insurance money to pay off her Russian boyfriend Nikolai's (Ed O'Ross) mob debts, an action that ultimately serves to drive that vastly entertaining couple apart. Claire Fisher's (Lauren Ambrose, watch her she's going to be big) drugie boyfriend disappears after he robs a convince store and later shoots a man, then the independent red-head briefly dates a far to well-adjusted 19 year old and decides to go to art school after spending time with her hippy aunt (Patricia Clarkson). Finally Federico Diaz (Freddy Rodriguez) the Fishers underapricated employee gets the seasons most moving flash back sequence, and he and his wife Vanessa come into some unexpected money after an elderly neighbor dies. Though the story lines are often outrageous the emotions and foibles of the characters are real, if often excessive in number. This program is not for the faint of heart and can be uncomfortably direct, but it is also very empathetic and honest and one of the strangest rides ever taken through television.
Best death this season: Tie-The Santa Claus in the motorcycle accident & buisnessman hit by falling lunch box from construction site.
Most moving death storyline: Tie- The middle-aged women who lived alone with no friends, and the 26 year old cancer victim.
Character I'll miss most: Tie- Claires High School guidance councilor and 'BoBo' elderly member of the independent funeral directores orginization.
Though they can often be hard to take I find that I have grown strangely attached to the dysfunctional Fisher family of HBO's Six Feet Under. I have just finished season 2 of the program and am as impressed as ever with the writing, camera work, acting, and of course those eerily convincing fake dead bodies (the Fishers run a funeral home for those few who didn't know). One of the things that I like about the show is its 'Patton like' sense of ambiguity. By 'Patton like' I am of course referring to the classic George C. Scott helmed bio-pic that portrayes its subject character in such a way that no easy interpretation is provided, a viewer can come out of that film thinking that 'old blood and guts' was anything between a madman and a genius and have plenty of 'ammunition' to support their argument. While show creator Alan Ball does have a liberal agenda as confirmed by the audio-commentaries, he does not shy away from portraying any point of view that is internally consistent. For example the same episode that champions gay parenting also does a wonderful job of portraying abortion-guilt. There are no easy answers on Six Feet Under.
Though each season of the program averages only 13 episodes (a standard compliment for a pay cable drama) there is more packed into those shows then most network dramas do in a season that is nearly twice as long. The engagement between Nate Fisher (Peter Krause) and Brenda Chenowith (Rachel Griffiths) manages to survive Nate's brain condition and having a child with another women, but not Brendas increasingly dangerous addiction to fooling around with strange men. David Fisher (Michael C. Hall) now openly gay is living in a multi-racial homosexual relationship with police officer Keith Charles (Matthew St. Patrick), and for a while the two were raising Keiths sisters young daughter (much to Keiths fathers chagrin) after her mother went to prison for vehicular manslaughter. Ruth Fisher(Frances Conroy) spent most of what was left from Nathaniel Sr.'s life insurance money to pay off her Russian boyfriend Nikolai's (Ed O'Ross) mob debts, an action that ultimately serves to drive that vastly entertaining couple apart. Claire Fisher's (Lauren Ambrose, watch her she's going to be big) drugie boyfriend disappears after he robs a convince store and later shoots a man, then the independent red-head briefly dates a far to well-adjusted 19 year old and decides to go to art school after spending time with her hippy aunt (Patricia Clarkson). Finally Federico Diaz (Freddy Rodriguez) the Fishers underapricated employee gets the seasons most moving flash back sequence, and he and his wife Vanessa come into some unexpected money after an elderly neighbor dies. Though the story lines are often outrageous the emotions and foibles of the characters are real, if often excessive in number. This program is not for the faint of heart and can be uncomfortably direct, but it is also very empathetic and honest and one of the strangest rides ever taken through television.
Best death this season: Tie-The Santa Claus in the motorcycle accident & buisnessman hit by falling lunch box from construction site.
Most moving death storyline: Tie- The middle-aged women who lived alone with no friends, and the 26 year old cancer victim.
Character I'll miss most: Tie- Claires High School guidance councilor and 'BoBo' elderly member of the independent funeral directores orginization.
Rooster Cogburn (1975)
02/15/06
Rooster Cogburn, John Waynes second to last film follows the continuing adventures of the character he introduced in his Academy Award winning performance in the 1969 movie True Grit. At the start of the film Ruben 'Rooster' Cogburn is releved of his job as a U.S. Marshell by Judge Parker (John McIntire) for having shoot 64 suspects in his eight years working along the Arkansas/Indian Territory boarder. But no sooner does the Judge dismisses Rooster then he must again ask for his help. A notorious villain named Hawk (Richard Jordan) and his gang have stolen a wagon load of nitro from an army convoy and are planning to use it to rob a train full of gold passing through the neighboring territory. On his way to head off the outlaws Rooster stops at a small Indian mission where he meets Eula Goodnight (Katharine Hepburn) a New England missionary whose preacher father was killed by the gang for opposing their side-business of selling guns and liquor to the Indians. Despite his initial protests Marshall Cogburn is joined on his journey by Ms. Goodnight and an Indian boy (Richard Romancito) named Wolf whose parents were killed by the gang. The movies story its self is really nothing special but the verbal sparing and flirting between Hepburn and Wayne (in there only joint screen appearance) just makes this motion picture.
Rooster Cogburn, John Waynes second to last film follows the continuing adventures of the character he introduced in his Academy Award winning performance in the 1969 movie True Grit. At the start of the film Ruben 'Rooster' Cogburn is releved of his job as a U.S. Marshell by Judge Parker (John McIntire) for having shoot 64 suspects in his eight years working along the Arkansas/Indian Territory boarder. But no sooner does the Judge dismisses Rooster then he must again ask for his help. A notorious villain named Hawk (Richard Jordan) and his gang have stolen a wagon load of nitro from an army convoy and are planning to use it to rob a train full of gold passing through the neighboring territory. On his way to head off the outlaws Rooster stops at a small Indian mission where he meets Eula Goodnight (Katharine Hepburn) a New England missionary whose preacher father was killed by the gang for opposing their side-business of selling guns and liquor to the Indians. Despite his initial protests Marshall Cogburn is joined on his journey by Ms. Goodnight and an Indian boy (Richard Romancito) named Wolf whose parents were killed by the gang. The movies story its self is really nothing special but the verbal sparing and flirting between Hepburn and Wayne (in there only joint screen appearance) just makes this motion picture.
Harlan County War (2000)
2/15/06
My brother and I both served in the same mission (Tennessee, Knoxville) for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I spent just shy of half my field time in the mission serving in the 'Kingsport Zone', I served in every district in that zone except for one, Harlan Kentucky. Well as luck would have it my brother finished off his mission in Harlan and has fond memories of the place. But even before I heard my brothers stories I was well aware of that southern Kentucky countys long and violent (though not always successful) history of union organizing; a history that earned the community the nickname bloody Harlan. (I also served in the areas to the immediate west and east of Harlan so it was hard not to hear about it.)
One of the most interesting union related incidents in the countys history occurred in the middle 1970's, an unusual strike whose events where first widely chronicled in the 1976 documentary Harlan County, U.S.A., a work that is now forever enshrined in the National Film Registry. These events were also depicted in the 2000 Showtime movie Harlan County War, which is the film I am about to review for you now. The film centers on the Kincaid family, Silas Kincaid (Ted Levine) works in the community's barely regulated coal mine and after two young men are killed in front of him in an accident that could have easily been prevented, the hereto loyal employee starts agitating for a new union contract and better safety enforcement on the job. Silas's wife Ruby (Holly Hunter) at first opposes her husbands activity on account of the community being ripped off by some unscrupulous union reps several years earlier (it seems the workers once had a union contract but either lost it or had it gutted).
Stellan Skarsgard is Warren Jakopovich, a Polish-American union representative who manages to get the majority of the miners on board for a strike. (The UMWA by the way pays all the striking family's a $100 per month on which to live while the strike is going on.) After a few months of ineffectual picketing the mines management provoke a fight between the protesters and the local cops and 'skag' workers. Because the county Judge is also part-owner of the mine he uses the incident to limit the amount of picketers at the gate to 'no more then three men'. Now unable to mount any form of forceful resistance it seems as though the strike is doomed to fail, that is until Ruby comes to Warren with an idea. The Judge said that only three 'men' were allowed to pickett, she suggestts organizing the local women into an auxiliary to help the miners by using them to 'man' the pickett line. This proposal is implemented and gets a fair bit of publicity for a while, but as the strike continues to streach month after month many of the men folk are finding their newly assertive women even harder to deal with then the poor mine conditions.
There is little change until Ruby accompanies Warren to New York City and embarrasses company execes at a share holders meeting (Warren bought her a share so she could talk) in the hopes of depressing stock value and thus reviving negotiations. When Ruby returns to Harlan the stakes have been raised by her actions resulting in a state of war in the community, including the fire bombings of workers homes and multiple shootings. When a striking miner is shoot in front of a crowed by a skag worker tired of being harassed, the breaking point is reached and the mine and union finally settle on a fair contract. Harlan County War is a good cable TV movie that makes wonderful use of actress Holly Hunters country accent, and I really enjoyed seeing some of 'bloody Harlans' history brought to life on the screen.
My brother and I both served in the same mission (Tennessee, Knoxville) for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I spent just shy of half my field time in the mission serving in the 'Kingsport Zone', I served in every district in that zone except for one, Harlan Kentucky. Well as luck would have it my brother finished off his mission in Harlan and has fond memories of the place. But even before I heard my brothers stories I was well aware of that southern Kentucky countys long and violent (though not always successful) history of union organizing; a history that earned the community the nickname bloody Harlan. (I also served in the areas to the immediate west and east of Harlan so it was hard not to hear about it.)
One of the most interesting union related incidents in the countys history occurred in the middle 1970's, an unusual strike whose events where first widely chronicled in the 1976 documentary Harlan County, U.S.A., a work that is now forever enshrined in the National Film Registry. These events were also depicted in the 2000 Showtime movie Harlan County War, which is the film I am about to review for you now. The film centers on the Kincaid family, Silas Kincaid (Ted Levine) works in the community's barely regulated coal mine and after two young men are killed in front of him in an accident that could have easily been prevented, the hereto loyal employee starts agitating for a new union contract and better safety enforcement on the job. Silas's wife Ruby (Holly Hunter) at first opposes her husbands activity on account of the community being ripped off by some unscrupulous union reps several years earlier (it seems the workers once had a union contract but either lost it or had it gutted).
Stellan Skarsgard is Warren Jakopovich, a Polish-American union representative who manages to get the majority of the miners on board for a strike. (The UMWA by the way pays all the striking family's a $100 per month on which to live while the strike is going on.) After a few months of ineffectual picketing the mines management provoke a fight between the protesters and the local cops and 'skag' workers. Because the county Judge is also part-owner of the mine he uses the incident to limit the amount of picketers at the gate to 'no more then three men'. Now unable to mount any form of forceful resistance it seems as though the strike is doomed to fail, that is until Ruby comes to Warren with an idea. The Judge said that only three 'men' were allowed to pickett, she suggestts organizing the local women into an auxiliary to help the miners by using them to 'man' the pickett line. This proposal is implemented and gets a fair bit of publicity for a while, but as the strike continues to streach month after month many of the men folk are finding their newly assertive women even harder to deal with then the poor mine conditions.
There is little change until Ruby accompanies Warren to New York City and embarrasses company execes at a share holders meeting (Warren bought her a share so she could talk) in the hopes of depressing stock value and thus reviving negotiations. When Ruby returns to Harlan the stakes have been raised by her actions resulting in a state of war in the community, including the fire bombings of workers homes and multiple shootings. When a striking miner is shoot in front of a crowed by a skag worker tired of being harassed, the breaking point is reached and the mine and union finally settle on a fair contract. Harlan County War is a good cable TV movie that makes wonderful use of actress Holly Hunters country accent, and I really enjoyed seeing some of 'bloody Harlans' history brought to life on the screen.
Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
(Costal Spain; 1546 and flashbacks)
IMDb
When his sister dies suddenly, an Englishman named Francis (John Kerr), travels to coastal Spain to investigate her death. There he meets his late sisters husband Don Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price) and his visiting sister Catherine (Luana Anders). Though at first the two try to mislead him about how Elizabeth (Barbara Steele) died, a family friend and doctor (Antony Carbone) forces them to face the truth. You see Nicholas’s father was Sebastian Medina, a famed sadistic torturer of the Spanish Inquisition (nobody ever expects that), whose instruments of pain had came to cryptically fascinate Elizabeth, until she accidentally killed herself with one of them. Or did she?
In short order strange occurrences start to happen around the castle, is it Elizabeth’s ghost, or did she never die, or is the poor Don Medina acting out his grief via a slow psychological breakdown. Also there’s the matter of what happened to the Don’s late mother. Pretty riveting stuff, the creep manages to work its way through the light camp, creating an enjoyable and slightly disturbing picture.
IMDb
When his sister dies suddenly, an Englishman named Francis (John Kerr), travels to coastal Spain to investigate her death. There he meets his late sisters husband Don Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price) and his visiting sister Catherine (Luana Anders). Though at first the two try to mislead him about how Elizabeth (Barbara Steele) died, a family friend and doctor (Antony Carbone) forces them to face the truth. You see Nicholas’s father was Sebastian Medina, a famed sadistic torturer of the Spanish Inquisition (nobody ever expects that), whose instruments of pain had came to cryptically fascinate Elizabeth, until she accidentally killed herself with one of them. Or did she?
In short order strange occurrences start to happen around the castle, is it Elizabeth’s ghost, or did she never die, or is the poor Don Medina acting out his grief via a slow psychological breakdown. Also there’s the matter of what happened to the Don’s late mother. Pretty riveting stuff, the creep manages to work its way through the light camp, creating an enjoyable and slightly disturbing picture.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The Conqueror Worm (1968)
(England, 1645)
IMDb
Wiki
Also known as The Witchfinder General, this film features Vincent Price as just that, a professional witchfinder who is more then just a little bit corrupt and amoral. What you want from a film like this is Vincent Price menacing and torturing people, you get a little bit of that, but not enough. Price's character interrupts the love story in the picture, by bedding the lase, and having her uncle and long time guardian hung for witchcraft. Because of these actions the lase's lover must hunt down and kill the witchfinder and his assistant. Kind of slow, and ends rather odd.
IMDb
Wiki
Also known as The Witchfinder General, this film features Vincent Price as just that, a professional witchfinder who is more then just a little bit corrupt and amoral. What you want from a film like this is Vincent Price menacing and torturing people, you get a little bit of that, but not enough. Price's character interrupts the love story in the picture, by bedding the lase, and having her uncle and long time guardian hung for witchcraft. Because of these actions the lase's lover must hunt down and kill the witchfinder and his assistant. Kind of slow, and ends rather odd.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Here Comes Trouble (1948)
(unspecified American city; early post-war period)
IMDb
The only Doubleday/Ames comedy in which the duo are not in the service. Police officer Ames (Joe Sawyer) and cub reporter Doubleday (William Tracy) take on organized crime in slapstick manner. Amusing but inconsequential comedy, 6th in series of 8 produced by Hal Roach.
IMDb
The only Doubleday/Ames comedy in which the duo are not in the service. Police officer Ames (Joe Sawyer) and cub reporter Doubleday (William Tracy) take on organized crime in slapstick manner. Amusing but inconsequential comedy, 6th in series of 8 produced by Hal Roach.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Long Day's Journey into Night (1962)
(New England?; 1910's ?)
IMDb
From the Eugene O'Neill play. Stingy retired actor James Tyron(Ralph Richardson) and his mental unbalanced opium addicted wife Mary (Katharine Hepburn), have their two grown sons staying with them for the summer. Oldest son Jamie (Jason Robards) is an alcoholic, unsuccessful actor and whore monger, while literary minded younger brother Edmund (Dean Stockwell) is dying of Tuberculosis. Needless to say they are going to have one long dramatic day.
The problem with this movie as a film is that it is still very much a play, the only location seen is the cheap summer home and its grounds, and through much of the proceedings characters are paired off and talking. Because it is so dialogue heavy and short on action I found myself puttering around my room, dusting off old books and the like, and listing to rather then watching the story. Of course there were times when my attention was riveted to the screen, such as in Jamie's prolonged passionate triad to his dying brother near the end of the picture, in fact I'd say that of all the venerable cast it was Robards who stole the show. Anyway I think this would be a wonderful film to listen to alone on a long trip. Its nearly three hour length and talkieness means few people I know could make it through the picture happily.
IMDb
From the Eugene O'Neill play. Stingy retired actor James Tyron(Ralph Richardson) and his mental unbalanced opium addicted wife Mary (Katharine Hepburn), have their two grown sons staying with them for the summer. Oldest son Jamie (Jason Robards) is an alcoholic, unsuccessful actor and whore monger, while literary minded younger brother Edmund (Dean Stockwell) is dying of Tuberculosis. Needless to say they are going to have one long dramatic day.
The problem with this movie as a film is that it is still very much a play, the only location seen is the cheap summer home and its grounds, and through much of the proceedings characters are paired off and talking. Because it is so dialogue heavy and short on action I found myself puttering around my room, dusting off old books and the like, and listing to rather then watching the story. Of course there were times when my attention was riveted to the screen, such as in Jamie's prolonged passionate triad to his dying brother near the end of the picture, in fact I'd say that of all the venerable cast it was Robards who stole the show. Anyway I think this would be a wonderful film to listen to alone on a long trip. Its nearly three hour length and talkieness means few people I know could make it through the picture happily.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Baby Doll (1956)
(Mississippi; roughly contemporary, possibly 1952 based on the comment of one character)
IMDb
Risky film from the play by Tennessee Williams, about a middle man whose life is complicated by his teen aged bride. Karl Malden is that man, Archie Lee Meighan, a now struggling cotton miller who has gone deep in debt to secure the favor of his unenthusiastic child bride 'Baby Doll' (Carroll Baker). Archie Lee had been smitten by the young lase for some time, and had to negotiate an unusual agreement with her dying father to get her. In fact he doesn't really get to get her, or in Biblical parlance 'know' her, until her 20th birthday, and then only if his economic situation is favorable (even though they had legally married more then a year before that point). Archie's economic outlook however is not favorable, on account of a new county resident who has opend up his own mill, the Italian from El Paso Silva Vacaroo (Eli Wallach). With Baby Dolls 20th birthday approaching a desperate Archie burns down his competitors mill so as to satisfy both his economic needs and his lust.
Vacaroo figures out whats up in fairly short order, teasing the vital pieces of information, and a signed confession out of poor Baby Doll. In fact the young beauty ends up as something of battle field on which the two men wage there war, which becomes explicitly overt in the last half hour of the picture (though probably not in the way that your thinking). In fact most of the real good scenes occur between Wallach and Barker, as he alternatively seduces and frightens the young women as per his needs. Baker is pretty good in her part, though I haven't decided yet if her 'growing up' towards the end of the film is good or bad plotting, though I should probably give Williams the benefit of the doubt and say that its good (I'm still thinking about the Williams film I saw last week, The Night of the Iguana). Ms. Baker was given a large promotional buildup for this film and touted as a great new find, despite already scoring with a winning role in the previous years Giant (which is in strong contention to be my favorite film of all time). Trivia buffs will remember that Baker was featured on the biggest billboard of all time as part of the promotion for this movie. As for living up to her potential, Carroll's a solid actress but probably best known today for her role in Kindergarten Cop. Baby Doll though is her legacy film. Finally that delapedate plantation house is an inspired setting for a Williams drama.
IMDb
Risky film from the play by Tennessee Williams, about a middle man whose life is complicated by his teen aged bride. Karl Malden is that man, Archie Lee Meighan, a now struggling cotton miller who has gone deep in debt to secure the favor of his unenthusiastic child bride 'Baby Doll' (Carroll Baker). Archie Lee had been smitten by the young lase for some time, and had to negotiate an unusual agreement with her dying father to get her. In fact he doesn't really get to get her, or in Biblical parlance 'know' her, until her 20th birthday, and then only if his economic situation is favorable (even though they had legally married more then a year before that point). Archie's economic outlook however is not favorable, on account of a new county resident who has opend up his own mill, the Italian from El Paso Silva Vacaroo (Eli Wallach). With Baby Dolls 20th birthday approaching a desperate Archie burns down his competitors mill so as to satisfy both his economic needs and his lust.
Vacaroo figures out whats up in fairly short order, teasing the vital pieces of information, and a signed confession out of poor Baby Doll. In fact the young beauty ends up as something of battle field on which the two men wage there war, which becomes explicitly overt in the last half hour of the picture (though probably not in the way that your thinking). In fact most of the real good scenes occur between Wallach and Barker, as he alternatively seduces and frightens the young women as per his needs. Baker is pretty good in her part, though I haven't decided yet if her 'growing up' towards the end of the film is good or bad plotting, though I should probably give Williams the benefit of the doubt and say that its good (I'm still thinking about the Williams film I saw last week, The Night of the Iguana). Ms. Baker was given a large promotional buildup for this film and touted as a great new find, despite already scoring with a winning role in the previous years Giant (which is in strong contention to be my favorite film of all time). Trivia buffs will remember that Baker was featured on the biggest billboard of all time as part of the promotion for this movie. As for living up to her potential, Carroll's a solid actress but probably best known today for her role in Kindergarten Cop. Baby Doll though is her legacy film. Finally that delapedate plantation house is an inspired setting for a Williams drama.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Secret Honor (1984)
(Nixon home, California; contemporary)
IMDb
Disjointed ramblings. Those of Richard Nixon are the composition of this film. It's actually more of a filmed play, or one man show. But the production values aren't a fake looking set, this is more like something the American Film Theater did in the mid-1970's. Like Albee's A Delicate Balance. Anyway this came from the stage too, and Robert Altman saw the play, I suppose this would have been in 83' when it first came out, and the next year he made this. He made it with Philip Baker Hall, who played the same part in New York, and is the only man in the film, apart from the portraits that hang on the wall. Hall looks eerily like Nixon from some angels, and over all probably has the greatest physical similarity to the 37th president of an actor I've seen play him. He does a good job to, with the mannerisms, and the vocal idiosyncrasy's. He talks and to a lesser extent moves like Nixon. All the while ranting and raving into a tap recorder, with little stretches of calm, while fooling alternatively with a gun and a shot of whisky. Arresting performance, with some interesting speculation towards the end. Nixon had to destroy himself, he thinks, or he tells himself, for the greater good. Because he was being used and needed to stop being so, before he got worse, before they gave him a third term, Egocentric perhaps, but there's a certain kind of satisfying logic to it if you here it out. Such a Shakespearean figure was he, endlessly fascinating. I've always kind of identified with the man, there an excuse to psychoanalyse me as well. If you like to look into the dark side of a mans soul there's probably no better candidate then Nixon, he's close enough to us that we can't just write him off as an aberration, our at lest we shouldn't if we're honest with ourselves. I think there's some honesty to Secret Honor, if not always in the details of fact, at least in the spirit of it, in so far as can be garnered from this enigmatic man.
IMDb
Disjointed ramblings. Those of Richard Nixon are the composition of this film. It's actually more of a filmed play, or one man show. But the production values aren't a fake looking set, this is more like something the American Film Theater did in the mid-1970's. Like Albee's A Delicate Balance. Anyway this came from the stage too, and Robert Altman saw the play, I suppose this would have been in 83' when it first came out, and the next year he made this. He made it with Philip Baker Hall, who played the same part in New York, and is the only man in the film, apart from the portraits that hang on the wall. Hall looks eerily like Nixon from some angels, and over all probably has the greatest physical similarity to the 37th president of an actor I've seen play him. He does a good job to, with the mannerisms, and the vocal idiosyncrasy's. He talks and to a lesser extent moves like Nixon. All the while ranting and raving into a tap recorder, with little stretches of calm, while fooling alternatively with a gun and a shot of whisky. Arresting performance, with some interesting speculation towards the end. Nixon had to destroy himself, he thinks, or he tells himself, for the greater good. Because he was being used and needed to stop being so, before he got worse, before they gave him a third term, Egocentric perhaps, but there's a certain kind of satisfying logic to it if you here it out. Such a Shakespearean figure was he, endlessly fascinating. I've always kind of identified with the man, there an excuse to psychoanalyse me as well. If you like to look into the dark side of a mans soul there's probably no better candidate then Nixon, he's close enough to us that we can't just write him off as an aberration, our at lest we shouldn't if we're honest with ourselves. I think there's some honesty to Secret Honor, if not always in the details of fact, at least in the spirit of it, in so far as can be garnered from this enigmatic man.
Cattle Queen of Montana (1954)
(Montana; probably the 1860's)
IMDb
Fair western stars Ronald Reagan and Barbara Stanwyck, and has overused plot of Indians in league with cattle rustlers. Stanwyck is daughter of cattle baron (Morris Ankrum) re-locating operations from Texas to Montana. Rival rancher Tom McCord (Gene Evans) uses renegade Blackfoot Indians to kill Ankrum and steal his land. Reagan is gunslinger and federal mole in McCords organization. Lance Fuller plays college educated leader of peaceful Indians. Seemed like there were a lot of minor characters in this one. Beautiful location filming in Glacier National Park a bonus. Though a 1954 release, this was the film advertised as playing at the Hill Valley Theater during the 1955 portions of the original Back to the Future.
IMDb
Fair western stars Ronald Reagan and Barbara Stanwyck, and has overused plot of Indians in league with cattle rustlers. Stanwyck is daughter of cattle baron (Morris Ankrum) re-locating operations from Texas to Montana. Rival rancher Tom McCord (Gene Evans) uses renegade Blackfoot Indians to kill Ankrum and steal his land. Reagan is gunslinger and federal mole in McCords organization. Lance Fuller plays college educated leader of peaceful Indians. Seemed like there were a lot of minor characters in this one. Beautiful location filming in Glacier National Park a bonus. Though a 1954 release, this was the film advertised as playing at the Hill Valley Theater during the 1955 portions of the original Back to the Future.
Don Herbert, televisions "Mr. Wizard", 1917-2007. I learned alot from Mr. Wizard back in the day, probably most important of which involved both the fun and the dangers of dry ice.
The Little Prince (1974)
2/11/06
Also seen by me lately: From the 'why did I watch this' department comes The Little Prince. Directed by Stanley Donen (Singing In The Rain) and sporting a Lerner and Loewe score (My Fair Lady), Prince is based on the beloved French children's tale by Antonie de Saint-Exupery. In the film Richard Kiley plays a never named French test-pilot during the period 'between the wars', who after his experimental plane crashes in the Sahara comes across a strange little boy. The boy or 'Little Prince' hails from Asteroid B-612 a little planet that could just about fit in my family room. While the pilot fixs his plane the prince tells him story's about his journey from his home (where he lived with a talking rose) to a number of other small planets each ruled over by an adult arch-type, king, businessman, historian, general, and his later dealings with a snake (Bob Fosse) and a fox (Gene Wilder) here on Earth. A strange story that gets rather slow once the prince arrives on our planet, the movie at least has the virtue of strongly invoking a feeling of desire for ones own lost childhood. I vaguely remember an animated Little Prince program that aired on Nickelodean in the mid-1980's, I didn't really understand that shows logic either but there always seemed to be something going on beneath its surfice worth knowing about. The Princes creator Antonie de Saint-Exupery was a fighter pilot who was killed when his plane was shot down over the Mediterranean during World War II (the aircraft was only just discovered two-or-three years ago), and became something of a national treasure, his image even appeared on now defunct French currency.
Also seen by me lately: From the 'why did I watch this' department comes The Little Prince. Directed by Stanley Donen (Singing In The Rain) and sporting a Lerner and Loewe score (My Fair Lady), Prince is based on the beloved French children's tale by Antonie de Saint-Exupery. In the film Richard Kiley plays a never named French test-pilot during the period 'between the wars', who after his experimental plane crashes in the Sahara comes across a strange little boy. The boy or 'Little Prince' hails from Asteroid B-612 a little planet that could just about fit in my family room. While the pilot fixs his plane the prince tells him story's about his journey from his home (where he lived with a talking rose) to a number of other small planets each ruled over by an adult arch-type, king, businessman, historian, general, and his later dealings with a snake (Bob Fosse) and a fox (Gene Wilder) here on Earth. A strange story that gets rather slow once the prince arrives on our planet, the movie at least has the virtue of strongly invoking a feeling of desire for ones own lost childhood. I vaguely remember an animated Little Prince program that aired on Nickelodean in the mid-1980's, I didn't really understand that shows logic either but there always seemed to be something going on beneath its surfice worth knowing about. The Princes creator Antonie de Saint-Exupery was a fighter pilot who was killed when his plane was shot down over the Mediterranean during World War II (the aircraft was only just discovered two-or-three years ago), and became something of a national treasure, his image even appeared on now defunct French currency.
The Sunshine Boys (1975)
2/11/06
Herbert Ross's 1975 film production of Neil Simons play The Sunshine Boys is one of the funnier movies I've seen in a while. Simons dialogue is witty as usual and all the stronger for being delivered by the expert comics who appear in the film. Willy Clark (Simon favorite Walter Matthau) and Al Lewis (George Burns) were legendary vaudeville comics who as 'the Sunshine Boys' , who had a 43 year career together based mostly on the success of their famed 'Doctor Sketch' (though they also did a Gypsy chiropractor sketch). Now 12 years into retirement Willys nephew/agent Ben (Richard Benjamin) has a chance to re-unite the two for an ABC Network special on the history of comedy, the only problem is that each member of the famed duo hates the other. That basic premise pretty much sets you up for the whole hour and fifty-one minute movie. The pictures is quite funny and per Simon rules has more then a little bit of heart. George Burns won the best supporting actor Oscar for his role as the teams straight man, though Matthau arguably gave a more memorable performance (he however had already won an Oscar for Billy Wilders 1966 comedy The Fortune Cookie). A young Ron Rifkin and F. Murray Abraham also have small roles in the film.
Herbert Ross's 1975 film production of Neil Simons play The Sunshine Boys is one of the funnier movies I've seen in a while. Simons dialogue is witty as usual and all the stronger for being delivered by the expert comics who appear in the film. Willy Clark (Simon favorite Walter Matthau) and Al Lewis (George Burns) were legendary vaudeville comics who as 'the Sunshine Boys' , who had a 43 year career together based mostly on the success of their famed 'Doctor Sketch' (though they also did a Gypsy chiropractor sketch). Now 12 years into retirement Willys nephew/agent Ben (Richard Benjamin) has a chance to re-unite the two for an ABC Network special on the history of comedy, the only problem is that each member of the famed duo hates the other. That basic premise pretty much sets you up for the whole hour and fifty-one minute movie. The pictures is quite funny and per Simon rules has more then a little bit of heart. George Burns won the best supporting actor Oscar for his role as the teams straight man, though Matthau arguably gave a more memorable performance (he however had already won an Oscar for Billy Wilders 1966 comedy The Fortune Cookie). A young Ron Rifkin and F. Murray Abraham also have small roles in the film.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
2/8/06
What was reportedly Hitch's favorite of his own films is also my favorite Hitchcock film, the tragically overlooked Shadow of a Doubt. While most people seem to favor Hitchs flims of the 50's and 60's (which are indisputably excellent) I've long had a soft spot for his 40's work, which was often less splashy, slower, and more subtle, Shadow of a Doubt easily meeting all of these criteria. Filmed largely on location in Santa Rosa the movies screenplay was co-authored by Our Town playwrite Thornton Wilder, a man whose small town sensibilities are evident throughout the work. Hitchcock wanted to do a story that introduced terror to a small American town and the plot that was arived at is one of the most plausible and therefore most disconcerting in the director's cannon. In addition to all of this talent behind the making of the fim the pictures pace and relatively lose demands of its plot leave plenty of screen time to soak up the local atmosphere and get to know a gallery of interesting characters. Perhaps this is one of the primary reasons I love this film so much, you feel as though you can take a leisurely stroll through through the movie as it is in no hurry to get where its going.
Teresa Wright (who died last year) was top billed in this film which was made during the middle of the actresses war-time Hollywood heyday. The smart brunette plays young Charlie Newton a roughly 19 year old girl living at home who has become board with her predictable small town life. Joseph Cotton is her Uncle Charlie (for whom she was named), her mothers charming and beloved younger brother who comes to visit the family from the east. His visit promises to bring some of the excitement young Charlie so wanted in her life and for the young women things seem to be going along wonderfully, this excitement of course proves to be not exactly what the eager young niece was expecting (the ironic twist for those of you in screenwriting class). From the moment he arrives Uncle Charlie is acting weird in a hard-to-place sort of way, and many subtle hints are dropped that things with him are not as they appear. You see Uncle Charlie was what they then used to call a 'bluebeard', a man who marries rich middle-aged widows for their money, and then in his case kills them. The cold, pragmatic form of murderous ideology this character with the pleasant demeanor displays could well have been a metaphor for the Fascist belief system America was then fighting.
The detectives who where on Charlies trail in Philadelphia manage to track him to Santa Rosa despite never getting a good look at his face and there being no existing photos of the man outside of childhood. The detectives Jack Graham (Macdonald Carey) and Fred Saunders (Wallace Ford) attempt to recruit young Charlie for their investigation when they come to believe her uncle is their murder. This Charlie will have none of it at first, but as she comes to believe the detectives are right agrees to help them. This is all complicated by the fact that another suspect for 'the black widow murders' is being tracked down in New England, and is ultimately killed in an accident involving a airplane propeller blade. With the other dead con now out of the way and most likely destined to be blamed for his crimes, Uncle Charlie feels he might now be home free. However by this point young Charlie has uncovered some damaging evidence to implicate her uncle in the murders, and with the detectives gone to San Diego for reassignment old Charlie determines he must kill his niece and make it look like an accident.
The supporting cast of this film is so excellent that they deserve a mention. Henry Travers plays a character (young Chariles father Joseph Newton)that must have been intended to be twenty years or more younger then he was, but by dying his hair he is able to make the trick almost work in black and white film. Patricia Collinge as Emma Newton is the heart of the film, young Chariles fear that reveling the truth about her uncle might kill her mothers is a primary motivating factor for her character in the latter half of the movie. Edna May Wonacott was a local girl who had never acted in a film before but is terrific as bookish younger sister Ann, who seems to be the first person to sense something is wrong with her uncle. Finally Hume Cronyn is delightful as Joseph Newtons best friend Herbie Hawkins, a man obsessed by pulp detective magazines and finding the perfect way to kill a person. A clever plot, interesting characters and loads of local atmosphere come together to make Shadow of a Doubt satisfying entertainment with the requisite Hitchcock brains.
Also recommended: The Coen Brothers The Man Who Wasn't There while presented as a kind Film Noir homage has more then just a little of Shadow of a Doubt in it, including a strange relationship between a young girl and an older man, a slow pace and quirky characters, as well as a 1940's Santa Rosa setting.
What was reportedly Hitch's favorite of his own films is also my favorite Hitchcock film, the tragically overlooked Shadow of a Doubt. While most people seem to favor Hitchs flims of the 50's and 60's (which are indisputably excellent) I've long had a soft spot for his 40's work, which was often less splashy, slower, and more subtle, Shadow of a Doubt easily meeting all of these criteria. Filmed largely on location in Santa Rosa the movies screenplay was co-authored by Our Town playwrite Thornton Wilder, a man whose small town sensibilities are evident throughout the work. Hitchcock wanted to do a story that introduced terror to a small American town and the plot that was arived at is one of the most plausible and therefore most disconcerting in the director's cannon. In addition to all of this talent behind the making of the fim the pictures pace and relatively lose demands of its plot leave plenty of screen time to soak up the local atmosphere and get to know a gallery of interesting characters. Perhaps this is one of the primary reasons I love this film so much, you feel as though you can take a leisurely stroll through through the movie as it is in no hurry to get where its going.
Teresa Wright (who died last year) was top billed in this film which was made during the middle of the actresses war-time Hollywood heyday. The smart brunette plays young Charlie Newton a roughly 19 year old girl living at home who has become board with her predictable small town life. Joseph Cotton is her Uncle Charlie (for whom she was named), her mothers charming and beloved younger brother who comes to visit the family from the east. His visit promises to bring some of the excitement young Charlie so wanted in her life and for the young women things seem to be going along wonderfully, this excitement of course proves to be not exactly what the eager young niece was expecting (the ironic twist for those of you in screenwriting class). From the moment he arrives Uncle Charlie is acting weird in a hard-to-place sort of way, and many subtle hints are dropped that things with him are not as they appear. You see Uncle Charlie was what they then used to call a 'bluebeard', a man who marries rich middle-aged widows for their money, and then in his case kills them. The cold, pragmatic form of murderous ideology this character with the pleasant demeanor displays could well have been a metaphor for the Fascist belief system America was then fighting.
The detectives who where on Charlies trail in Philadelphia manage to track him to Santa Rosa despite never getting a good look at his face and there being no existing photos of the man outside of childhood. The detectives Jack Graham (Macdonald Carey) and Fred Saunders (Wallace Ford) attempt to recruit young Charlie for their investigation when they come to believe her uncle is their murder. This Charlie will have none of it at first, but as she comes to believe the detectives are right agrees to help them. This is all complicated by the fact that another suspect for 'the black widow murders' is being tracked down in New England, and is ultimately killed in an accident involving a airplane propeller blade. With the other dead con now out of the way and most likely destined to be blamed for his crimes, Uncle Charlie feels he might now be home free. However by this point young Charlie has uncovered some damaging evidence to implicate her uncle in the murders, and with the detectives gone to San Diego for reassignment old Charlie determines he must kill his niece and make it look like an accident.
The supporting cast of this film is so excellent that they deserve a mention. Henry Travers plays a character (young Chariles father Joseph Newton)that must have been intended to be twenty years or more younger then he was, but by dying his hair he is able to make the trick almost work in black and white film. Patricia Collinge as Emma Newton is the heart of the film, young Chariles fear that reveling the truth about her uncle might kill her mothers is a primary motivating factor for her character in the latter half of the movie. Edna May Wonacott was a local girl who had never acted in a film before but is terrific as bookish younger sister Ann, who seems to be the first person to sense something is wrong with her uncle. Finally Hume Cronyn is delightful as Joseph Newtons best friend Herbie Hawkins, a man obsessed by pulp detective magazines and finding the perfect way to kill a person. A clever plot, interesting characters and loads of local atmosphere come together to make Shadow of a Doubt satisfying entertainment with the requisite Hitchcock brains.
Also recommended: The Coen Brothers The Man Who Wasn't There while presented as a kind Film Noir homage has more then just a little of Shadow of a Doubt in it, including a strange relationship between a young girl and an older man, a slow pace and quirky characters, as well as a 1940's Santa Rosa setting.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
The Lost World (1925)
2/5/06
A film I've seen recently: The Lost World is a silent 1925 adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles story of an expedition to find modern dinosaurs in the Amazon. This motion picture is notable primarily for its then cutting edge special effects, including some choppy stop-motion work, pretty good ape-man make-up, use of forced perspective, and some decent models. The acting is standard for silent cinema but the movie is short (less then an hour) so that its watchable for even those who aren't big fans of silent movies.
A film I've seen recently: The Lost World is a silent 1925 adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles story of an expedition to find modern dinosaurs in the Amazon. This motion picture is notable primarily for its then cutting edge special effects, including some choppy stop-motion work, pretty good ape-man make-up, use of forced perspective, and some decent models. The acting is standard for silent cinema but the movie is short (less then an hour) so that its watchable for even those who aren't big fans of silent movies.
24: Season 2 (2002-2003)
2/5/06
24 season 2 is some intense viewing for a program that came out of network television. Unlike the first season of this real-time action show, season 2 was completely plotted out before it began, so that it runs smoother and is more tightly pact with character and story elements. This time Jack has to come out of early retirement to help President Palmer stop a nuclear device from detonating in Los Angels. However in true 24 style, what you think the show is about turns out to be only half of it. There are some very satisfying arcs here for George Mason and Mrs. Palmer though the entire regular cast gets a chance to shine. I was particularly impressed with Sara Wynter as Kate Warner, a character who was used effectively throughout the whole season, though at first I thought they wouldn't be able to come up with enough story for her. Year two, I'm sorry day two, leaves you pumped for day 3 which I'm sure I'll get too once I feel fully recovered from this rather long 24 hours.
24 season 2 is some intense viewing for a program that came out of network television. Unlike the first season of this real-time action show, season 2 was completely plotted out before it began, so that it runs smoother and is more tightly pact with character and story elements. This time Jack has to come out of early retirement to help President Palmer stop a nuclear device from detonating in Los Angels. However in true 24 style, what you think the show is about turns out to be only half of it. There are some very satisfying arcs here for George Mason and Mrs. Palmer though the entire regular cast gets a chance to shine. I was particularly impressed with Sara Wynter as Kate Warner, a character who was used effectively throughout the whole season, though at first I thought they wouldn't be able to come up with enough story for her. Year two, I'm sorry day two, leaves you pumped for day 3 which I'm sure I'll get too once I feel fully recovered from this rather long 24 hours.
Children of Men (2006)
(England; 2027)
IMDb
I was very impressed. Story of a pregnancy 18 years after the last human birth. Wonderful look to the thing, a dying humanity, run down and despairing environment, advanced technology mixed with pull-carts, this kind of imagery has always resonated with me. Clive Owen works as a once idealistic protester of the Bush II era, turned emotionally deadened employee of the Energy Ministry. His spirits are reawakened after an old girlfriend turned resistance leader (Julian Moore) recruits him to aid in the transport of a miraculously pregnant illegal immigrant (Claire-Hope Ashitey). It's dreary and poignant throughout, with a beautiful scene near the end that I won't spoil for you, but that brings home a type emotional impact that can only be imparted in a science fiction or fantasy setting. Michael Cain plays a hippie. For an inverse premise see JMS's late Showtime series Jeremiah.
IMDb
I was very impressed. Story of a pregnancy 18 years after the last human birth. Wonderful look to the thing, a dying humanity, run down and despairing environment, advanced technology mixed with pull-carts, this kind of imagery has always resonated with me. Clive Owen works as a once idealistic protester of the Bush II era, turned emotionally deadened employee of the Energy Ministry. His spirits are reawakened after an old girlfriend turned resistance leader (Julian Moore) recruits him to aid in the transport of a miraculously pregnant illegal immigrant (Claire-Hope Ashitey). It's dreary and poignant throughout, with a beautiful scene near the end that I won't spoil for you, but that brings home a type emotional impact that can only be imparted in a science fiction or fantasy setting. Michael Cain plays a hippie. For an inverse premise see JMS's late Showtime series Jeremiah.
The Messengers (2007)
(Rural North Dakota; contemporary)
IMDb
Ugh, how much time do I really want to wast reviewing this movie? Horror movie plot number 3: Family goes to restart their life in house where a horrible event once took place, supernatural occurrences ensue. The X-Files "Cigarette Smoking Man" is in this for about two minutes, that was really the highlight of the movie for me. Be more productive then watching this clinker, spend and hour and a half with C-Span, its scarier and more briskly paced.
IMDb
Ugh, how much time do I really want to wast reviewing this movie? Horror movie plot number 3: Family goes to restart their life in house where a horrible event once took place, supernatural occurrences ensue. The X-Files "Cigarette Smoking Man" is in this for about two minutes, that was really the highlight of the movie for me. Be more productive then watching this clinker, spend and hour and a half with C-Span, its scarier and more briskly paced.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
2/5/06
About a month ago when I went to buy my own copy of Shaun of the Dead ("A hit romantic comedy, with zombies") I got it in two-pack with the 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead (directors cut). Now the Zombie movie is one film genre I must confess to knowing next to nothing about, I haven't even seen the preeminate zombie flick Night of the Living Dead. However since zombies have seemingly come back in vogue over the last few years, and as I did quite enjoy Shaun I decided to give the undead a try.
Newbie director Zack Snyders Dawn of the Dead is a lose remake of zombie dean George Romeros 1978 film of the same name. In this new version Sarah Polley (she's all grown up), plays Ana an overworked nurse living in a Milwaukee suburb with her nice guy husband/boyfriend. After coming off a long shift at work Ana and her husband spend some intimate time together ignoring the breaking news bulletins on television (I take it this is often a fatal thing to do in zombie movies). Within the first seven minutes of the movie a young neighbor girl comes into their house and zombiefs Ana's man by biting him. Forced to make a run from her home our heroine soon discovers that zombie induced chaos has descended upon Wisconsin, she is then forced off the road when someone (a panicked non-zombie) tries to get in her car and drives down an enbankment and crashes into a tree. Ana is knocked unconscious long enough for the cool opening title sequence with the Johnny Cash song but luckely not long enough to get got by a zombie. She is reawakened by a cope named Kenneth (Ving Rhames), and the two quickly join up with a group of three additional survivors, Andre (Mekhi Phifer of ER), his big with child Russian wife Luda (Inna Korobkina) and television salesman Michael (Jake Weber the husband on Medium).
Being five people of the modern age the group decides to go to the mall, this is acutely fairly logical as the zombie crises broke during hours when the mall was closed and the building would make a good fort. After breaking in to the mall they destroy a zombie janitor and security guard before hooking up with the at first not very likeable C.J. (Michael Kelly) and his two fellow surviving security guards. With plenty of food and supply's and the undead not smart enough to be able to break inside, this group of survivors knows they are okay for the time being, at lest until the TV goes out and more and more zombies begin to congregate around the mall.
Later our Mallrats are joined by another group of about eight survivors fleeing from an overrun 'evacuation center' at a Catholic Church. In addition to all these people the group also has contact with Andy (Bruce Bohne) the owner of a gunshop across the street from the mall who has taken up a sniper position on the roof of his store, they communicate with each other through messages written on white boards and read via binoculars. Knowing that they can't hold out forever the group eventually comes up with a plane to rescue Andy, get lots of weapons out of his store and take off in improvised armored mall parking buses for the marina. At the marina the group will escape in a boat owned by annoying yuppie Steve (Ty Burrell) and set off for some islands in the great lakes that hopefully aren't overrun by zombies. The preparation and institution of this plan lead up to the climax of the movie.
I was surprised to see how much I liked this movie, despite its much gore. Desperate people trapped in confined quarters and facing impossible odds simply makes for great drama, just ask Stephen King who routinely follows this scenario. All in All Dawn of the Dead is a great zombie movie that makes me want to explore the genre further. In closing I just want to say that the 'shoot a celebrity game' they play in this flick is sickly hilarious.
About a month ago when I went to buy my own copy of Shaun of the Dead ("A hit romantic comedy, with zombies") I got it in two-pack with the 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead (directors cut). Now the Zombie movie is one film genre I must confess to knowing next to nothing about, I haven't even seen the preeminate zombie flick Night of the Living Dead. However since zombies have seemingly come back in vogue over the last few years, and as I did quite enjoy Shaun I decided to give the undead a try.
Newbie director Zack Snyders Dawn of the Dead is a lose remake of zombie dean George Romeros 1978 film of the same name. In this new version Sarah Polley (she's all grown up), plays Ana an overworked nurse living in a Milwaukee suburb with her nice guy husband/boyfriend. After coming off a long shift at work Ana and her husband spend some intimate time together ignoring the breaking news bulletins on television (I take it this is often a fatal thing to do in zombie movies). Within the first seven minutes of the movie a young neighbor girl comes into their house and zombiefs Ana's man by biting him. Forced to make a run from her home our heroine soon discovers that zombie induced chaos has descended upon Wisconsin, she is then forced off the road when someone (a panicked non-zombie) tries to get in her car and drives down an enbankment and crashes into a tree. Ana is knocked unconscious long enough for the cool opening title sequence with the Johnny Cash song but luckely not long enough to get got by a zombie. She is reawakened by a cope named Kenneth (Ving Rhames), and the two quickly join up with a group of three additional survivors, Andre (Mekhi Phifer of ER), his big with child Russian wife Luda (Inna Korobkina) and television salesman Michael (Jake Weber the husband on Medium).
Being five people of the modern age the group decides to go to the mall, this is acutely fairly logical as the zombie crises broke during hours when the mall was closed and the building would make a good fort. After breaking in to the mall they destroy a zombie janitor and security guard before hooking up with the at first not very likeable C.J. (Michael Kelly) and his two fellow surviving security guards. With plenty of food and supply's and the undead not smart enough to be able to break inside, this group of survivors knows they are okay for the time being, at lest until the TV goes out and more and more zombies begin to congregate around the mall.
Later our Mallrats are joined by another group of about eight survivors fleeing from an overrun 'evacuation center' at a Catholic Church. In addition to all these people the group also has contact with Andy (Bruce Bohne) the owner of a gunshop across the street from the mall who has taken up a sniper position on the roof of his store, they communicate with each other through messages written on white boards and read via binoculars. Knowing that they can't hold out forever the group eventually comes up with a plane to rescue Andy, get lots of weapons out of his store and take off in improvised armored mall parking buses for the marina. At the marina the group will escape in a boat owned by annoying yuppie Steve (Ty Burrell) and set off for some islands in the great lakes that hopefully aren't overrun by zombies. The preparation and institution of this plan lead up to the climax of the movie.
I was surprised to see how much I liked this movie, despite its much gore. Desperate people trapped in confined quarters and facing impossible odds simply makes for great drama, just ask Stephen King who routinely follows this scenario. All in All Dawn of the Dead is a great zombie movie that makes me want to explore the genre further. In closing I just want to say that the 'shoot a celebrity game' they play in this flick is sickly hilarious.
California Suit (1978)
2/1/06
Last night I started doing some research for a script I'll be writing for a screenplay class. The story I have in mind might contain a sequence involving a high school play and I wanted to select a light comedy that I could barrow some lines from. Now when I think of 'high school play' I typically think of adapted Shakespeare or Neil Simon. So as part of my research I checked out from the BSU library a copy of Simons California Suit, which I selected because I knew it had a large cast. It turns out that Suit, though rated PG, is not quite appropriate for a high school performance though it is however decent Simon.
California Suit is a late 70's comedy/drama with a large and talented cast and plenty of witty banter. The film is basically four little plays, two primarily drama and two primarily comedy, linked together by their various players staying at the same Beverly Hills Hotel. Jane Fonda is Hannah Warren a shrill but ultimately sympathetic liberal feminist who has come from New York to visit with her long estranged husband over the matter of their daughters custody. Alan Alda is the estranged husband Bill, a professional screen writer and sensitive man of the 70's. The two bicker wittely but eventually decide on the right course for their daughter, wherein she will spend half the year in California with him and the other half in New York with her.
Maggie Smith (you know her as Mrs. McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies) is Diana Barrie, a veteran London stage actress visiting Los Angles after having finally been nominated for an Academy Award. However Dianas nomination is for a lead role in a silly romantic comedy (opposite James Coburn) which she hated making and for which she is considered unlikely to win. Michael Cain is Sidney Cochran, a former actor and now antique dealer who is Dianas husband. The film slowly revels that Sidney is a bisexual and that while he loves his wife 'in his way' he sleeps around fairly frequently. Diana non-the less is deeply in love with him and somehow the marriage seems to work for them. Maggie Smith ironically did win a best supporting actress Oscar for this role.
Walter Matthau is Marvin Michaels in from Philadelphia for his nephews bar mitzpha (sp). Herb Edelman is Marvins sex-obsessed brother Harry Michaels who hires a prostitute for his brother who unwisely indulges after having been plasterd with alcohol. Things get even more complicated for Marvin when his wife (Elaine May) arrives at the hotel the next day and Marvin can not awaken the hooker who has passed-out after having drunk an entire bottle of tequila herself. Perhaps only Matthau could pull off this material this well, though the actress playing his wife also does an excellent job. Finally Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor are two Chicago doctors on a vacation with their wives in which everything goes wrong, leading perhaps inevitably to a lot of physical comedy.
California Suite works when perhaps it shouldn't and unlike many films of this type doesn't try to force its stories to connect. A likeable movie that displays both Simons and director Herbert Ross's ability to deal with a variety of situations on screen. If made today this movie would probably be less restrained and rated R, but like much of Billy Wilders 1960's work retains an old school charm that makes the seemingly unacceptable almost pleasant.
Last night I started doing some research for a script I'll be writing for a screenplay class. The story I have in mind might contain a sequence involving a high school play and I wanted to select a light comedy that I could barrow some lines from. Now when I think of 'high school play' I typically think of adapted Shakespeare or Neil Simon. So as part of my research I checked out from the BSU library a copy of Simons California Suit, which I selected because I knew it had a large cast. It turns out that Suit, though rated PG, is not quite appropriate for a high school performance though it is however decent Simon.
California Suit is a late 70's comedy/drama with a large and talented cast and plenty of witty banter. The film is basically four little plays, two primarily drama and two primarily comedy, linked together by their various players staying at the same Beverly Hills Hotel. Jane Fonda is Hannah Warren a shrill but ultimately sympathetic liberal feminist who has come from New York to visit with her long estranged husband over the matter of their daughters custody. Alan Alda is the estranged husband Bill, a professional screen writer and sensitive man of the 70's. The two bicker wittely but eventually decide on the right course for their daughter, wherein she will spend half the year in California with him and the other half in New York with her.
Maggie Smith (you know her as Mrs. McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies) is Diana Barrie, a veteran London stage actress visiting Los Angles after having finally been nominated for an Academy Award. However Dianas nomination is for a lead role in a silly romantic comedy (opposite James Coburn) which she hated making and for which she is considered unlikely to win. Michael Cain is Sidney Cochran, a former actor and now antique dealer who is Dianas husband. The film slowly revels that Sidney is a bisexual and that while he loves his wife 'in his way' he sleeps around fairly frequently. Diana non-the less is deeply in love with him and somehow the marriage seems to work for them. Maggie Smith ironically did win a best supporting actress Oscar for this role.
Walter Matthau is Marvin Michaels in from Philadelphia for his nephews bar mitzpha (sp). Herb Edelman is Marvins sex-obsessed brother Harry Michaels who hires a prostitute for his brother who unwisely indulges after having been plasterd with alcohol. Things get even more complicated for Marvin when his wife (Elaine May) arrives at the hotel the next day and Marvin can not awaken the hooker who has passed-out after having drunk an entire bottle of tequila herself. Perhaps only Matthau could pull off this material this well, though the actress playing his wife also does an excellent job. Finally Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor are two Chicago doctors on a vacation with their wives in which everything goes wrong, leading perhaps inevitably to a lot of physical comedy.
California Suite works when perhaps it shouldn't and unlike many films of this type doesn't try to force its stories to connect. A likeable movie that displays both Simons and director Herbert Ross's ability to deal with a variety of situations on screen. If made today this movie would probably be less restrained and rated R, but like much of Billy Wilders 1960's work retains an old school charm that makes the seemingly unacceptable almost pleasant.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Venus (2006)
(London and the English coast; contemporary)
IMDb
Forest Whitaker was really quite impressive in The Last King of Scotland, he probably even deserved that Academy Award, in fact I'm sure he did. None-the-less, had I been an Academy voter I would have voted for Peter O'Toole. Not just because he's Peter O'Toole, not just because his role in Venus is such a worthy capstone to such a great career, but because the man is still a bloody good performer. Granted some of the aura of being Peter O'Toole helps, but you don't have to know anything about him to recognize his presence. Richard Harris, a good friend of O'Toole was the same way, even ten year olds watching Harry Potter knew to stop and stare a little. Venus provides ample opportunity to just soak in O'Toole in all his complex finery.
O'Toole is Maurice, a respected and still sporadically working actor of stage, screen and television. As a septuagenarian now he has more free time then he'd probably like, and he spends much of it with his actor friends. One of them (Leslie Phillips) is having his niece's 20ish daughter come to live with him as a sort of nurse/cook, however he is very disappointed to find when she (Jodie Whittaker, not to be confused with Forest) arrives, that the girl is sullen and uncooperative. "It's been less then 24 hours and I'm already desiring euthanasia" he tell's Maurice. It is Maurice however who takes a deeper interest in the girl, even though she seems but marginally attractive and not particularly pleasant. But Jessie, who Maurice nicknames 'Venus' does manage to get somehow more beautiful as the film plays on, and Ms. Whittaker should be hailed for a performance and characterization that doesn't so much seem to change as to deepen.
Maurice is a dirty old man, and Jessie a young dissatisfied of no particular consequence, yet they prove drawn to one another, capable of soliciting from the other more life then they otherwise display. It is a chaste relationship, of a sort, not that Maurice wouldn't like to enjoy that earthy form of pleasure he so understatedly says he "Likes". Cancer has made him impotent physically, squashing the one thing besides the theater he was ever truly able to immerse himself in. As a result he sends out feelers, to other humans, in search of a deeper connection, mostly to Jessie, but also to his common-law ex-wife, with whom he never officially became divorced. Jessie is uneasy of desired connection, and takes up with a forgettable punk, who rasies Maurice's ire. The seeds of plot resolution are planted there-in.
Venus is a beautiful movie, it simply is. I can't encapsulate it any more then that, I truly enjoyed it. O'Toole is always worth seeing and Whittaker a find, with the supporting cast worthy as well. This is not a general audience picture, but its particular audience will recognize its value and appreciate its beauty.
IMDb
Forest Whitaker was really quite impressive in The Last King of Scotland, he probably even deserved that Academy Award, in fact I'm sure he did. None-the-less, had I been an Academy voter I would have voted for Peter O'Toole. Not just because he's Peter O'Toole, not just because his role in Venus is such a worthy capstone to such a great career, but because the man is still a bloody good performer. Granted some of the aura of being Peter O'Toole helps, but you don't have to know anything about him to recognize his presence. Richard Harris, a good friend of O'Toole was the same way, even ten year olds watching Harry Potter knew to stop and stare a little. Venus provides ample opportunity to just soak in O'Toole in all his complex finery.
O'Toole is Maurice, a respected and still sporadically working actor of stage, screen and television. As a septuagenarian now he has more free time then he'd probably like, and he spends much of it with his actor friends. One of them (Leslie Phillips) is having his niece's 20ish daughter come to live with him as a sort of nurse/cook, however he is very disappointed to find when she (Jodie Whittaker, not to be confused with Forest) arrives, that the girl is sullen and uncooperative. "It's been less then 24 hours and I'm already desiring euthanasia" he tell's Maurice. It is Maurice however who takes a deeper interest in the girl, even though she seems but marginally attractive and not particularly pleasant. But Jessie, who Maurice nicknames 'Venus' does manage to get somehow more beautiful as the film plays on, and Ms. Whittaker should be hailed for a performance and characterization that doesn't so much seem to change as to deepen.
Maurice is a dirty old man, and Jessie a young dissatisfied of no particular consequence, yet they prove drawn to one another, capable of soliciting from the other more life then they otherwise display. It is a chaste relationship, of a sort, not that Maurice wouldn't like to enjoy that earthy form of pleasure he so understatedly says he "Likes". Cancer has made him impotent physically, squashing the one thing besides the theater he was ever truly able to immerse himself in. As a result he sends out feelers, to other humans, in search of a deeper connection, mostly to Jessie, but also to his common-law ex-wife, with whom he never officially became divorced. Jessie is uneasy of desired connection, and takes up with a forgettable punk, who rasies Maurice's ire. The seeds of plot resolution are planted there-in.
Venus is a beautiful movie, it simply is. I can't encapsulate it any more then that, I truly enjoyed it. O'Toole is always worth seeing and Whittaker a find, with the supporting cast worthy as well. This is not a general audience picture, but its particular audience will recognize its value and appreciate its beauty.
Night at the Museum (2006)
(New York City; contemporary)
IMDb
The greatest compliment I heard for this movie was on the 'This Divided State Blog', where someone said it reminded them of an 80's movie. You know it did remind me of an 80's movie, or more generally of a type of film that is representative of childhood, mine just happened to be in the Reagan era. The fantasy of things coming to life at night, were passions (such as history) are rewarded with life changing experiences, where Theodore Roosevelt can win the love of Sacajawea (or Ben Stiller of a Rachel Weisz look alike). Pure enjoyment cinema. Kudos on the use of a trio of veterns as the museums old security staff.
IMDb
The greatest compliment I heard for this movie was on the 'This Divided State Blog', where someone said it reminded them of an 80's movie. You know it did remind me of an 80's movie, or more generally of a type of film that is representative of childhood, mine just happened to be in the Reagan era. The fantasy of things coming to life at night, were passions (such as history) are rewarded with life changing experiences, where Theodore Roosevelt can win the love of Sacajawea (or Ben Stiller of a Rachel Weisz look alike). Pure enjoyment cinema. Kudos on the use of a trio of veterns as the museums old security staff.
Saboteur (1942)
1/28/06
The first movie up for review in my recently purchased Alfred Hitchcock movie collection is the 1942 film Saboteur. A cinematic descendent of Hitchcocks own The 39 Steps, and very much an ancestor of the more well known North by Northwest, Saboteur was Hitchs first film for Universal and his first with an entirely American cast. The pictures leading man is the underapricated Robert Cummings (who would later achieve greater popularity as a TV sitcom star in the 50's and 60's), who plays Barry Kane a worker at a Los Angels area military aircraft factory in the early days of U. S. involvment in World War II. When a fire at the factory kills his best friend and Barry is implicated as the arsonist, our hero sets out in search of a suspicious new worker, Frank Fry (Norman Lloyd), who the police say doesn't exisit. From the address on an envelope of Frys that Barry briefly glimpsed earlier (this is well set-up in the movie and not as contrived as it may seem in my telling), young Mr. Kane sets out for the California ranch country.
Barry is helped to his destination by a truck driver named Mac, perfectly cast in the form of actor Murry Alper. The gentleman who owns the ranch in question, Charles Tobin (a wonderfully sinister Otto Kruger), denies any knowledge of a Frank Fry, by Barry soon discovers his host is lying and is infact involved with a militant group of Nazi sympathizers. Tobin calls the police on Barry, who once in custody is unable to convince the authorities of the 'respected citizens' treasonious ways, as he himself has been on the run for those vary charges. Barry is able to escape from the copes while being transfered to jail with the help of Mac, who is reencounterd at a narrow bridge, our hero goes all Harrison Ford on us by jumping into a river for safety. The fugitive (joke intended) later emerges from the water (cold and wet naturally) and finds shelter in the home of a likable blind man named Phillip Martin(Vaughan Glaser). Though Phillip is blind he is vary perceptive and quickly comes to a conviction of Barrys inherent goodness. The old man sends his visiting niece Patrica (Priscilla Lane, whose character is suppose to be a professional model), to reluctantly take Barry to a blacksmith friend of his to have his handcuffs removed.
Patrica decides not to take Barry to the blacksmiths but to turn him into the police instead, she is able to trick her charge into wrapping his hands around the cars stearing wheel so as to make him easier to handel. Barry however is able to get his foot on the gas and gain limited control of the vehicle, so that the two of them remain locked into awkward struggle for control of the car until coming to a stop in the middle of the desert. When Priscilla escapes from the car and attempts to hitchhike away from him, Barry manages to use a buzz saw like compounite of the vehicles motor to separate his handcuffs and then recapture her. When the car breaks down later our hero and his reluctant companion are forced to abandon it and end up stuck in the desert at night. Barry is eventually able to convince Priscila to join him in stowing away on a passing circus caravan after reminding her that if she doesn't she'll be stuck out in the desert alone at night with snakes. The car they sneak onto turns out to be inhabited by a colorful collection of sideshow performers, who at first debate giving them refuge but eventually hid the pair from a surprise police inspection. During their time with the freaks Patrica becomes at least partially convinced that Barry is telling the truth.
Having seen a letter of Frys addressed from a 'Soda City' while at Tobins, Barry decides that visiting this local is his best chance at catching the sabtoure and proving his innocence. The carven drops the couple near their desired location, which turns out to be a ghost town. In a supposedly abandoned building the two discover evidence of a plot to blow up an important hydro electric station (footage of what I believe to be Hoover Dam is used for this facility). When two men approach the building Barry is able to hid Patrica (who goes by Pat for short), and convince the visitors that he is the saboteur that blew up the factory for them. The leader of the two a Mr. Freeman (Alan Baxter) takes Barry back to New York with him for safety, there our intrepid fugitive quickly discovers that the American fascists are deeply embedded in upper-crust society, and worse yet (through the aid of crooked lawmen out west) they've captured Pat!
Saboteur is a great period thriller, and in plot and tempo more like Hitchcocks 50's work then his other WWII era pictures. It has been reported that Hitch originally wanted Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck for the leads, and while these two would assuredly have made a fine picture, I believe this movie benefited from the added 'everyman' quality brought by using lesser known performers as its stars. This has been my third viewing of the picture and I've come to realize that Robert Cummings dramatic ability's are more limited then I first thought, however he is such a sympathetic figure that the man is more then capable of carrying the picture. Priscilla Lane is also a winning personality and I find that every time I view this picture I want to see more of her work. The supporting cast of character actors is very strong, and there are many memorable and inventive scenes. During the New York part of the movie alone we are treated to great sequences set in a fancy fifth avenue party, Radio City Music Hall, and the Statue of Liberty. Containing many hokey speech's extolling a kind of war-time liberalism, this picture is a great and inspiring time capsule of national feelings we could use to recapture. Not the best Hitchcok movie, but its earnestness, action and creativity has it made it one of my favorites.
The first movie up for review in my recently purchased Alfred Hitchcock movie collection is the 1942 film Saboteur. A cinematic descendent of Hitchcocks own The 39 Steps, and very much an ancestor of the more well known North by Northwest, Saboteur was Hitchs first film for Universal and his first with an entirely American cast. The pictures leading man is the underapricated Robert Cummings (who would later achieve greater popularity as a TV sitcom star in the 50's and 60's), who plays Barry Kane a worker at a Los Angels area military aircraft factory in the early days of U. S. involvment in World War II. When a fire at the factory kills his best friend and Barry is implicated as the arsonist, our hero sets out in search of a suspicious new worker, Frank Fry (Norman Lloyd), who the police say doesn't exisit. From the address on an envelope of Frys that Barry briefly glimpsed earlier (this is well set-up in the movie and not as contrived as it may seem in my telling), young Mr. Kane sets out for the California ranch country.
Barry is helped to his destination by a truck driver named Mac, perfectly cast in the form of actor Murry Alper. The gentleman who owns the ranch in question, Charles Tobin (a wonderfully sinister Otto Kruger), denies any knowledge of a Frank Fry, by Barry soon discovers his host is lying and is infact involved with a militant group of Nazi sympathizers. Tobin calls the police on Barry, who once in custody is unable to convince the authorities of the 'respected citizens' treasonious ways, as he himself has been on the run for those vary charges. Barry is able to escape from the copes while being transfered to jail with the help of Mac, who is reencounterd at a narrow bridge, our hero goes all Harrison Ford on us by jumping into a river for safety. The fugitive (joke intended) later emerges from the water (cold and wet naturally) and finds shelter in the home of a likable blind man named Phillip Martin(Vaughan Glaser). Though Phillip is blind he is vary perceptive and quickly comes to a conviction of Barrys inherent goodness. The old man sends his visiting niece Patrica (Priscilla Lane, whose character is suppose to be a professional model), to reluctantly take Barry to a blacksmith friend of his to have his handcuffs removed.
Patrica decides not to take Barry to the blacksmiths but to turn him into the police instead, she is able to trick her charge into wrapping his hands around the cars stearing wheel so as to make him easier to handel. Barry however is able to get his foot on the gas and gain limited control of the vehicle, so that the two of them remain locked into awkward struggle for control of the car until coming to a stop in the middle of the desert. When Priscilla escapes from the car and attempts to hitchhike away from him, Barry manages to use a buzz saw like compounite of the vehicles motor to separate his handcuffs and then recapture her. When the car breaks down later our hero and his reluctant companion are forced to abandon it and end up stuck in the desert at night. Barry is eventually able to convince Priscila to join him in stowing away on a passing circus caravan after reminding her that if she doesn't she'll be stuck out in the desert alone at night with snakes. The car they sneak onto turns out to be inhabited by a colorful collection of sideshow performers, who at first debate giving them refuge but eventually hid the pair from a surprise police inspection. During their time with the freaks Patrica becomes at least partially convinced that Barry is telling the truth.
Having seen a letter of Frys addressed from a 'Soda City' while at Tobins, Barry decides that visiting this local is his best chance at catching the sabtoure and proving his innocence. The carven drops the couple near their desired location, which turns out to be a ghost town. In a supposedly abandoned building the two discover evidence of a plot to blow up an important hydro electric station (footage of what I believe to be Hoover Dam is used for this facility). When two men approach the building Barry is able to hid Patrica (who goes by Pat for short), and convince the visitors that he is the saboteur that blew up the factory for them. The leader of the two a Mr. Freeman (Alan Baxter) takes Barry back to New York with him for safety, there our intrepid fugitive quickly discovers that the American fascists are deeply embedded in upper-crust society, and worse yet (through the aid of crooked lawmen out west) they've captured Pat!
Saboteur is a great period thriller, and in plot and tempo more like Hitchcocks 50's work then his other WWII era pictures. It has been reported that Hitch originally wanted Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck for the leads, and while these two would assuredly have made a fine picture, I believe this movie benefited from the added 'everyman' quality brought by using lesser known performers as its stars. This has been my third viewing of the picture and I've come to realize that Robert Cummings dramatic ability's are more limited then I first thought, however he is such a sympathetic figure that the man is more then capable of carrying the picture. Priscilla Lane is also a winning personality and I find that every time I view this picture I want to see more of her work. The supporting cast of character actors is very strong, and there are many memorable and inventive scenes. During the New York part of the movie alone we are treated to great sequences set in a fancy fifth avenue party, Radio City Music Hall, and the Statue of Liberty. Containing many hokey speech's extolling a kind of war-time liberalism, this picture is a great and inspiring time capsule of national feelings we could use to recapture. Not the best Hitchcok movie, but its earnestness, action and creativity has it made it one of my favorites.
The Marx Brothers In A Nutshell (1982)
1/23/06
Also seen by me recently: The Marx Brothers In A Nutshell is a 1982 TV documentary on the famous comedy team narrated by Gene Kelly. Various associates of the famous brothers give talking head interviews and clips from some of their more memorable routines are played, in what could be called a kind of 'Marxist Primer'. The documentary also features rarely seen archival footage from studio publicity films and various television appearances. Starting with brief bio's of the four Marxs who made films, this slightly over 90 minute doc then traces the groups career from childhood work in vaudeville to their semi-retirement. A fair work, but a better documentary on the team is just waiting to be made.
Also seen by me recently: The Marx Brothers In A Nutshell is a 1982 TV documentary on the famous comedy team narrated by Gene Kelly. Various associates of the famous brothers give talking head interviews and clips from some of their more memorable routines are played, in what could be called a kind of 'Marxist Primer'. The documentary also features rarely seen archival footage from studio publicity films and various television appearances. Starting with brief bio's of the four Marxs who made films, this slightly over 90 minute doc then traces the groups career from childhood work in vaudeville to their semi-retirement. A fair work, but a better documentary on the team is just waiting to be made.
True Grit (1969)
1/23/06
True Grit is the film for which John Wayne finally won his academy award, an honor warranted as much by his collective body of work as for his preformance in this picture. In fact it is hard to appreciate just how good Waynes performance is in the film because we are so used to seeing him in roles of this type. Now John Wayne did 'play himself' in his films as is often commented, but the characters through which the actor manifested himself were not all alike. In the cowboy movies alone Wayne runs the gamete from the homicidal Ethan Edward in The Searchers, to the tired gunslinger grown sick of violence in his last film The Shootist. 'Rooster' Cogburn, the character he plays in this film, would fall somewhere in between the two previously mentioned in demeanor, though the character does show many different aspects of his personality throughout the film and is one of the most fully developed and enduring of Waynes alter egos (even inspiring a character titled sequel film with Kate Hepburn six years later).
In this movie Waynes Cogburn is a crotchety but sympathetic U.S. Marshall who is recruited by Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) to help her track down her fathers killer. The killer Tom Chaney (Jeff Cory) was a ranch hand for the Ross clan who unintentionally offed his employer while drunk. Lest we feel sorry for the man that Mattie is determend to see hanged, we discover that he had previously killed a Texas state senator in a dispute over a dog. It was this previous crime that brings a Texas Ranger named La Boeuf (country singer Glen Campbell) to Arkansas to track the murderer down, with the hopes of receving the large bounty the senators family has offered. La Boeuf joins Mattie and Rooster in the hunt for Chaney who is rumored to have hooked-up with the Marshells old nemesis the outlaw Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall) in Indian country.
This movie is above average Wayne but not on par with his great films for director John Ford. Kim Darby is an unconventional female lead if ever there was one,"your mighty young and unattractive to boot" as La Boeuf says. Glen Campbell is likeable in his role and all the supporting players do a fine job, even Dennis Hoppers overacting as the dying'Moon' works in this oddly low-key revenge story. Worth seeing just to say you've seen it, True Grit could make a pleasant evenings viewing.
True Grit is the film for which John Wayne finally won his academy award, an honor warranted as much by his collective body of work as for his preformance in this picture. In fact it is hard to appreciate just how good Waynes performance is in the film because we are so used to seeing him in roles of this type. Now John Wayne did 'play himself' in his films as is often commented, but the characters through which the actor manifested himself were not all alike. In the cowboy movies alone Wayne runs the gamete from the homicidal Ethan Edward in The Searchers, to the tired gunslinger grown sick of violence in his last film The Shootist. 'Rooster' Cogburn, the character he plays in this film, would fall somewhere in between the two previously mentioned in demeanor, though the character does show many different aspects of his personality throughout the film and is one of the most fully developed and enduring of Waynes alter egos (even inspiring a character titled sequel film with Kate Hepburn six years later).
In this movie Waynes Cogburn is a crotchety but sympathetic U.S. Marshall who is recruited by Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) to help her track down her fathers killer. The killer Tom Chaney (Jeff Cory) was a ranch hand for the Ross clan who unintentionally offed his employer while drunk. Lest we feel sorry for the man that Mattie is determend to see hanged, we discover that he had previously killed a Texas state senator in a dispute over a dog. It was this previous crime that brings a Texas Ranger named La Boeuf (country singer Glen Campbell) to Arkansas to track the murderer down, with the hopes of receving the large bounty the senators family has offered. La Boeuf joins Mattie and Rooster in the hunt for Chaney who is rumored to have hooked-up with the Marshells old nemesis the outlaw Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall) in Indian country.
This movie is above average Wayne but not on par with his great films for director John Ford. Kim Darby is an unconventional female lead if ever there was one,"your mighty young and unattractive to boot" as La Boeuf says. Glen Campbell is likeable in his role and all the supporting players do a fine job, even Dennis Hoppers overacting as the dying'Moon' works in this oddly low-key revenge story. Worth seeing just to say you've seen it, True Grit could make a pleasant evenings viewing.
Return to Payton Place (1961)
1/22/06
Return to Payton Place is the inferior sequel to the 1957 film Payton Place, and while it uses many of the same locations as the first film, it has an entirely different cast. In the movie it is now the 50's, somewhere between 8 to 12 years after the events of the original picture. Allison MacKenzie (Carol Lynley) has just written a book, Samuels Castle, that is a thinly valid re-telling of the events of the first film. Jeff Chandler is Lewis Jackman, the New York publisher who convinces the naive Allison that she should spare no detail in the re-write of her book. Needless to say when the residents of Payton Place get hold of the finished novel they are non-to-pleased about all the old dirt it kicks up. With the town now forced to confront its unfortunate past, we get to see many soap opera like scenes unfold which constitute most of the movie.
This film is not entirely consistent with the first picture, for example in Payton Place Selena Cross was first raped by her step-father during her senior year of high school, in this movie they say she was 13. Also the character of Norman, who was so important in the first film is not seen in this movie, though he is mentioned twice. In Normans place the once minor character of Ted Carter (Brett Halsey), is given a major sub-plot involving his wife (Luciana Paluzzi) and his mother (Mary Astor, whose manipulative performance is the highlight of the film). Gunnar Hellstrom is added to the cast as Nils Larsen, an instructor at the local ski resort (in Massachusetts?), and love interest for Selena (
Return to Payton Place is the inferior sequel to the 1957 film Payton Place, and while it uses many of the same locations as the first film, it has an entirely different cast. In the movie it is now the 50's, somewhere between 8 to 12 years after the events of the original picture. Allison MacKenzie (Carol Lynley) has just written a book, Samuels Castle, that is a thinly valid re-telling of the events of the first film. Jeff Chandler is Lewis Jackman, the New York publisher who convinces the naive Allison that she should spare no detail in the re-write of her book. Needless to say when the residents of Payton Place get hold of the finished novel they are non-to-pleased about all the old dirt it kicks up. With the town now forced to confront its unfortunate past, we get to see many soap opera like scenes unfold which constitute most of the movie.
This film is not entirely consistent with the first picture, for example in Payton Place Selena Cross was first raped by her step-father during her senior year of high school, in this movie they say she was 13. Also the character of Norman, who was so important in the first film is not seen in this movie, though he is mentioned twice. In Normans place the once minor character of Ted Carter (Brett Halsey), is given a major sub-plot involving his wife (Luciana Paluzzi) and his mother (Mary Astor, whose manipulative performance is the highlight of the film). Gunnar Hellstrom is added to the cast as Nils Larsen, an instructor at the local ski resort (in Massachusetts?), and love interest for Selena (