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Track the Films You Watch (2011) (2 Viewers)

Mario Gauci

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Thanks for reading, Mike! Having just counted it, my current Naschy tally is at 21 - with 3 more to go till the end of the month: the two I mentioned in THE DEVIL'S POSSESSED (1974) review, and another he was supposed to star in but ended up only scripting - John Gilling's THE DEVIL'S CROSS (1975). Incidentally, having watched the clothed version of THE HANGING WOMAN (1973), there is no "crazy sex scene" like you mentioned!

As for Thelma Todd, after reading your ***1/2 review of THIS IS THE NIGHT (1932), I just had to get hold of it...but I don't know when I'll be able to check it out (or the countless other "Pre-Codes" I own, for that matter)! As it happens, I've just been asked by a local friend to write an essay about "Christ In The Movies" for a Good Friday-related site he runs...as well as supply reviews for a site dealing in all kinds of Italian movies...not to mention the fact that I'm still going through the Bunuel filmography due to a local season I was supposed to be involved in (actually, the organizers haven't contacted me in some time, so I'm not even sure it is still on!) - so, I guess I'll be pretty busy in the coming months!
 

Michael Elliott

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Blue Valentine (2010)


Gus Meins


After the death of Thelma Todd producer Hal Roach had think fast to try and find someone to team up with Patsy Kelly. They selected Lyda Roberti and the new team would appear in two (AT SEA ASHORE, HILL-TILLIES) shorts that were beyond awful. Roach would eventually quit producing shorts so here came the duos first and only feature as Roberti would be dead in less than a year. The story has Kelly and Roberti playing out of work artists who go to nursing school where they eventually meet a young dancer (Rosina Lawrence) who has runaway from her husband who doesn't know she's about to have a baby. Soon the girls are taking care of the baby while the mother tries to inform the father. NOBODY'S BABY is a film I'd call fair at best but when you compare it to the two shorts the ladies made you might as well call it a ground breaking masterpiece. There's no question that this isn't a very good movie but there are enough interesting moments to make it worth viewing if you're a fan of the cast and one does have to wonder what could have been done had the comedy group had time to grow. The story is a pretty weak one as it never really feels complete as it's pretty much delivered as six one-reel shorts. At first there's a skit involving the girl's trying out for radio. We then get a gag of them trying to cook. We then go to nursing school. We then flash to them getting kicked off a bus. They then meet the men in their lives. They meet the dancer. Then they get mixed up with the baby. Each of these "skits" play out just like a short and if you think too much about them then you'd probably have plenty of room to be negative. Again, considering how poor the two shorts were I was surprised to see that Kelly and Roberti were much better here. Kelly was especially better as she wasn't nearly as over bearing or annoying as she didn't go so over-the-top, which is something she often did in her two-reelers. She is pretty fun here as she delivers some great one-liners. Roberti wasn't much of an actress but she was cute either way. The supporting cast isn't all that impressive and that includes Armstrong who pretty much sleepwalks through his role. The jokes fly out pretty quickly from scene to scene and there's no question that they're hit and miss. Fans of Roach will probably want to check it out as will fans of Kelly and I certainly recommend it over the shorts they made the previous year.
 

Martin Teller

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Haven't posted here in a while...



The Sign of Leo - Rohmer's first feature is more New Wave-y than his usual naturalistic style (although the focus on fortune and the Zodiac look forward to The Green Ray). I kind of like him in this mode, though. It reminded me a great deal of early Malle. I felt a kinship for Pierre, despite finding him not very sympathetic. The thought of working for a living never seems to cross his mind no matter how bleak his outlook, but Rohmer makes us perfectly aware of this character flaw. So even as your brain is screaming "Get a job!" you still feel for him as his situation becomes more and more desperate. The middle section is particularly engrossing, with some really fantastic location work and a performance from Jess Hahn that never lowers itself to the showboating it would be in lesser hands. I could have done without the little ironic moments, which threaten to cheapen the whole thing. But the film ends on a clever ambiguous note which suggests that Pierre has learned nothing at all... but perhaps has finished his sonata at last. Rating: 8


Too Early, Too Late - Oh joy, another unbearably dull experiment from Jean-Marie Straub and partner-in-tedium Danièle Huillet. Once the novelty of the juxtaposition between the narration and the image wears off (which takes about 10 minutes), I was left with the same feeling I had from Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach -- that this doesn't need to be a film. I've read Jonathan Rosenbaum's comments about this film (he is exceedingly effusive about it) and while I certainly don't have the criticism chops to dispute any of them, I'll just say I was not as enraptured as he was. Is it original? Sure, and I'll give it credit for that. But beyond the basic thrust of the concept, I don't feel like it sufficiently exploits cinema as a medium. Distribute a pamphlet instead. The Soviets made incredibly exciting, entertaining movies about revolution because they were trying to sell it to the people. Straub and Huillet's navel-gazing piece apparently is only interested in preaching to the converted (and the exceptionally tolerant converted at that). Leave it to the French to make revolution so fucking boring. Rating: 3



Dogtooth - I've seen some names thrown around in connection with this film. Haneke, Noe, Von Trier, Korine. All apt, because Lanthimos is something of a provocateur as well, and this is probably the most disturbing movie I've seen since Antichrist. I gasped more than once. Some scenes are absolutely harrowing, some have a humor that's almost TOO dark, and all of them have a fascination to them. I've always been intrigued (and seriously alarmed) by similar real-life stories, and although I don't think it would ever function quite like this, it definitely makes for gripping material. The main problem here is that Lanthimos really isn't raising or answering any questions here, except for possible vague allegories. I don't think he's just out there pushing buttons, but in the end it feels kind of empty, perhaps by dint of being so far removed from everyday reality. I'd like to let it kick around my brain for a while, but on the other hand, I kind of don't want it in there. Powerful stuff. Rating: 8



Toy Story 3 - I liked the first two movies in the series, but over the years I've grown more and more tired of Pixar's method of anthropomorphization. This film really drove it home for me. The beats are all worn-out Hollywood clichés, simply paid tribute to with toys, with nothing very interesting being done to shake up the formula. The bottom line is I just didn't give a damn about the stupid toys. I enjoyed the last few minutes, where we see Andy's connection to them and his passing them on to another child. It was the only time in the film when I felt emotionally invested. For the rest of it, I admired the impeccable craftsmanship but grew restless as it careened from one familiar scene to another (speaking of familiar, the line "Did anyone notice the transom?" is directly from Drugstore Cowboy, which is either blind coincidence or the weirdest homage ever in a children's movie). A few witty moments and twists here and there, but not enough to overcome the empty insincerity of it all. Even as a non-Pixar-fan, this was a disappointment. There are also unsettling consumerist undertones to this franchise, which are probably best left to someone more eloquent than myself. Rating: 6


Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (rewatch) - Been a while since I've watched this, the new Blu-Ray gives me an excuse. I was worried the lustre might have worn off, but I'm actually bumping my score back up. I seem to have gotten over my problems with Jim Carrey. I still don't LOVE him, but he plays this character well. In my last two reviews, I noted that the weak point of the movie was that I didn't buy Clementine wanting to be with Joel. But now I'm board with it. Opposites attract, right? I suppose she's just the type who is drawn to "fixer-upper" guys, or more accurately, guys who are a bit intimidated by her. Regardless, it's a goddamn brilliant piece of work, so intricately structured (to a degree that puts, ohhhhh let's say Inception, to shame) and funny and honest and touching... and clever in a way that is entirely appropriate. I think what really puts it over the top for me is how the Elijah Wood and Kirsten Dunst characters are woven into it. Someone with less imagination would have been happy with just the Joel/Clementine story, but these additional subplots really flesh out the concept. A wonderful film, as in filled with wonder. Rating: 10



The King's Speech - As a cross between the royalty picture (and a period one, at that) and the unconventional but effective teacher/shrink picture, this does have the aura of "Oscar bait" all over it, but it rises above the stigma. The end result is a pretty good movie. Director Tom Hooper relies too heavily on solemn music and the use of fisheye lenses gets tiresome, and let's face it, this is pretty formulaic stuff with no surprises to be had. But I must admit I was charmed by Firth, Rush, and Carter. They craft excellent performances, and their roles are well-written with punchy dialogue. If the beats are familiar, at least they're hit quite well, and I especially enjoyed the lighter moments. Pleasantly surprised by this one. Rating: 8


True Grit - I haven't read the book, and seeing as I hate John Wayne, I've never seen the original movie either. So I had no expectations, except a general expectation for the usual level of craftsmanship from the Coens. And they deliver. It's hard for me to find any particular faults with this movie. The slurring speech that Bridges employs are occasionally hard to understand (off-kilter speech patterns being a Coen staple) but otherwise it's an excellent yarn, a Western/anti-Western that's memorable, entertaining and humorous in the right places. Hailee Steinfeld is a revelation, a powerhouse who easily outdoes both Bridges and Damon. It called to my attention the fact that we've seen a slew of talented young actors in recent years. Perhaps the days of godawful child performances are behind us (then again, I steer clear of the usual family fare, so maybe I'm missing out on the stinkers). The Night of the Hunter tie-in at the end was a nice touch, too. However... the film, despite a few quirky moments, lacks the idiosyncratic flair that marks the highlights of the Coens' output. This kind of take on the Western feels a little old hat by now, and I would have liked to see something a bit more unique. Still, it's a mighty fine film and I may even buy it. Rating: 8


Easy Living - I think this was the last of the Jean Arthur movies I was interested in. And it's the least of them. Although the plot is amusing and has plenty of entertaining developments, the execution is off. Far too many goofy pratfalls, and scenes tend to go on way too long. The worst example of this is the torturous Automat scene, which had me groaning. It's a common problem with 30's comedies... the timing is designed to leave room for big laughs, which might work with an uproarious audience, but not so much on the living room couch. It just feels awkward and uncomfortable. I've been a bit underwhelmed by Preston Sturges in the past, but he only wrote the screenplay... the blame may lie with director Mitchell Leisen. However, Arthur is great and the film makes some fun commentary on social status, gossip-mongering, and the world of high finance. It's a shame it isn't funnier. Rating: 6



GasLand - It's a sad state of affairs when a documentary about evil motherfuckers like Dick Cheney and soulless corporations out-and-out lying to people and government agencies that turn a blind eye feels like "Oh, another one." I'm not sure how much more liberal outrage I have left in me, but this is definitely a subject worthy of some outrage. Josh Fox takes a personal approach that's effective without stooping to the grandstanding of a Michael Moore. Some of it is a bit repetitive, though. Rating: 8


127 Hours - I'm sure for some people the genius of this movie is Danny Boyle's use of flashback and fantasy/hallucination to provide a deeper psychological element to Aron Ralston's struggle. But I found them annoying more often than not, and was often thinking "Touching the Void didn't need all these tricks." But perhaps that's because that story has a sufficiently intense beginning, middle and end... whereas this story is pretty much all prelude to the grisly end. I don't mean to belittle Ralston's experience in any way, the guy was obviously a tough sonofabitch, and in this particular "would you or wouldn't you?" scenario, I'm pretty sure my answer is a firm I Wouldn't. But if you need a bunch of loud music and trippy sequences to spice it up, either there's not enough to that story or you're doing it wrong. Before I sound like too much of a negative Nellie, I was pretty engaged throughout, and thought Franco did a decent job. It's watchable, but with flaws. Rating: 7
 

Mario Gauci

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[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= #333333]01/29/11: EMBODIMENT OF EVIL (Jose` Mojica Marins, 2008) [/COLOR][/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= black]To begin with, I only became aware of this one last year: I was immediately intrigued, however, due to director Gilling’s involvement (which, apparently, irked Spanish film unions and eventually proved to be his swan-song) but also for being an unofficial entry in the popular Knights Templar/Blind Dead series. The script (adapted from stories by Gustavo Adolfo Becquer, a Spanish author of horror tales in the vein of Edgar Allan Poe) was originally supplied by yet another cult figure, Jacinto Molina aka Paul Naschy, who would end up fired by the director (despite the two reportedly having been friends!) both in this capacity and as the film’s leading man!! [/COLOR][/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= black]Anyway, the end result may be slow-starting but it subsequently emerges a gripping effort, not to mention a stylish and (undeniably) atmospheric one; incidentally, as was the case with the recently-viewed THE WOMAN WITH RED BOOTS (1974), there was an unexplained discoloration in the image during fog-bound night-time sequences! Another asset with respect to the film under review is that it is well-cast: this extends to Ramiro Oliveros – who replaced Naschy (the latter would, in any case, have been wrong for the part) – whose novelist hero is forever doubting events due to his copious intake of hashish! Even so, the dominant presence is definitely that of bald-headed, bearded and memorably sinister Adolfo Marsillach (father of Cristina from Dario Argento’s OPERA [1987]!): his eventual revelation as the villain of the piece was hardly a surprise, but his true identity still provided a sting in the tail![/COLOR][/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= black]Typically effective, too, is Emma Cohen (who actually leaves a more lasting impression than nominal, and top-billed, leading-lady Carmen Sevilla): she had been equally notable in an earlier Naschy vehicle, HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (1972), as well as the nasty Spaghetti Western CUT-THROATS NINE (1972) and, best of all, Jess Franco’s restrained psychological thriller THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR (1973; in which Oliveros also appears). Here, she is actually an apparition, doomed to be constantly pursued by the Templars (right from the opening moments of the film, in fact!)…until ‘freed’ by the hero at the climax, as he fights off her assailants with a sword she had directed him towards found in the very ruins of a monastery where they rise every All Saints’ Day! Also on hand are a somewhat glum Eduardo Fajardo, Fernando Sancho (in unusually servile mode) and Monica Randall in a small but pivotal role (she would also be given prominence in the Naschy-directed INQUISITION [1976]).[/COLOR][/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= black]Though its pedigree obviously points in the direction of the Hammer, Blind Dead and the typical Naschy films, with a bit of the Giallo (by way of a masked killer on the loose!) thrown in for good measure, perhaps the biggest compliment one can level at THE DEVIL’S CROSS is that it particularly brought to mind Mario Bava’s KILL, BABY…KILL! (1966) – not just in the overall look but also the complexity of its narrative (notably the ironic and downbeat coda). In the end, whatever Naschy’s contribution was to the finished film, this can surely be counted among the best Spanish horrors out there and, consequently, ought to be more readily available…[/COLOR][/SIZE]
 

Sandro

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January Recap


30 films seen, 25 for the first time.


Best films seen for the first time (out of [/b]
 

Martin Teller

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January Recap


56 new viewings (plus 1 short)

2 revisits


Best new discoveries: The Long Day Closes, Touki Bouki

Worst new discovery: Too Early, Too Late



A very busy month, dominated by entries from the "They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?" top 1000 list and Oscar nominees. What will February bring? Probably more of the same.
 

Ruz-El

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My January recap:


37 total movies, 23 first time viewings.

Top 5 films (all first timers):

King Boxer (5 Fingers Of Death) 4/5 - I can't believe I went this long without seeing this kung fu classic. Worth the wait!

Bigger Then Life 4/5 - Nicholas Ray is in fine form, and James Mason is great as a whacked out cortisone addict.

Let Me In (2010) 4/5 - It's a remake of a film I've never seen, and so well done I don't feel the need to see the original.

The Toolbox Murders (1978) 4/5 - An exploitation that doesn't fuck around by delivering what it promises in the first 15 minutes before flipping into weird-o ville.
Winter's Bone (2010) 4/5 - A hillbilly who-done it. Sounds bland, but the world it depicts might as will be martian, and that makes it a damned interesting film.


Worst:

A Safe Place 1/5 - The broken toe you keep banging, from Criterion's otherwise amazing (and recommended) BBS Story boxset. Just a terrible, pretentious shit show full of characters you want to punch. Not even Orson Welles doing magic tricks could save this one.
 

Michael Elliott

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I guess I'll start doing these Monthly Roundups since I'm no longer tracking anything.


THE GOOD


Clearly the best part of the early year are all the Oscar-contenders making their rounds. I've still got a couple more to see in the upcoming month but BLUE VALENTINE, THE FIGHTER, THE SOCIAL NETWORK and THE KING'S SPEECH were all very good and worthy of viewing.


The Hal Roach Festival on TCM allowed me to discover a few very good entries in the Screen Directors Playhouse series and I hope TCm shows more or perhaps they'll get an official release. FIFTY MILLION HUSBANDS is another Roach project with Charley Chase at the top of his game. 99 RIVER STREET was the best noir of the month and THE BLUE ANGEL was clearly the best foreign picture.

The biggest surprise of the month clearly goes to THIS IS THE NIGHT. I really wasn't familiar with anything in regards to this movie but the storyline that was on my DVR had me take a chance on it and it certainly turned out to be the best pre-code in recent years as well as one of the funniest films.


THE BAD


Finally, the Hal Roach silent Our Gang shorts. I viewed five that I would consider good and these were the later day shorts. The earlier ones were all rather flat without too many laughs. I recorded 14-hours worth of shorts and was proud that I made my way through them on but I'm still somewhat shocked at how popular these were because they're simply not that good.


THE NAVY VS. THE NIGHT MONSTER is a film I had been wanting to see for years. Finally broke down and bought it and sadly the thing wasn't nearly as bad as I had hoped for.

THE UGLY


"Saturday Night Crap" as I'm now going to call it. Many, many bad movies. ASTRO-ZOMBIES: M3 CLONED is the third and hopefully final AZ film from Mikels. BLOODY BIRTHDAY is without question one of the dumbest movies I've seen in my life, which is saying quite a bit because I watch a lot of shit movies. THE OUTLAW, outside of the breasts, was a complete dud.

Robert DeNiro became my favorite actor in December of 1991 when I watched CAPE FEAR. Right after the movie ended and my parents picked me up I went straight to Video Vault where I picked up as many of his movies as I could. This happened for weeks until I had finally seen every one that they had in stock. The one title that avoided me was JENNIFER ON MY MIND, which I finally got to see earlier this year and it's clearly the disaster everyone has said it was. Truly horrid but worth viewing due to how great DeNiro was in his few minutes.


UP NEXT


Probably a bunch of Thelma Todd shorts as well as finishing the hours worth of Roach material I still have. I'll also finish up the Oscar stuff with RABBIT HOLE and move towards either the Puppet Master series (Crap Saturday) or the dozens of silent Westerns I've bought over the past few months.
 

PatW

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January Re-cap


Total movie watched = 40


Top 3


1. Lost Horizon (1937) 5/5

2. Sahara (1943) 4.5/5

3. Shutter Island (2010) 4.5/5


Bottom 3


1. Wandering Eye (2010) 1/5

2. End of Days (1999) 1/5

3. Green Zone (2010) 2/5
 

PatW

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01/28 Franklyn (2008) 4/5


This is a strange little film, part film noir ( or whatever it's called these days ) and part science fiction, a film that's going to take more than one viewing in order to sort everything out in my mind. There are two parallel stories, one in present London and one in a futuristic city. The story moves slowly but stick with it because the journey is worth it.


01/28 Black Sheep (2006) 3/5


Well, let me see. We had all kinds of horror creatures from vicious rats, rabid dogs, gigantic spiders and ants, rampaging lizards and even killer rabbits. It's about time they made a movie about mutant flesh-eating sheep. This is the stupidest, craziest, goriest, most ridiculous movie that I've seen in awhile and I loved every dumb minute of it. The story is about two brothers, one with a fear of sheep stemming from a childhood incident, the other a mad scientist conducting experiments on their jointly shared farm and the enviromental activists who are trying to put a stop to his plans. Best to watch this with friends, when you can hoot, holler and just have a grand old time.


01/30 Pandorum (2009) 3.5/5


I reviewed this for the October Challenge so I won't repeat that review here. I found I enjoyed it less this time due to the muffled dialogue in much of the movie.


01/30 Law Abiding Citizen (2009) 3.5/5


Interesting movie about a man who administers justice to the two men who raped and murdered his wife and daughter after the justice system fails him.

Clyde has had 10 years to plan his revenge and after he takes care of the two murderers, he starts in on the members of the judicial system that were involved with the case. Fairly good movie with a poorly thought out ending which lowered my rating somewhat.
 

Mario Gauci

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[SIZE= 12px]01/29/11: THE BAADER-MEINHOF COMPLEX (Uli Edel, 2008) [/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px]When I first heard about this, I immediately felt it would be yet another unnecessary remake (of the 1969 Western that finally rewarded John Wayne with an Oscar, albeit undeservedly). Given the Coens’ involvement, I could not help recalling the fiasco that was their earlier retread of a classic film i.e. THE LADYKILLERS (2004). However, I was prepared to give TRUE GRIT the benefit of the doubt after it received a staggering 10 Oscar nominations…but, ultimately, my opinion did not change and it seems that many others feel the same (if anything because they thought the material restricted the Coens from applying their distinctive ‘touch’). Incidentally, I recently engaged in an online discussion about their work, and I pointed out that the film I personally consider their absolute best effort – the Oscar-winning NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007) – was being completely neglected, and the reply promptly came that this was because it was not an original Coen Bros. script but an adaptation![/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px]As expected, the film under review treats the revenge-tale-with-child-interest in revisionist terms as opposed to the original’s rousing adventure approach. To be honest, I have not checked out the latter in ages (though I did catch portions of its last act just a couple of weeks ago on Italian TV) and, in fact, do not even own it on any format – however, I certainly do not recall it being the low-key talk-fest that the Coens’ version turned out to be (it is most ironic, then, that the climactic action set-piece is virtually identical to its 1969 counterpart)! Apart from this, the dreary visuals lessened the entertainment value considerably – while the maiming of its protagonists (the heroine loses an arm to a snake-bite and Matt Damon’s characters bites off part of his own tongue!) are a bit much.[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px]As for the leading performances, I have to say that I was disappointed that Jeff Bridges opted merely to mumble his way through the central figure of Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn rather than invest it with something akin to the larger-than-life qualities which John Wayne had brought! That said, newcomer Hailee Steinfeld came on very strongly (especially impressive when bartering with a county judge over her murdered father’s belongings) while steering clear of Kim Darby’s tomboy-ish attitudes in the original; Damon, then, was his usual reliable self – ditto Josh Brolin in his brief role as the pursuing trio’s quarry.[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px]In the end, this is a solid film as Westerns go in these arid times (no pun intended), and the Coens can notch another artistic success to their resume`; whether it will manage to dislodge the John Wayne vehicle from folk memory (however romanticized – in other words, outmoded – it may seem at this juncture) remains to be seen and, personally, I very much doubt it…[/SIZE]
 

Michael Elliott

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Jail Busters (1955)


Leo McCarey


Tom (Peter Lawford) and Jerry (Nancy Gates) are a couple on the verge of divorce due to the husband being seen with another woman. A priest (Frank Fay) tries to get them back together but it doesn't work and soon the two are in a court in Las Vegas waiting for a judge (Arthur Q. Bryan) to sign the papers. Considering some of the talent involved you can't help but consider this episode somewhat of a dud. It's meant to mix comedy and drama but it falls flat on its face in regards to both. This entire series was set up so that screen directors could do any story they wanted and it should be noted that Leo McCarey selected this one because it was written by his daughter and it turned out to be the only thing she'd every write. It's easy to see because there's really nothing good here as the story goes in and out in terms of going after laughs one second and then trying to be dramatic the next. The idea that the wife should "stand by her man" even though he has been unfaithful will probably sit wrong with some viewers and the sentimental ending is a major crash and burn because it simply doesn't work. Both Lawford and Gates fit their roles well enough but I'd be lying if I said either one was great. The one note worthy thing is that the judge was played by Arthur Q. Bryan who is best known for being the voice of Elmer Fudd. This was the first time I had ever seen him on screen and it was rather amazing at how much he really did sound like Fudd.
 

JonZ

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I yesterday and today I watched...


Food Inc

Enter the Void


I'm not sure how even rate these films.
 

Michael Elliott

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Jesus, how I hate a GPS. I loved living in Louisville because the art house theaters were so easy to get to. The one in Cincinnati is a lot harder to reach and that's why I seldom go. If I do go then I have to have my girlfriend drive me since she knows the area but she pretty much refused to go anywhere near any place that had RABBIT HOLE so I had to go out on my own tonight. Even with the GPS I still kept getting lost and I swear that damn thing was sending me in the wrong directions on purpose.

Either way, one more Oscar-nom down and I've got two more to go. I think 2010 was a rather weak year overall but RABBIT HOLE is certainly near the top of my list. Hard to watch and I think most shouldn't watch it but I loved the film.




Rabbit Hole (2010)


John Cameron Mitchell


Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) are a married couple trying to put their lives back together eight months after their 4-year-old child ran out into a road chasing his dog and was struck and killed by a car. Throughout their days they're surrounded by memories of their son and their lives don't seem to be getting any better as both are suffering their own forms of grief and the two can't seem to come together. If you're familiar with the work of Ingmar Bergman then you know that several of his films are beyond depressing but when compared to RABBIT HOLE they really don't seem all that sad. I remember watching the trailer for this thing in a packed house and I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the house by the time the three minutes were up. That was also a clear sign that people weren't going to line up for this movie but you really can't blame them. Even though this gets a four-star rating from me and I found it to be one of the best movies of the year, it's still pretty hard to recommend this to people because it's not a happy experience and you're going to spend most of the time depressed and on the verge of tears. This film was based on the play by David Lindsay-Abaire and I think there's a lot of strength in his words and characters. What I liked most about the film is that we're given a wide range of supporting characters who are all dealing with grief themselves. Not only do we get the married couple but we see others in their therapy group, Becca's mother (Dianne Wiest) is suffering from the death of her son and we're even introduced to the person (Miles Teller) who was behind the wheel when the child was killed. It's fascinating to see how the story works around all these people and how one events strikes everyone so differently even though they're all suffering from the grief of the situation. It goes without saying that this isn't a happy situation as we're just introduced to one form of grief after another and we see the breaking point this grief can have on people. What keeps the film going are the incredibly strong performances and especially the two by the leads. With all the gossip, headlines and various box office disasters, it's easy to forget that Kidman, when with the right material, can be one the best actress out there and once again she delivers an incredibly strong performance. We've seen hundreds of performances dealing with grief but I must say that I've never seen anything quite like Kidman's work here. There's a broken level deep within her that she tries to hide with this thick skin and the way Kidman pushes her grief deep within herself is something quite remarkable and the way she brings this to the scene is incredibly memorable. Her scenes of trying to come to terms with what happened are incredibly moving and hard to forget. It's a shame that Eckhart has been overlooked by so many awards this season because he's extremely strong here and in a lot of ways I think more people will connect with his character. There's a scene involving the dog that I won't ruin but it was very moving. The scene where Kidman and Eckhart finally reach that breaking point and argue about what happened that tragic day is incredibly painful to watch and seeing as how it seems to have been shot and shown in real time without any editing makes the sequence just as powerful. RABBIT HOLE seems to be getting mostly positive reviews, although most seem to be putting it at a three-and-a-half rating, which I understand. One could argue you're suppose to "enjoy" movies and that's certainly true so how on Earth could anyone really "enjoy" a film about grief? It's a trick thing to do but I think director John Cameron Mitchell does a terrific job. It's not a story most will want to experience but those who do brave it are in for a very memorable experience.
 

Martin Teller

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Gunga Din - I can set aside most of the offensive things about this film, because it's a product of its time, and heaven forbid I get branded as "P.C." because caring about things is stupid or something. The one "P.C." thing I will mention that really stuck in my craw is that this is one of those movies that presents violent conflict as a rip-roarin' good time. I guess I can't complain too much about it, since the tone isn't too far removed from the Indiana Jones movies (which were undoubtedly influenced by this). So let's get to the real problem: this just isn't very entertaining. Even with Cary Grant in the cast, the comedy is rather unfunny (I think I chuckled once). The action scenes are put together quite well, though... some clever moments and nicely photographed. But there's not enough action to make up for all lame humor, especially in the dull middle section. It all adds up to a whole lot of meh. Rating: 5


Winter's Bone - If nothing else, this movie operates in a very unusual milieu. Kind of an Ozark gangster neo-noir. I thought the film was slightly condescending at times (not quite as bad as Junebug, though) and despite the Oscar nod, Jennifer Lawrence didn't do a damn thing for me. In fact, I thought she was not very good at all... especially in light of Hailee Steinfeld's unforgettable performance as a somewhat similar character. Maybe it was some of the clunky lines she had to deliver, but she just came off as phony to me. However, I really liked John Hawkes (a compelling actor who tends to get stuck in crap movies), and the film generally succeeds in maintaining its grim, creepy atmosphere and holds your interest. Didn't love it, but it was okay. Rating: 7
 

Mario Gauci

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[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= black]02/01/11: THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE DARK (Leon Klimovsky, 1976) [/COLOR][/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= black]This extremely rare Paul Naschy vehicle is actually one of his very best films – one that not only features perhaps his most commanding performance but showcases an infrequent seriousness of intent as writer-director. It is a serial-killer thriller which treats a real-life case from the early 1900s, about which it seems that even ballads were written (heard over the opening and closing credits).[/COLOR][/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= black]The star plays the titular character quite sympathetically, and his garden is predictably used to bury the bodies of his various victims. At first, I thought these would be inconvenient girls, since he is not only depicted as a stud but runs an inn which serves as make-shift gambling-den and brothel as well (while also taking care of his lovers/prostitutes when they get pregnant)! His crimes – with a much older man for accomplice – relate to the former vice and lend new meaning to the phrase 'get-rich-quick scheme' (though, to be fair to Naschy’s character, he was feeling stifled by the ruthless Spanish class system). The latter aspect, therefore, provides a mix of social commentary and black comedy – just as the combination of the anti-hero’s illicit activities is ultimately what brings him down (having spurned a girl, who had hoped he would leave his bourgeois wife for her, she reports him to the authorities after stumbling upon his secret).[/COLOR][/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= black]The narrative unfolds in flashback, eventually culminating in the meticulously-presented garroting execution. Nudity and violence are prominent here but not overstressed. Still, the haunting score by Angel Arteaga (also of THE DEVIL'S CROSS [1975] and THE TRAVELER [1979]) – sounding melancholy for lyrical passages and urgent for those requiring suspense – is practically a character all to itself; for the record, we get to see a midget performing a flamenco dance at one point! It is odd, too, that Naschy's two most highly-regarded efforts as director both indulge in homosexuality for one of its sub-plots! As for the quality of the VHS-sourced edition I watched, it was a very soft and murky print – even suffering from picture loss towards the end, not to mention sporting English subtitles which were so unevenly-placed that at times they obscured half the image! With this in mind, the careful photography (such as having Naschy's face suddenly thrown into darkness during a couple of especially revelatory moments) doubtless ought to benefit from a restoration but, while this seems highly unlikely given the title’s obscurity, I would love to be proven wrong. Incidentally, on "The Mark Of Naschy" website, the running-time of the film is given at 109 minutes yet my copy only ran for 93![/COLOR][/SIZE][COLOR= black] [/COLOR]
 

Michael Elliott

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Originally Posted by Mario Gauci [/b]


[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= black]This extremely rare Paul Naschy vehicle is actually one of his very best films –[/COLOR][/SIZE]


Do you ever wonder why people's best movies are the ones never released????


I'm currently doing some "research" on a certain acting group and each "highly recommended" review is followed by the note that it's unavailable. You then read a review for some piece of shit and sure enough it's on VHS, Blu, DVD and every other format.


I might have to push PEOPLE closer to the top of my list now.
 

Mario Gauci

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[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= #333333] [/COLOR]02/01/11: THE DEVIL THUMBS A RIDE (Felix E. Feist, 1947) [/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px]Crime novelist Dashiell Hammett is best-known for penning THE THIN MAN and THE MALTESE FALCON and, like the latter’s original 1931 film version was completely overshadowed by John Huston’s classic 1941 remake, the same fate practically befell another of his filmed works. In fact, the original 1935 version of THE GLASS KEY has been all but impossible to see until recently, while its 1942 remake was easily available on DVD in Europe. Although I do own a copy of the latter, it has been ages since I watched it last and cannot sensibly compare the two versions now; having said that, the credits for the original – director Frank Tuttle (who would later make a star out of Alan Ladd in THIS GUN FOR HIRE and whose next picture, ironically enough, was the aforementioned remake of THE GLASS KEY!), stars George Raft (this obviously made him the first choice for Sam Spade in the remake of FALCON, but he turned it down to Bogie’s eternal benefit!), Ray Milland and Ann Sheridan, plus character actors Edward Arnold, Guinn Williams and Irving Bacon – are sufficiently interesting to merit its re-evaluation as a worthy precursor to the noir subgenre.[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px]Raft is influential lawyer Arnold’s right-hand man who, carrying on from his own star-making turn in Howard Hawks’ SCARFACE (1932), has an eye for his boss’ sister; when the former decides to become the ally of the local political candidate (because he too has his heart set on the latter’s sister!), everything starts to go wrong for him, especially after turning down the defense of a drunken motorist from a manslaughter charge and when setting his foot down on the nightclub owned by the local underworld kingpin. However, it is the politician’s inveterate gambler son Milland who proves to be the catalyst for disaster as, ostensibly pursuing the affections of Arnold’s daughter, he is truly after milking the girl out of her funds to satiate the aforementioned criminal with whom he is indebted. This state of affairs naturally pits Arnold and Milland at loggerheads and it is up to the quick-witted Raft to shuffle his boss out of a murder rap when Milland’s corpse is found lying in the gutter one night after the latest scuffle with his prospective father-in-law![/SIZE]


At one point in the narrative – in a brutal sequence anticipating the later ones featuring Dick Powell’s Philip Marlowe and Ralph Meeker’s Mike Hammer in, respectively, Edward Dmytryk’s MURDER, MY SWEET (1944) and Robert Aldrich’s KISS ME DEADLY (1955) – Raft suffers greatly at the hands of the criminal’s chief henchman Williams (effectively cast against type) and, eventually, ends up in hospital where he is nursed by a pre-stardom Sheridan. Yet, despite having also been assaulted by a massive dog, he goes back for more and, ultimately, defeats the thug by turning him against his own employer. The identity of the real murderer is not all that mysterious in itself but the journey to the denouement is an exciting ride and, indeed, it is kickstarted by a spectacular car-crash right in the very opening scene! For what it is worth, the characters of Arnold’s mother and card-trick obsessed odd-job man, providing here the requisite elements of sentimentality and comic relief, were dispensed with for the remake in those somber days of WWII.
 

Michael Elliott

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Beyond the Door III (1989)


Irvin Kershner


An all-star cast highlights this made-for-TV flick about the July 4, 1976 raid on the Entebbe airport where seven terrorist hijacked a plane with over two-hundred people on it. After a few days nearly half the people were released but the terrorist kept the Jewish people and this caused the Israeli government to try and rescue them before they're assassinated. When you consider these events took place about six months before this film would be released you could argue that it was rushed into production and some of this is obvious in the movie. The terrific cast includes Peter Finch, Charles Bronson, Yaphet Kotto, Robert Loggia, Martin Balsam, Horst Buchholz, Jack Warden, Sylvia Sidney, Dinah Manoff, Tige Andrews and James Woods among others. With that many familiar names in the cast there's no question that they help keep this film moving even when one has to question some of the problems in the film. The non-theatrical version runs just under 150-minutes and I can't help but think you could have edited out forty-minutes and be left with pretty much the same film with the only difference being a tighter movie. There are a lot of details giving about the hijacking and if you've seen any disaster pictures from the 70s you know the running time is usually bloated with boring scenes of us getting to know the characters. That actually doesn't happen here as the hijacking starts within five-minutes and the rest of the film is dealing with it. I think it actually hurt the film that we never really got to connect with any of the people and the only one we get to really see in action is Balsam who plays one of those being held hostage who happens to be the one who speaks to the main terrorist. There's a lot of behind the scenes stuff where the Israeli government must debate on the risk to them if this operation was to fail and what message it would send to other terrorist groups. I'm sure most of this stuff could have been interesting but the problem is that director Irvin Kershner just doesn't seem to know how to handle the material. There's never any real drama, we never feel suspense for anything going on and things only come to life at the very end once the raid starts. With all the negative things I've said you'd think this was a bad movie but it really isn't. The thing remains entertaining from start to finish but at the same time you can't help but think there's a better movie here and that it would have worked better had some of the filler been cut out. Bronson turns in a very energetic performance and this would end up being the last film for Finch. Jack Warden is as entertaining as always but it's Yaphet Kotto who steals the film as President Idi Amin. This character would give Forrest Whitaker an Oscar years later in THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND and it's interesting to see the difference in the performances. The cast and story certainly make RAID ON ENTEBBE worth viewing but I just wouldn't go in with very high expectations.
 

Martin Teller

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The Battle of the River Plate - Continuing in the tradition of Powell & Pressburger films that are slightly weird, this doesn't quite feel like any other war movie. It's a three-act structure that first follows the German battleship "Graf Spee" as it cruises around sinking Allied ships and picking up cheerful British prisoners, then the Allied ships who finally locate it and engage it in battle, and finally in Montevideo where the Bree has retreated to neutral waters. Each act is quite leisurely, and the phrase that comes to mind is "too British." Very stodgy and stiff upper lip, with sailors in dire situations pausing to let loose with a few dry quips. It's just... weird. And to be honest, kind of dull. But in typical Archers fashion, it's beautifully photographed (at least in the open water scenes... some of the others are a bit too stagey). And the themes were occasionally interesting, especially in comparison with Grand Illusion. Still, it's hardly top-tier P&P, and is probably mainly of interest to diehard fans and WWII buffs. Rating: 6


The Girl Can't Help It - I didn't think I'd find a Frank Tashlin movie I could love more than Artists and Models, but here ya go. Once again Tashlin's Looney Tunes roots are showing, in this relentlessly enjoyable romp loaded with terrific gags (milk jugs!) and coated in candy colors. As a celebration of rock n' roll and other contemporary music, it can hardly be matched, with fantastic performances by Little Richard, Fats Domino, Julie London, Gene Vincent, The Platters, and many more. It just vibrates with infectious electricity... and even pulls off a few light-hearted jabs at the inherent silliness of the music without deflating its impact one bit. I am once more surprised by Jayne Mansfield's ability to transcend her bombshell status and turn in a nuanced performance, with awesome support from Tom Ewell, Edmond O'Brien and Henry Jones (and an all-too-brief appearance by the great Juanita Moore). The whole film is just a ridiculously good time, threatening to bust out of the frame (literally!) with energy, and not a dull moment to be had. Even the dumb jokes are at least charming in their giddy stupidity. I couldn't help smiling through the whole thing, and I wanted to just leap into that world. Rating: 10



L'Amour fou - Really, really mixed feelings about this. Rivette goes to interesting places and does interesting things, but they're not that interesting. On the other hand, he wastes a lot of the viewer's time with some boring stuff, but it's not that boring. As in Out 1, the most egregious material concerns a theatrical troupe rehearsing a classic play... in this case, Racine's "Andromache". Here, at least, the rehearsals serve an obvious narrative function both as development of the overarching plot and as commentary on it. But it's still pretty dull stuff. It takes an awfully, awfully long time -- about 2 hours -- for the film to start coming into focus. Had I not been devoted to my obsession with completing the TSPDT list, I would have bailed after a half hour. Fortunately, the remaining two hours are somewhat compelling... and yet, nothing earth-shattering. I'm undecided at to whether or not Rivette needs all that seemingly excessive build-up. I guess if this ever gets released with a decent presentation (my copy was pretty lousy, which didn't help any) I'd watch it again, because I feel like I'm missing something. Rating: 6


The Fighter - This was better than I expected, but I had very low expectations. I'm not sure which is worse: Wahlberg's sleepwalking through his role, or Bale's (extremely overrated, as always) scenery-chewing. I get that he's portraying a clownish personality, but you gotta know when to dial it down a little. Maybe he was overcompensating for Wahlberg's apparent lack of interest. While we're talking about the performances, Melissa Leo doesn't deserve any nominations for this, and Amy Adams even less so. And the film is formulaic and clichéd to the extreme, right down to the training montages. And yet, it's an effective formula and I found myself engaged despite the lack of anything exceptional. I think what really works is the dynamic between the characters, the conflict between Micky's family life and his professional life. Again, it's nothing special... but it works. Surprisingly watchable, yet unremarkable. Rating: 6


The Baker's Wife - Orson Welles called this the greatest movie ever made. It didn't have quite that impact on me, but it's an amusing farce about a village that rallies behind its cuckolded baker. There isn't a whole lot I can say about it, really... Raimu and the entire supporting cast are terrific, and the dialogue is witty (what I could understand of it, that is... sadly, about half of it is left untranslated in the subtitles). The mise-en-scène left no particular impression on me, but the film has an overall pleasantness that's easy to get into, and the theme of forgiveness is handled quite well. Not a knockout of a film, but one executed without any glaring flaws. Rating: 8



Life is Beautiful - I was dead certain I would hate this movie. My fear was that at best, it would be sentimental tripe, and at worst, a highly offensive soft-pedaling of the Holocaust. And it is both of those things... but only to a small degree. What I was unprepared for is how well Benigni transcends these obstacles. It definitely wasn't the atrocity I envisioned (something like what I imagine The Day the Clown Cried to be). The film is really quite charming, often beautiful, and genuinely moving. The first hour (before all the shit hits the fan, to put it lightly) is especially good, with Benigni's courtship of Nicoletta Braschi providing some really fine moments of humor (and a couple of not-so-fine ones, but they're easily overlooked). Benigni seems a bit too delighted with himself, but he definitely has some talent for comedy, particularly in his use of callbacks. Continuing the comedy into the second half it something that just shouldn't work, but he pulls it off, and for the most part balances the lightness and tragedy very well. Admittedly, it's a fantasy version of a concentration camp, and it puts a bad taste in your mouth if you dwell on that fact too much. But if you accept the movie on its own terms, it has its rewards. Rating: 8


Devil in the Flesh - Like Douce, this is another underwhelming effort by Autant-Lara, and I don't feel compelled to explore his work any further. It's got some more terrific cinematography, interesting bits of sound design, and the plot is fairly well constructed. But as a romance, it really lacks heat. I never felt much chemistry between Marthe and Francois, which really undermines the whole thing. And the story may have been scandalous in its day, but seems rather tame by today's standards. Some scenes are lovely, but several feel somewhat repetitive and unnecessary. I just didn't care that much. Rating: 6


And Everything Is Going Fine - If you love Spadling Gray, this is a must-see. In contrast to Gray's Anatomy, here Soderbergh takes a completely hands-off approach. Gray's life is told entirely by the man himself, with clips from his monologues and interviews... no voice-over, no explanatory text, no testimonials. And that means not a single mention of his suicide, although it often looms large over the film. It's beautifully put together, creating a biography/autobiography that's consistently entertaining, deeply revealing and quite poignant. I hope the complete recordings of those early performances get released at some point. Rating: 9
 

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