Track the Films You Watch (2008) - Page 29

george kaplan · 04-06-2008, 04:54 PM

For All Mankind

This 'near-documentary' assumes that you know a lot about the Apollo program, and then mixes and condenses the whole thing in a relatively short (a little over an hour) amalgam of the whole program sans any exposition, except for astronaut voice-over. The pictures are wonderful, and the whole thing is interesting, though, even for someone fairly familiar with the history, kind of confusing, since the speakers and their relative missions are never (or rather very rarely) identified.

For example, Apollo 13, which made a great feature length film, is a one-minute sequence that comes across as a minor glitch in a super-Apollo mission.

Certainly worth watching once for the wealth of video from all the Apollo missions in one place, and makes for a feel-good overview of the Apollo program, but historically confusing, and the rewatchability after you've seen the footage once, will be a matter of taste.

PatW · 04-06-2008, 05:02 PM

Bernard and Doris (2007)

An HBO movie about the later years of tobacco heiress Doris Duke and her odd relationship with her openly gay butler.

Both Ralph Fiennes and Susan Sarandon were great in the title roles and seemed to work well together but really, I didn't care about either of their characters and the movie is ultimately forgettable.

Looking for Kitty (2003)

The movie is about a man who hires a private investigator to look for his wife. During the course of the movie we find out that they are actually divorced and he just can't let go. The acting here was good but the story forgettable.

Seraphim Falls (2006)

This is a good solid Western with great acting and even greater photography. It was quite interesting even when it turned spiritual and symbolic towards the end. I was still puzzled abit by the ending but still an enjoyable watch.

Michael Elliott · 04-06-2008, 06:32 PM

04/03/08

You Can't Fool a Camera (1940)

No Director Credited

Interesting documentary sort/promotional piece from MGM starts off talking about how the camera was created as how it can tell the truth when countless eye witnesses might not give a clear answer as to what they saw. The second half of the short talks about current cameras being used at MGM and we get some behind the scenes clips to various films including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It's also worth noting that at the end of the film there's a quick rundown of future MGM movies and that includes The Yearling but they've got Spencer Tracy down as the actor when it would eventually feature Gregory Peck. This short isn't anything groundbreaking but in the end it is quite fun and worth checking out on Turner Classic Movies.

Battleship Potemkin, The (1925)

Sergei M. Eisenstein

Eisenstein's masterpiece film tells the 1905 Russian naval mutiny in five parts. It goes without saying that this is one of the greatest films ever made and one of the most beautiful as well. The most famous thing about this movie is the Odessa Steps sequence, which is clearly one of the most memorable scenes in film history but the rest of the movie never really gets the credit it deserves. I think the second part of the film with the mutiny on board the ship is just as impressive and there are some of the most suspenseful scenes in film history here. The execution sequence is incredibly suspenseful as we get closer to the sailors execution after they are put under a tarp. As for the Odessa Steps sequence, I'm really not sure I could say anything that hasn't already been said countless times. This massacre sequence is so brutal and shocking that it hasn't lost any of its impact over the past eighty-years. How Eisenstein was able to get all these extras is something remarkable on its own and it's easy to see why this film was banned in several countries because government officials thought this sequence could lead to riots. The technical beauty of this film is unlike many others as every single shot is like great poetry right on the screen. The cinematography is top notch from start to finish and really makes this movie seem like a documentary of the events.

XXXorcist, The (2006) Fucked Up Ending version

Doug Sakmann
XXXorcist, The (2006) Sad Ending version

Doug Sakmann
XXXorcist, The (2006) Happy Ending version

Doug Sakmann

I'll post my review of these later after I watch the uncut versions. The version I rented, and the three versions I watched, were cut of the hardcore sequences so I'll post my review when I see them uncut. From the softcore versions I watched, this film is certainly wrong in so many ways yet it's a very funny spoof of The Exorcist.

Children of the Living Dead (2001) BOMB Tor Ramsey

The film starts off in the late 80s when a serial killer comes back from the dead during a zombie outbreak. The zombies are eventually killed off but flash forward fourteen years and the cemetery is about to be turned into a mall so the serial killer zombie comes back with some of his "children". John Russo produced this film and it's yet another attempt at him to milk his Night of the Living Dead for all its worth. He acted in and produced that film but his career and his partner Romero's career have certainly gone down different paths. This film here contains some of the worst zombie attacks I've ever seen and even the zombies themselves are quite bland and boring. The acting is beyond bad to the point where I was really wanting to claw my eyes out. The legendary Tom Savini appears at the start of the film and he's the only worthy thing going on here so it's a shame he gets so little screentime. The story itself is beyond stupid and at times doesn't make any sense at all but I guess you should expect that from this type of film.

Fancy Answers (1941)

Basil Wrangell

Pete Smith/MGM short is pretty fun as it asks the viewer all sorts of multiple answer questions and then gives them ten seconds to answer. The questions are from various subjects and includes the American flag, tropical dresses, football sounds, what color a zebra is and so on. There's really nothing too overly special about this film but it does earn some credit for mild charm and Smith's narration is always well done. The most interesting thing is that Ava Gardner made her debut in this film as one of the models at a recital. She looks good but doesn't have any dialogue.

Fightin' Fools (1941)

Edward Cahn

Our Gang short has the boys swimming at a local pond when another gang of kids take their clothes and tie them in knots. The gang then rivals the other to a challenge in a junk yard. This isn't one of the group's best films but it was still pretty funny especially an early gag with the boys making Tubby dive into the pond only to have him do so and then drain it. Most of the violence comes from the two gangs shooting rotten fruit at one another but this too brings some nice laughs. I really enjoyed Tubby in this film but apparently this was his only appearance in the series. A young Robert Blake is here as well.

04/04/08

Spring Fever (1927)

Edward Sedgwick

William Haines plays a poor shipping clerk who just happens to be a master at the golf game. His boss (George Fawcett) eventually gets him into a rich country club so that the golf wizz can teach him a few things but Haines quickly becomes the talk of the club. No one knows his secret, that he's poor, and this might cause trouble when he falls in love with a rich girl (Joan Crawford). Earlier in the year I watched the Haines/Crawford film West Point, which was a decent movie but this one is a lot better. The film has all the trappings of your typical romantic comedy with a mix of melodrama but the film works overall due to the two stars. Haines is certainly an interesting actor with his strange performances but they grow on me the more I see them. Crawford is the real standout here as she delivers a fine performance and is quite funny and charming. Fawcett, who appeared in many Griffith pictures starting with Intolerance, adds nice support as well. I've seen countless silent films in my life but the highlight in this film is something I haven't seen before. There's a scene when the two are on their honeymoon where they close the curtain and this turns the room totally dark. We then see them talking, via the title cards, which are arranged on the opposite sides of the screen in the direction that the characters are speaking. This is a minor effect but it works wonderfully well.

Django (1966)

Sergio Corbucci

Franco Nero plays the title character, a mysterious man who carries a coffin around with him and stars a bloody battle between Mexican bandits and a KKK like leader (Jose Bodalo). This Spaghetti Western is yet another take on Kurosawa's Yojimbo but the performance by Nero and the non-stop violence makes this a worthy film. I think the film's only major flaw is in the middle where it starts to drag a bit but things pick up in the suspenseful and violent ending. A big plus to this film is the wonderful looking town, which is constantly muddy, depressing and just smells of a rotten corpse. This beautiful, in an ugly way, setting really captures the mood and spirit of the film and adds a lot to the movie. Nero is perfect in the title role and really makes this a very memorable character. The best supporting character has to the be the coffin, which leads to a few funny jokes along the way. The film is full of non-stop violence, which keeps the action going and this violence includes the infamous ear cutting scene, which would be recreated years later by Quentin Tarantino in Reservoir Dogs. The opening song is also very good and quite catchy as well. I'm not sure I'd call this film a classic but it is a legendary film in the genre and one worth checking out.

04/05/08

Between God, the Devil and a Winchester (1968)

Marino Girolami

Mildly entertaining Spaghetti Western is a variation on Stevenson's Treasure Island. In the film, an old man shows up with a treasure map and hires a bandit to take him to the location but the old man is killed during a shoot out. A kid and a peaceful man eventually get a hold of the map and once again the bandit is taking them to the location when more double crossing happens. There are several major plot holes with this film including the fact that bandits keep being used even though the characters know very well that this is just going to lead to trouble. Everytime one of the bandits are killed it seems the group brings another in for help. Another problem is that the film is very poorly made and comes off looking incredibly ugly with some very bad camerawork. Some of the tracking shots in this thing are beyond bad. Even with all that said the film does have a few good moments and that includes one scene where a woman is being attacked by the bandit so she breaks a lantern over his head. Gilbert Roland, iron hand and all, is very good and keeps the film moving. Carlo Savina's music score is certainly the highlight of the film.

Outward Bound (1930)

Robert Milton

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Helen Chandler play lovers who commit suicide and then find themselves on an ocean liner with various other characters. None of them are quite sure where the boat is going but soon they learn that they're all dead and heading to Heaven or Hell. This film was based on a well known play, which was suppose to have been very good but it doesn't translate to the screen very well. The film opens up with over a minute of notes from the studio asking people not to laugh at the story and to take it seriously so you have to wonder if the studio itself was worried about the movie. The film is all dialogue, which naturally could kill the film and it partially does. The dialogue whenever the characters are just sitting around talking about typical things is quite boring and doesn't contain anything interesting. Whenever the people are talking about life and death then it comes to life somewhat but the film eventually goes on way too long. There are a few nice twists at the end but the actual ending is a letdown but I'm not sure if it was changed from the original play. Fairbanks Jr., and Chandler deliver fine performances as does the rest of the cast including Leslie Howard as a drunk. The film was later remade as Between Two Worlds with John Garfield.

SteveGon · 04-07-2008, 08:20 AM

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Viewed 4/1/2008 (first viewing)

Tim Burton's bloody adaptation of the musical. Great, grand guignol fun, marred only by a somewhat abrupt finale.

out of

Horror 101 (2000)

Viewed 4/1/2008 (first viewing)

Psychology students doing a study of serial killers find themselves being stalked by one. But is the killer one of them? Bland and dumb.

out of

A Summer's Tale (1996)

Viewed 4/2/2008 (first viewing)

Eric Rohmer's engaging tale of a young man's summer romances with three women.

out of

Michael Clayton (2007)

Viewed 4/3/2008 (first viewing)

A troubled lawyer comes to the aid of an associate who's suffered a mental breakdown while planning to expose a pesticide company's complicity in a series of cancer deaths. Slick, engrossing thriller.

out of

Lady Killer (1933)

Viewed 4/4/2008 (first viewing)

Slight but agreeable film stars James Cagney as a theater usher turned crook who lams it to California where he hits it big in the movie buisness. But will his new career go up in smoke after his former partners show up looking for some easy money?

out of

Arranged (2007)

Viewed 4/5/2008 (first viewing)

Two pretty young schoolteachers, one an Orthodox Jew, the other a Muslim, find they have common ground when their respective families begin setting up arranged marriages. Breezy tale bolstered by appealing leads.

out of

The Raft (2004)

Viewed 4/5/2008 (first viewing)

Two friends, stranded on a raft and savaged by hunger, squabble over a single, small fish dropped by a seagull. Award-winning claymated short is a darkly humorous hoot.

out of

My Beautiful Jinjiimaa (2006)

Viewed 4/5/2008 (first viewing)

Mongolian melodrama chronicles the tragic love of a deaf mute woman and her lame lover. Cheap (which I could forgive) but awfully corny, with a canned, Chinese restaurant music score.

out of

Army of the Dead (2007)

Viewed 3/5/2008 (first viewing)

Archaeology students on a dig in the desert discover their professor has an ulterior motive - he's looking for lost Anasazi gold! Unfortunately the loot is protected by an army of skeletal soldiers! Cheap horror adventure has its drawbacks (chiefly the low rent CGI splatter and fire effects), but hey, it's a damn army of skeletons! Tough to dislike.

out of

The Divorcee (1930)

Viewed 4/6/2008 (first viewing)

A New York City socialite is involved in various affairs in this busy, pre-code melodrama. Tame by today's standards of course, with few characters to care about.

out of

A Free Soul (1931)

Viewed 4/6/2008 (first viewing)

More pre-code melodrama, this one finds the daughter of an alcoholic lawyer involved with a shady mobster, much to the dismay of her family and fiance.

out of

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Viewed 4/6/2008

Revisit.

out of

Slither (2006)

Viewed 4/6/2008

Revisit.

out of

Mario Gauci · 04-07-2008, 03:31 PM

04/04/08: PIRATES OF TORTUGA (Robert D. Webb, 1961)

One of the myriad cheapies churned out by independent film producers (here Sam Katzman) under the aegis of a major Hollywood studio (20th Century Fox) and which revolves around the exploits of a notorious pirate figure (Sir Henry Morgan). Despite being fully aware of the film’s non-reputation even among others of its type, I was still taken in by the relatively decent cast (Robert Stephens, Leticia Roman and John Richardson) and the promise of colorful entertainment (brought on by my recent spate of similar superior outings).

Unfortunately, PIRATES OF TORTUGA falls far short of earlier movies about Morgan – THE BLACK SWAN (1942) or even the contemporaneous MORGAN, THE PIRATE (1961) – and proves to be a lackluster affair with a poverty of imagination on display that is quite dispiriting. To start with, Morgan (an over-the-top Stephens) himself only appears half-way through with the result that we are left largely in the company of a truly overbearing gypsy of a leading lady (Roman), a listless hero (Ken Jones) and his puerile cronies (Richardson and Dave King). Add to that the intermittent usage of action stock footage lifted from earlier Fox seafaring productions, the uncharacteristic popping up of modern slang in the dialogue and the sheer predictability of the whole venture and it’s small wonder that very little time has elapsed before the film starts to sink…right out of one’s memory!

For the record, director Robert D. Webb had much earlier won an Oscar as an assistant director (in one of the few times these awards where handed out) on IN OLD CHICAGO (1937) and had also guided Elvis Presley through his first film LOVE ME TENDER (1956); incidentally, I might get to check out six(!) of his other directorial chores in the future: not just two notable Westerns WHITE FEATHER (1955; with Jeffrey Hunter and Robert Wagner, which I have in my DVD collection) and THE PROUD ONES (1956; with Robert Ryan and Jeffrey Hunter again, which I intend to acquire) but also a few more available at local DVD rental outlets: BENEATH THE 12-MILE REEF (1953; which I haven’t watched in ages), the aforementioned LOVE ME TENDER, THE CAPE TOWN AFFAIR (1967; a remake of Samuel Fuller’s PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET [1953]) and THE JACKALS (1967; featuring Vincent Price and a remake of William A. Wellman’s YELLOW SKY [1948], which I own and intend to watch presently as part of my ongoing Richard Widmark tribute).

04/05/08: NOT OF THIS EARTH (Roger Corman, 1957)

Having caught most of horror legend Corman’s more respectable early genre efforts – THE UNDEAD (1957), A BUCKET OF BLOOD (1959) and THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1960) – I had been aching to check this one out being, by all accounts, the most elusive of the bunch. Having now watched the film on the very same day I acquired it says a lot about my love of fantasy films – when many a renowned mainstream (and, for all intents and purposes, desirable) title still languishes in my collection and which, sometimes, I’ve owned for a good many years already…

Anyway, going back to that opening statement about Corman’s pre-color/Edgar Allan Poe output, NOT OF THE THIS EARTH emerges to be fully deserving of its considerable reputation; indeed, I’d say it’s probably the most satisfying of the four films mentioned above: the others had a tongue-in-cheek, even campy approach – present here only in some amusingly dated jive talk from the youngsters and a goofy mushroom-like floating object used at one point to dispatch a prominent character – whereas this is quite straightforward, and as stark and unrelenting as they come! Besides, the typical alien invasion theme here is ingeniously augmented by the topical concern of paranoia found in Charles B. Griffith and Mark Hanna’s intelligent script, via its allusions to Nuclear War (the fictional world from which the alien emanates, Davana, is succumbing to interplanetary war a` la THIS ISLAND EARTH [1955]’s Metaluna) and The Red Menace (hypnotized by the extraterrestrial creature, the human victims’ subsequent devotion to his cause is comparable to the emotionless doppelgangers from INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS [1956]); apart from this, the alien’s modus operandi – draining Earthlings of their blood – presents the film with a nice twist on the vampire myth! Incidentally, he uses the closet of his bedroom as a teleportation/communication machine between the two worlds, requires to wear sunglasses at all times (because one look into his creepy blank eyes can kill), but is himself vulnerable to loud noises (which proves to be his undoing in the climactic chase). Eventually, a second (female) visitor from outer-space arrives on the scene – but dies shortly thereafter, having unwittingly received a transfusion of infected blood! The film concludes, then, on a satisfactorily ironic note.

Despite the obviously modest budget at hand, the director has assembled a more than adequate cast to fill the main roles: Paul Birch is impressive and memorable as the ‘unearthly stranger’; Beverly Garland makes for one of the most engaging heroines in this type of film; Jonathan Haze’s character as Birch’s lackey is miles removed from his signature role of the geeky florist in THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS; Corman stalwart and cult favorite Dick Miller has a delightful bit as a hip but ill-fated vacuum-cleaner salesman. By the way, the atmospheric cinematography (evident even in the poor-quality 16mm print I watched) is by John Mescall – who, years before, had been responsible for nothing less than BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)! Finally, it’s worth noting that NOT OF THIS EARTH was twice remade to much lesser effect – first in 1988 and again in 1995; curiously enough, on both of these, Corman himself would serve as executive producer!

04/05/08: KING OF THE ZOMBIES (Jean Yarbrough, 1941)

Being an early zombie film, this one obviously has to do with the curse of voodoo – a trend inaugurated by the Bela Lugosi classic WHITE ZOMBIE (1932) and which reached its pinnacle with the Val Lewton/Jacques Tourneur masterpiece I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943) – rather than the gruesome, flesh-eating variety which would later become the established standard in this type of film. It’s also a spoof on the subgenre – two similar contemporaneous efforts were the splendid Bob Hope vehicle THE GHOST BREAKERS (1940) and ZOMBIES ON BROADWAY (1945), in which Lugosi was once again the villain (albeit constituting a much less significant entry in his filmography).

The comedy relief in this case is provided by the colored Mantan Moreland: at first, I thought that such an element would come across as forced and intrude upon the horror atmosphere being attempted; however, it eventually proved to be the film’s mainstay – making up for an already tired formula (the zombies themselves are given precious little to do) and the preposterous contrivances in the plot. Memorable quips by Moreland include “Can I help it if I’m loquacious?” (when ostensibly turned into a zombie, he’s quizzed about the fact that he’s able to keep talking) and, when his opinion is solicited with respect to the origin of the native drumbeating which is heard intermittently in the background, “I don’t know but it sure ain’t Gene Krupa!” The sole novelty value here, then, is a factor of topicality (WWII was raging by now, even if America itself was still neutral): the zombie master this time around (Henry Victor – the villainous strongman in FREAKS [1932]) is a thinly-veiled Nazi who draws his airborne victims to the island via radio signals and then employs native rituals to extract the military information he requires!

At just 67 minutes long, the film is fairly tolerable for what it is; even so, it features too many leading characters: two heroes, a female relative of the zombie woman, plus a trio of servants (two of whom even get to perform in Victor’s voodoo rites), etc. The ultra low-budget status of the production (from cheapie studio Monogram, no less) is evident in the fact that even if the villain’s dwelling is supposed to be a mansion, the action is limited to only a couple of rooms (though, to be fair, this had also been the case in THE BLACK CAT [1934]). Edward Kay’s percussive score is adequate but hardly remarkable – yet it was surprisingly nominated for an Oscar (that said, in 1941 the number of nominees in that category was a staggering twenty!).

george kaplan · 04-08-2008, 05:19 PM

Blazing Saddles

Re-watched this classic Mel Brooks comedy. Funny as ever.

A Night in Casablanca

A latter day Marx Brothers movie, it's pretty good, on par with some of their 30s films, with the final bedroom scene top-notch. But not consistent enough to be as fine as a film as Duck Soup.

The Atomic Submarine

I don't get it. I never really get the appeal of B movies in the first place, but for Criterion to release this as part of "a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films"? This isn't contemporary, and it sure as hell isn't important nor classic. If Criterion wants to release films like this, then maybe they should start a new line to go along with their Eclipse line. Maybe the Exiguous line.