Track the Films You Watch (2005) - Page 64

Sky High (2005) - Entertaining mix of teen coming-of-age film with superheroes facing the twin perils of adolescence and learning to use their powers. Delivers a healthy amount of laughs and a feel good message. - B

Kings and Queen (2005) - French film about a woman defined by the mistakes she has made. Trying to juggle being a single parent and a father dying of cancer, her emotions are stretched to the breaking point. It uses a split narrative, the other part of the story concerns one of the woman's former lovers, a violist both volatile and eccentric who finds himself confined to a mental institution.

A well-written character piece in which past misdeeds and self-delusion haunt the characters' present and future. - B+

Kingdom of Heaven (2005) - Ok action oriented period piece from Ridley Scott. Offers patches of interesting drama, but fails to develop any other character outside of Orlando Bloom's problematic lead figure, in a satisfying manner. Bearing little semblance to the actual history, one could watch LOTR or Troy and see the same big battles and pure fantasy in a better film. - C+

Repost:

Galaxy Quest (1999)

Viewed 12/1/2005

Winning comedy about the former (and desperate) cast of a Star Trek-esque television show who get recruited by real aliens to help them in a war that they're losing... badly. The catch is that the aliens, who've been watching reruns of the show, think it's the real deal and that the actors are actual, ass-kicking space explorers! A bit much at times, but the good cast and satirical observations of fanboys puts it over the top.

out of


State of Grace (1990)

Viewed 12/1/2005

Solid gangster flick about an undercover cop infiltrating the Irish mob in Hell's Kitchen. But one member of the mob just happens to be his best friend! Nothing new really, but it's well-done with a stellar cast.

out of


Lianna (1983)

Viewed 12/2/2005

John Sayles film about a married woman who leaves her adulterous husband and begins an affair with another woman. As usual with Sayles, it's talky, but also finely wrought and non-exploitative.

out of


Bunshinsaba (2004)

Viewed 12/2/2005 (first viewing)

Typical Korean horror flick about a young girl who puts a curse on her bullying classmates only to see them start dying horrible deaths. Can she put a stop to it? And what is her connection to a former student who died mysteriously thirty years earlier? Full of the usual Asian horror imagery - there are no real surprises here - but entertaining enough.

out of


Show Me Love a.k.a. Fucking Amal (1998)

Viewed 12/2/2005 (first viewing)

Pretty good teen drama from Lukas Moodysson (Lilya 4-Ever) about a high school outcast (and lesbian) who finds a most unusual friend in the school beauty (who has her own problems). Low-key, realistic drama.

out of


Let's Go With Pancho Villa (1936)

Viewed 12/3/2005 (first viewing)

Mexican classic about six friends who run off to fight with Pancho Villa's army. Very much in the vein of John Ford's epics, with a memorable ending.

out of


For Heaven's Sake (1925)

Viewed 12/3/2005 (first viewing)

Harold Lloyd classic has the comedian playing a millionaire who absent-mindedly funds a mission in an impoverished part of Los Angeles. Naturally he falls for the cute daughter of the mission head, leading to all manner of slapstick antics. Pretty damn funny and capped by a final sequence with Harold and friends racing to his wedding on a runaway bus.

out of


Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

Viewed 12/3/2005 (first viewing)

Totally wacked-out Godzilla film throws in everything but the kitchen sink (and I'm not so sure I didn't see a few of those flying around). Blatantly ripping off The Matrix, X-Men and Return of the Jedi (among others), the goofy plot has aliens unleashing most of the Earth's giant monsters on mankind in order to destroy society so they can harvest our DNA (actually our mutant M-base - don't ask). But as our heroes' growly, sword-wielding American ally points out, there's one thing they don't know about Earth: Godzilla! (Not to mention Mothra and Godzilla, Jr.!) All of this is pretty dumb, but hey, it IS fun. Heh.

"Those savages are getting their asses kicked!"

out of


King Kong (1976)

Viewed 12/4/2005

Remake of the great ape classic lacks that film's heart and mythic quality, but is okay on its own terms. The World Trade Center finale may be hard to take for some, and Jeff Bridges' character is too good to be true (no scientist in his right mind would turn down a chance to study the big K), but Jessica Lange as a most nubile starlet is real easy on the eyes.

out of

Phantasm II (1988)

Viewed 12/5/2005

Decent sequel finds Mike and Reggie once again taking on the Tall Man and his flying spheres. Basically more of the same (and makes about as much sense), but just offbeat enough to maintain interest. Decent gore - love the sphere in the mouth!

out of


Fantastic Four (2005)

Viewed 12/6/2005

Marvel's first family comes to the big screen in a less-than-stellar adaptation. Not nearly as bad as some have said, but it's little better than average as far as comic book adaptations go. The Thing and the Human Torch are best served here, while Mr. Fantastic is just a bit too wimpy. Jessica Alba makes for nice eye candy but offers little else as the Invisible Woman. Worst of all is Dr. Doom - here he's only a shadow of his comic book incarnation and not nearly as menacing. Shit, Power Pack could kick this Doom's ass.

out of


House By the River (1949)

Viewed 12/6/2005 (first viewing)

Pretty good gothic melodrama from Fritz Lang about a writer who accidentally kills his maid in a fit of passion. He then cajoles his brother into helping him dispose of the body in a nearby river. But rivers always give up their dead... Hampered only by the ending, which is over all too quickly.

out of


Ivanhoe (1952)

Viewed 12/7/2005

Entertaining historical drama has brave knight Ivanhoe trying to restore Richard the Lionhearted to his throne. Good of its type, though it never really reaches epic status.

out of


Ninotchka (1939)

Viewed 12/8/2005

Ernst Lubitsch's comedy classic stars Greta Garbo as a humorless Russian envoy in Paris who falls for a dapper Frenchman. Can she throw off her oppresive Communist ideals and learn to live and love?

"Comrades, you must have been smoking a lot!"

out of


Two Men in Town (1973)

Viewed 12/8/2005 (first viewing)

Hard-boiled crime drama about a safe cracker, recently released from prison, and his struggles against the system. His parole officer believes in him, but the cop who put him away holds a grudge and is determined to put him back in prison...

out of


Mouchette (1967)

Viewed 12/8/2005 (first viewing)

Robert Bresson drama follows the downward spiral of a put-upon young girl who is kicked around by pretty much everyone around her. Downbeat drama in the vein of Au Hasard Balthazar.

out of


The Driver (1978)

Viewed 12/9/2005 (first viewing)

Exciting actioner from Walter Hill stars Ryan O'Neal as a getaway driver-for-hire who is targeted by an obsessive cop (Bruce Dern). Pretty good car chase action with the ethereal beauty of Isabelle Adjani thrown in as a bonus.

out of


The Kid Brother (1927)

Viewed 12/10/2005 (first viewing)

Above average comedy stars Harold Lloyd as the titular kid brother, the wimp in a family of macho men, who gets the chance to prove his mettle when money his father has been entrusted with is stolen. Surprisingly well-shot.

out of


Mary Pickford (2005)

Viewed 12/11/2005 (first viewing)

American Experience documentary on America's sweetheart, Mary Pickford, the first and still one of the greatest, movie stars. Well done all around. Garbo got her stamp, where's Mary's?

out of


3:10 to Yuma (1952)

Viewed 12/11/2005

Gritty little western has impoverished rancher Van Heflin shepherding badguy Glenn Ford to the titular train which will take him to the Yuma prison. But smooth-talkin' Ford soon begins to psych him out! Suspenseful and intense, though the finale is a bit hard to believe.

out of

Updated my list with an additional 17 movies.

Bad News Bears - ***
Capote - ****
Domino - *** 1/2
Elizabethtown - ***
Four Brothers - ***
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - *** 1/2
History of Violence, A - ****
In Her Shoes - *** 1/2
Into the Blue - ***
Jarhead - ***
Madagascar - ** 1/2
North Country - ****
Pride and Prejudice - *** 1/2
Rent - ***
Syriana - ****
Walk the Line - ****
Zathura - ***

Syriana (2005) -

Simply the best movie of the year so far. And in a year with Good Night, and Good Luck., among others, that is saying a lot.

The Brown Bunny (2003) - Vincent Gallo's maligned masterpiece follows motorcycle racer Bud (played by Gallo) on a cross country journey to try to understand the inexplainable. Gallo's performance is as raw and transparent as anything seen in years, taking us with him through a bottomless pit of sorrow. Desperate to connect with another human, he finds himself ultimately too empty to offer anything, having only the company of the implacable audience down this literal lonesome highway. Accentuated with understated cinematography and a folk rock soundtrack, the film's technique announces an auteur as skilled and soulful as any in America today.

This was a revisit and my first viewing of the outstanding Sony Superbit DVD. A large leap up in experience from the sniggering and talk-filled theaterical showing I attended in the dingy upstairs theater of a local arthouse with a screen likely smaller than some HTF'ers have in their house. One hopes that now removed from the controversy of Cannes, viewers will be able to open themselves to this amazing film. - A

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1970) - An American writer living in Italy witnesses a bizarre attempted murder and suddenly finds himself and his girlfriend have become targets in this giallo that served as suspense and horror master Dario Argento's announcement that a unique voice had arrived in cinema. Though Argento would make better films in his career, this film with it's stylishly inventive murder and suspense scenes, terrific dark cinematography by Vittorio Storaro, and the mood-enhancing discordant score by Ennio Morricone, is one well worth seeing. - A-

I've seen this several times in the past, but this was my first viewing of Blue Underground's new 2-disc SE. The image blows away all previous editions and the DTS sound is top-notch. I haven't listened to the commentary yet. The 2nd disc includes interviews with Argento, Storaro, Morricone, and actress Eva Renzi. While the 3 creator's interviews have their interesting bits among the usual kinds of technical and historical info these sorts of interviews offer, it is Renzi's interview that is the most intriguing. While offering compliments to Argento, she is clearly ambivalent about the film and views the role as a mistake that killed her career. She also doesn't think much of lead actor Tony Musante. Perhaps best of all, after the interview credits role, she comes back on to give an out of nowhere 2-minute diatribe on Klaus Kinski, dishing dirt, insults, and calling him overrated and pretentious.

Fantastic Four (2005) - While not in the league with the best recent comic book films (X2, Spidey 2, BB), I found this to be fair, light entertainment and not nearly as bad as I heard it was. It seems to be more directed/written in an older 70's comic book style before every book tried to be darkly realistic. Of course, I never read FF much so I'm not attached to the characters. While Reed doesn't make much of an impression and Jessica Alba is iffy at best as Sue, the other actors are credible and the film does a decent job of balancing action, more weighty material, and comic relief. Not something I'd want to watch again anytime soon, but I preferred it to The Hulk, Punisher, or the abomination that was Daredevil. - B-

Metallic Blues (2004) 6/10
Israeli comedy/drama about two bumbling used-car salesmen who appear to have lucked into a relatively cheap collector's item luxury car. They travel to Germany to try to sell it and get rich, but naturally things don't go according to plan. The comedy in the initial parts is very tender and fun, but it eventually morphs into an attempt to deal seriously with the entire scope of Israeli feelings about Germany, as related to memories of the Holocaust. Bad move for a small little comedy that has nowhere near enough depth to handle something like that. A whole movie in the style of the funny beginning part of the story would definitely have worked better.

Syriana (2005) 6/10
Sorry to buzz-kill on some other raves so far here, but I thought it was very disjointed and forced in a lot of scenes. The whole merger subplot felt either confusing or dull to me the whole way through. Paring the whole thing down to maybe two parallel storylines, instead of four, probably would have been my preference. There are some interesting characters, particularly the crafty old emir and the terrorist recruiter/handler who approaches those two young guys in the Gulf.

Strangers on a Train (1951) 9/10
One of my Hitch favorites since I first saw it several years ago. For pure visual story-telling, this is Hitch in top form. I appreciated Pat Hitchcock's performance more this time around, she really did a great job in this one. She nails all the funny lines that she gets in a few scenes, and she's also really convincing when she's freaking out about Bruno's apparent obsession with strangling her.

A fun bit of trivia for tennis fans: when Guy wins the match at the end, which goes on for much longer than he figured he had time for, the score in the decisive fourth set appears to be 12-10! This was at least 20 years before tiebreaks were introduced to finish sets that are tied 6-6.

King Kong (2005) 9/10
The first hour isn't too great, and one subplot centered around the relationship between two of the Ventura crew members is unnecessary, but there's still some fun stuff in the build-up to the first appearance of Kong, and Naomi Watts' stunning screen presence makes every scene with her in it work on that level alone. The Ann/Kong relationship really does have great emotional resonance, and although one big action scene centered around a dinosaur chase is kind of overdone, most of the other big set-pieces are extraordinary, particularly the Kong/T-Rex fight and the finale on the Empire State Building.

Murderball (2005) - Well done documentary on quadraplegic rugby players that centers more on the human participants than the sport. Illustrative of the resilience of humans in living perfectly fulfilling lives despite what others might view as crippling handicaps. Also does a good job in providing the quadraplegic's POV on how "normal" people think about them. At the same time the film works on the "sports movie" level as well. Providing high-level competition and drama including a disgrunteled teammate who goes to coach the Canadian team after losing his spot on the US squad. Could have done without the slow-motion scenes though. That's one filmed sports cliche that didn't work so well. The sport is far more compelling when seen in real-time. - B+

The Tales of Hoffmann (1951) - Grand operatic film from Powell & Pressburger. Features sumptious sets, props, stylized makeups, beautifully choreagraphed dance, and powerful music all filmed in "glorious technicolor" in the tradition of previous P&P films like Gone To Earth, The Red Shoes, and Black Narcissus. Structured with 3 Acts and a framing story, the framing story and Act 1 are simply divine thanks to the screen presence and dance talents of Moira Shearer. Act 2 is imaginatively filmed and has perhaps the darkest section of the film, but the female performer simply lacks the magic that Shearer brings to the screen. In Act 3, which is almost all opera with very little dance, I had more difficulty maintaining my interest as in some ways, this is far more "foreign" to me than watching a film about goat herders in Uzbekistan.

While the film comes back around to provide a grand finale, I thought this was clipped a bit too short to make the impact that it otherwise might have. This is a film I definitely want to see again in the future, but it did not sweep me away or provide the powerful emotional impact that some of their other films have had on me. - B+

The Son of Kong (1933) - I enjoyed this quickie follow-up to Kong far more than I thought I would. Robert Armstrong is quite good in his return as Carl Denham, this time with a wry sense of humor and a more caring take on the tough guy adventurer. The movie takes twice as long to get to Skull Island as the original is, but the story is compelling enough that I didn't really mind. The film lacks the originals tension and sense of danger, with few creatures and stop-motion work done much more fast and dirty than the original. I'm rather stunned that Michael would say the effects are better here, this film is almost entirely lacking of the kind of multi-layered shots and complex animations present in the original.

Kong himself manages to be emotive, if a bit silly, through Willis O'Brien's work. The film then reaches a satisfying, though out of left field, conclusion. - B

The Iron Giant (1999) - A revisit of this instant animated classic about a boy who discovers a giant alien robot in 1957 America. Their bond of friendship and understanding is disrupted by a suspicious government lackey.

I've seen this perhaps 10 times now, and it still affects me the same as the first time I viewed it. I even teared up during the commentary without really even hearing the dialogue. Quite above any techincal or thematic considerations, the emotional power of this film is as pure as any I know. - A

This was my first viewing of the SE released a year or two ago. It was a birthday present I'm just now getting around to. Finished off the extras yesterday. They are mostly either too shallow or technical, though the deleted scenes are interesting.

I think the ending is brilliant. And quite a shock, which is the idea. If you don't like the ending it's hard to believe you could consider the movie "great" as a whole, since the way it ends is crucial to the whole affair.

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Coming into the film, no. About half way through I figured out what was going on (e.g., the real reason he was there, and who the victim was going to be), though I didn't know the details of how the victim was going to die before the victim did, though I didn't find it at all shocking or surprising.

I actually liked this movie quite a bit, but it fell just short of making my rewatch list, I think in part because the lead character was a bit one-dimensional, the acting was uniformly pretty wooden and the music throughout just felt very 'cheap', like it was the soundtrack to a celtic porn flick. I like the story and the ending, but it just didn't quite work for me.

Well, the father in the film didn't mind now, did he? Me personally? I wouldn't ever go the route of John Cassavettes' character in the first place. But this film is not about what you or I would do under such circumstances ... it's about THESE people. Everyone's different and reacts to things in their own way.

This issue is not even about what a father would do - it's about a mother's natural instinct to nurture and protect the life that grew inside her, even under such extraordinary circumstances such as this. It is probably a reaction even she herself wouldn't have thought she was capable of until she was faced with it.

Okay, so the ending doesn't work for you, but I think it's unfortunate because it kind of ruins the whole thing then.

I don't quite understand this dislike for The Wicker Man soundtrack.
I think it's a very effective and atmospheric score, very appropriate for the film, it's locale and theme.

Maybe it's just because I'm Scottish, but I happen to own two different CD soundtracks of the film...can't get enough of it!

George, which version of the film did you watch, the hacked-up US version or the longer original version (the longer version alternates between 35mm and VHS source material, so it should be easy to tell)

I didn't dislike the music per se, it's just that it felt wrong somehow in a theatrical film. Everytime it came on, I felt like I was watching a made-for-tv movie. I would probably enjoy the cd a lot, but as a soundtrack for the film...well the film was made-for-tv ish enough without the music, and the music just drove it home for me.

I don't know. I tivo'd it, and have already deleted it. I think it was on IFC, and it was certainly uncut in the sense of showing quite a bit of nudity, but whether it was a longer or shorter cut, I couldn't tell you. If you tell me a scene that only appears in the longer cut, I could probably tell you.

And yes, if I were to classify this film, I'd probably call it a horror film. Maybe a mystery. And while I understand the logic, I'd certainly not put it in a 'religious' genre, but that's not one of my classifications.

Well, among other things, there is a longish scene in which Britt Ekland takes a youngster to her bed for sexual initiation and everyone downstairs in the pub starts singing along to their lovemaking.

There are also several scenes before the opening credits showing Edward Woodward in church and many scenes are shown in the wrong order.

Go here for more details:

http://www.steve-p.org/wm/diffs.htm

It's not about backing down; it's about having a total change of heart when confronted with something she didn't expect. Let's put it this way...

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Anyway, this "twist" (if you like) is something you either "get" or you don't. To have ended the film any other predictable way would severely weaken it, IMO. But we've pretty much exhausted this I'm sure you'd agree...

No, I did not see those scenes. However, I'm still uncertain what version I saw. IMDB says that the version you describe is a director's cut, not the UK theatrical release. I didn't see the director's cut, but whether it was the original UK version, or some cut-up U.S. version, I couldn't say.

I'm also confused because the version I saw definitely has the tongue-in-cheek opening thanking the real Lord Summerisle, which the website you provided a link to says is in the long version.

Clearly there are multiple versions of this film, and while I certainly didn't see the director's cut, I couldn't say which of the various shorter versions I saw.

Well I think the Rosemary's Baby ending is fine. Yeah, it's not what the audience wants her to do, but she is a lot more emotionally attached to her baby than the audience is. It isn't necessarily that far-fetched. How many mothers of repugnant serial killers still love their sons? I think the only fair way to judge her is to put yourself in her shoes. Do this - think of someone you love dearly, whom you have a strong emotional attachment to (it could be a brother, sister, parent, child, whatever). Now, you find out that said person is the offspring of Satan. How quick would you be to pick up a kitchen knife and kill them? Probably not as quick as you are to judge Rosemary's love for what is still her baby.

First time viewings in Blue

A Dispatch From Reuters (1940)
Historical drama has Edward G Robinson playing Julius Reuter, the man who came up with the idea of using pigeons for sending messages. Well made but a pretty much by-the-numbers film for the time.

Lady Scarface (1941)
Judith Anderson (best known as Mrs Danvers in Hitchcock’s Rebecca) plays the title role, a female Chicago mob boss & Dennis O’Keefe is the lawman after her. Interesting idea but there’s too much O’Keefe & not enough Lady Scarface in Lady Scarface.

Manpower (1941)
Fast paced Warner entry stars Edward G Robinson & George Raft as line workers for the power company. Marlene Dietrich is the love interest that sparks a rivalry between the two.

Experiment Perilous (1944)
Beautiful photography is the highlight of this second rate Gaslight-like gothic thriller by Jacques Touneur.

The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail (1945)
Very short & pretty forgettable early Kurosawa flick has a nobleman & his servants disguising themselves as monks in order to pass a patrolled border.

The Dark Corner (1946)
Smart detective flick has hardboiled ex-con Private Eye Mark Stevens & his spunky assistant Lucille Ball trying to figure out who’s trying to frame him & why.

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947)
Disappointing Preston Sturges comedy stars Harold Lloyd as a former college football star going through a mid-life crisis. Lacks the wicked wit of Preston’s earlier films.

The Long Gray Line (1955)
Overly sentimental John ford flag-waver stars Tyrone Power as an Irish immigrant who gets to be a non-com officer at West Point.

Helen of Troy (1956)
Sword & Sandal opus by Robert Wise about the legendary war between the Greeks & Trojans. Unfortunately like the recent Troy, the mythological aspects of the story are glossed over and are barely given lip-service.

The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971)
This film by Roman Polanski turned out to be one of the better Shakespeare adaptations I’ve seen to date. Though Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood is still the better telling of Macbeth.

Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust (2000)
Visually impressive though somewhat shallow update of the 80’s gothic horror anime as a half vampire-vampire hunter tracks down….well um vampires of course.

Godzilla Final Wars (2004)
Godzilla returns for the last time (yeah right) in this zany all out monster fest referencing almost every Godzilla flick ever made, along with heavily ripping off The Matrix and other recent sci-fi films. There was much I enjoyed such as a truly badass Godzilla (ala GMK), the best appearance of the three-headed Ghidrah since Destroy All Monsters, the other obscure monster cameo’s & the alien ship design. On the down side way too much focus on the cheesy Matrix/power ranger –like fights between the humans & aliens.

The Island (2005)
HTF pal Steve Christou coined this one Logans Run on steroids which fits this to a tee. In the near future the rich and famous are having clones made in case they need spare body parts. When clones Ewan McGregor & Scarlett Johansson wise up, the chase is on.

Sin City (2005)
Caught the new extended cut in which the 4 stories are played as separate stand-alone episodes instead of being interwoven. The story that benefits the most from the extended scenes is That Yellow Bastard, which is now more fleshed out. Still not sure which overall version I prefer but I’m glad the original cut is preserved on this set.

House of Frankenstein

This actually started out quite promising, and for 10 minutes or so, I thought I'd really like this film. But instead of coming up with an interesting 'revenge' story, it fell back on trying to incorporate the stable of universal monsters. So, first, let's let Dracula take part. Now, we'll turn to the Wolf Man. Etc. Should have been titled "Frankenstein Meets (Again) Dracula and Wolf Man and Igor and Friends".

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (2005) - In general, an outstanding adventure story with a positive message. I hadn't read the books in years, but Lewis' novel came flooding back as Lucy went through the wardrobe into Narnia, and experienced thrills of wonder and discovery at several points during the film. I particularly liked that the film was about ideas, and characters, and relationships, instead of action set pieces. It never lets the effects become the story. It takes its time and isn't edited as if the creators wanted every scene over with as quickly as possible so they could get on to the next one. I'm pleasantly surprised that the director of Shrek could make a film this good; the only Hollywood film I've seen this year where, once it was over, I'd have liked to immediately see it again. - A-

Mad Hot Ballroom (2005) - Documentary about a dance program in New York City schools culminating in a dance competition. We get to watch kids awkwardly holding hands with one another and giggling evolve into accomplished dancers, gaining confidence in themselves and their partners. The film also shows the children away from school as they talk about their dreams and their thoughts about their friends and boy-girl relationships. Offering bundles of laughter and positive emotion, this is an interesting and enteraining film whose 2 hour running time flies by. - B+

War of the Worlds (2005) - For 70m this is a fine, tautly edited, suspense story about a man (Tom Cruise) trying to protect his children from a hellish situation. Complicating matter is that he has been a good deal less than adequate as a father to this point. Steven Spielberg's assured direction and the performance of the main cast helps us buy into another alien's attack Earth scenario as a visceral experience. Inexplicably, at almost exactly 1hr10m in, the film completely derails in a manner rarely seen. As soon as the "survivalist kook" character played by Tim Robbins shows up, the film slams to a halt and never recovers. Suspense is replaced with horribly pointed dialogue, repetitious stalking and alien movie cliches, and the sort of generic feel-goodiness that Spielberg is often accused of. - C

Sword of the Beast (1965) - Samurai film in which a ronin on the run after being manipulated into assassinating his lord must choose between self-preservation and aiding a couple in danger. Pursued by vengeful relatives and with a price on his head, he is hunted prey. While not as powerful or gorgeously shot as recent Criterion releases like Harakiri, Sword of Doom and Samurai Rebellion, like these New Wave samurai films from Kobayashi and Okamoto, Sword of the Beast illustrates the repression inherent in autocratic systems both as an indictment of Japan's history and its present path. - B

Added #37 to my list - King Kong

One of the best films of the year. A rip-roaring adventure with chills and thrills. The King Kong vs. V-Rexes fight is worth the price of admission alone.

****

KING KONG (2005)

Just okay, nothing more - and a lot less. Way too long because it FEELS to long, not because of the running time itself. Jack Black wasn't as bad as I feared because he suits the persona of an unscrupulous Carl Denham; trouble is, I don't like Denham rendered that way. Brody might as well have been invisible. Naomi Watts was the best of the new cast, though her love affair with Kong was as silly as it was embarrassing at times (her vaudeville routine with the big ape was as bad as Jessica Lange asking Kong his astrological sign in the '76 version). The CG effects were hit and miss -- King Kong himself was very realistic and incredibly detailed; at times, a lot of the jungle scenes looked cartoonish. This is decent enough to watch once, but it's not something I'll want to see again. It's too big, too bloated, and complete Overkill. By the time we got to NYC for the last segment, I was too bored by the endless effects to be fascinated or care. The film was often Politically Correct for today's times and, as such, hardly needed to be set in the period of the 1930s. Some of the dialogue from the original is spewed here, but it's done out of obligation and comes off as forced and perfunctory. In the end, it was better than the 1976 version though not by much. If you would have told me that someone else made this film other than Peter Jackson and was a director who wasn't necessarily a big fan of the original '33 classic, I'd believe you.

Scarlet Street (1945)

Viewed 12/12/2005

Fritz Lang's film noir classic stars Edward G. Robinson as a milquetoast whose involvement with a prostitute ends in tragedy. Pretty good, but a bit overrated. I like the companion piece The Woman in the Window more.

out of


Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

Viewed 12/12/2005

Francois Truffaut's adaptation of Ray Bradbury's novel, about a future society where books are banned... and burned. A bit slow, but stick with it - I've found it gets better with repeat viewings.

out of


The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

Viewed 12/13/2005 (first viewing)

Raunchy but good-natured comedy about a group of guys determined to get their 40 year old virgin pal laid for the first time.

out of


Bad News Bears (2005)

Viewed 12/13/2005 (first viewing)

Solid, if not particularly inspired remake of the seventies comedy. Can a washed-up drunk coach the worst Little League baseball team ever to victory? By Billy Bob, he can!

out of


Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (2005)

Viewed 12/13/2005 (first viewing)

Sobering documentary on Wal-Mart and its rapacious buisness practices. Where's Robocop when ya need him?

out of


Sin City: Recut (2005)

Viewed 12/14/2005

Frank Miller's neo noir classic, with its stories separated and re-edited with new footage. Still a blast.

out of


The Card Player (2004)

Viewed 12/15/2005 (first viewing)

Dario Argento's thriller about a serial killer who uses online poker to showcase his killings. Standard serial killer movie, but generally well-done.

out of


King Kong (2005)

Viewed 12/15/2005 (first viewing)

Exciting remake of the great ape classic from Peter Jackson. Give me Skull Island over Middle Earth any day!

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The Dark Corner (1946)

Viewed 12/15/2005 (first viewing)

Gritty little noir about a private investigator whose tragic past catches up with him. Can his lovestruck secretary (a pre-Lucy Lucille Ball) bail him out?

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The Pharmacist (2003)

Viewed 12/15/2005 (first viewing)

Offbeat serial killer thriller from France. A disturbed pharmacist creatively murders people who are destroying the environment, but his new best friend is the troubled cop investigating the killings!

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Slaughterhouse Five (1972)

Viewed 12/16/2005

Good adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s classic novel, though not what it could have been. Wouldn't mind seeing this redone.

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Girl Shy (1924)

Viewed 12/17/2005 (first viewing)

Pleasant little Harold Lloyd vehicle with the comedian playing a terminally shy, would-be Casanova. Naturally this gets him in all sorts of trouble...

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The Last Tycoon (1977)

Viewed 12/18/2005 (first viewing)

Beatifully-realized adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel about an Irving Thalberg-type studio head haunted by his past and troubled by the usual studio politics.

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Little Fugitive (1953)

Viewed 12/19/2005 (first viewing)

Nice little indie classic finds a young boy fooled into believing he's killed his older brother. He then runs away but ends up spending the day at Coney Island. Much of a piece with the French New Wave.

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Lilya 4-Ever (2002)

Viewed 12/19/2005

Heart-breaking drama about a 16 year old girl abandoned by her mother in post-Soviet Russia. She and a friend then scrabble for survival but are ultimately doomed.

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