Track the Films You Watch (2006) - Page 68

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

Poland has an interesting article up on B movies and the concept of cinematic correctness if you want to take a look over at mcn (I'm on dial up it would take me ten minutes to get a link). He's sort of annoyed that everyone is elevating children of men, when he claims its really just another Blade Runner (a film that is happy to stay in the limitations of its b movie boundaries I believe he put it). I think he's barking up the wrong tree with those examples, but oh well.

Speaking of B movies, how about a movie everyone agreed to hate? after seeing it I can kind of comprehend why some people disliked it, but this a movie so wonderful and charming that it struck me straight to the core. I wish more movies were like this.

Elizabethtown - (8 of 10)

My one dislike is some of the narration, some of the time. It starts off as a lovely tribute to The Apartment but when it crops up a little here and there it's occasionally annoying occasionally perfect. The opening sequence was a little long, the film really doesn't start until he's on the plane. But from there on it was pure magic for me.

The humor in the film was so accurate, Crowe nailed it. Sight gags, dialogue, simply the way it was edited together, the film was downright brilliantly funny. Great soundtrack, lovely performances, wonderful story and an almost perfect ending (just end on the kiss, geez).

60B!

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introduced my family to A Matter of Life and Death - still a perfect movie. Perhaps even better. my mom pointed out that Niven is barefoot at some significant moments following his initial stroll on the beach when he takes off his shoes. Wonderful movie, I'll watch it again in a couple weeks on the big screen for a second time.

Adam

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

Because he was brilliant in a dual performance, but mainly as Mr. Hyde. His acting as Jekyll is overly theatric, but it's the sharp contrast in personalities that's well done.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

There is a historic bias against horror/sci-fi product by critics (movie and literary) and the Oscars. As Adam points out above some films which are clearly sci-fi are not labelled as such because of how much the critics like them, what other themes are explored or because of who actually made them or appeared in them etc. To think that Karloff would have been nominated for his turn as Frankenstein's monster (as brilliant as he is) is laughable. March won because he got to play two "different" characters, one of which is a showy role. Also he is the lead in the movie.

Karloff's performance in The Body Snatcher should definitely have been nominated but again I'm sure that the Academy never even considered nominating a performance in a horror B-movie.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

Do you mean from some kind of moral perspective? Yes, it would be much more disappointing and even inexcusable for a talented director with a budget to fail than for a "limited" director with no money. But if you are looking at the quality of a film (at least from each person's subjective standpoint), you shouldn't care about any of that. My guess is (and I'm making no definitive statement here, just using it as an example) that I would enjoy Spielberg's worst film much more than Ed Wood's best film (whether or not I applaud Wood for putting his heart and soul into his work and shake my head at Spielberg for messing up).

I think I've only seen 2 Ed Wood films and my biggest problem with them was the vast dullness of them. Sure there are moments to laugh at the sheer "badness" of them, but boredom takes over for the most part. Unless of course Tom Servo is talking over it...

And there's something wrong with that?

I really wanted to like this film. I really tried too. And there are some good parts and ideas, but it just came across to me as a huge mess. Orlando Bloom hit a couple of good notes, but mostly fell flat. Kirsten Dunst's character annoyed me at times. However, it's worst sin for me was many of the plot points feeling staged and sometimes even cliche.

Wish I could provide examples, but I'd have to rewatch it...

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

Kirsten Dunst is basically exactly like on of my cousins, Elizabethtown is basically my Mom's hometown, the kids running around shrieking I see every holiday, I 'know' most of the adults in some manner or another and most of the jokes hit home perfectly.

It was that wierd instance of a film really hitting home for me.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

Cast a Dark Shadow (1955) 8/10
This British thriller from '55 stars Dirk Bogarde and Margaret Lockwood, directed by Lewis Gilbert, who later did Alfie with Michael Caine, and several Bond movies. Bogarde is a young fortune-hunter plotting to knock off his much older wife, and when some will-related issues pop up, he sets his sights on a sarcastic middle-aged widow played by Lockwood. The first half or so is extremely well-made and terriffically entertaining, starting off with an excellent opening scene. The plot starts to unravel a bit when it comes to rely on Lockwood's character being simultaneously shrewd about some things but careless about others, and some silly plot points pop up near the end, while building up to a somewhat ridiculous climax. Still, I liked it a lot, in spite of the not so strong finish.

Volver (2006) 8/10
Almodovar's latest centers around two sisters, one of whom has to deal with a Lana Turner-type situation involving her husband and daughter, and the other who seems to have encountered the ghost of their dead mother. It takes a little while to get going, but the touches of humor and the emotional resonance of a long-delayed family reunion are very strong. Penelope Cruz has one of the best roles of her career, and the rest of the cast is great as well.

Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) 10/10
It's fun seeing this classic with an audience at a screening, especially for the collective reactions to all the weirdly hilarious gallows humor. I see this movie not so much as one of the best musicals ever, though of course the musical numbers are great, but as one of the greatest cinematic examples of family-centered storytelling. The relationships and dynamics of the large family are realized as well as they possibly could be, with the cast, the production values, the use of color, and the smooth visuals all operating at the highest level. And boy, Halloween night for young kids sure isn't what it used to be!

Without Warning! (1952) 6/10
B-movie noir about a homicidal gardener (yes, a gardener) who keeps targetting the same type of young woman for death. The cast and the story isn't particularly good most of the way through, but some pretty good suspense sequences make the last third or so worthwhile, as two detectives close in on the killer just as he's about to knock off another victim.

All Through the Night (1942) 8/10
I finally started getting around to some of the post-Maltese Falcon discs in the recent Bogart DVD set. This one is a really fun comedy/propaganda movie about a bunch of Damon Runyon-type high rollers who do battle with a group of Nazi fifth columnists. The cast is full of great character people--Bogart's associates are William Demarest, Frank McHugh, and an extremely young Jackie Gleason, with Conrad Veidt and Peter Lorre leading the Nazi saboteurs. Jane Darwell plays Bogart's mom, and even Phil Silvers shows up in a small part. The action/fight scenes usually go on for too long, but there are a lot of great one-liners, and everyone in the cast pulls it off very well.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

12/27: Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut (2005) 1/2 out of

This Ridley Scott epic has a powerful message, colorful characters, and magnificent scope and detail. The half-star reduction is just a gut reaction and not targeted to any specific flaw in the film. I'm looking forward to watching the extensive DVD extras; every other Ridley Scott movie I own has had a fascinating journey to the screen.

I will see you all in the 2007 thread in a couple of days.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

A couple of problems with your example. One, 1941 is a pretty good movie to begin with, and compared to something like Plan 9 or Glen or Glenda (2 Ed Wood films I have seen), it's Citizen Kane. Two, this isn't about excuses or blame. I'm not suggesting that Ed Wood be put in jail for being untalented, only that his films suck regardless of talent. And Carpenter should be more closely compared to Ed Wood than Steven Speilberg, cause Speilberg could make a film on an Ed Wood budget that would outshine Carpenter on a DeMille bugdet.

Bon Voyage

Aventure Malgache

Two of Hitchcock's lesser known works, both French language WW2 propaganda shorts. Bon Voyage, while short, is excellent. Not Rear Window, but very, very good. Aventure Malgache is good, though weaker, with a strange and unneccesary and kind of baffling bookend story.

The Cowboy & the Lady

OK comedy, but not great.

The Wreck of the Mary Deare

Not bad, but one can only fantasize about what the originally slated director, Alfred Hitchcock, could have done with this. Herrmann's music, Lehman's writing, Hitch's direction, this could have been something special.

Man on Fire

Would benefit from judicious editing, but overall, a top-notch kidnapping flick.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

For us the stereotypes were part of the appeal, without the exaggeration it's not funny, and with Elizabethtown it was pleasant--gentle, elbowing humor; not the mockery or snide superiority typically thrown around by Hollywood and New York (Sweet Home Alabama, GAG!).

The maguffin definitely was, literally, a joke, and I'd agree the problems with the maguffin are one of the things that works against the film. But the overall romance was charming and the roadtrip was a wonderful idea/sequence.

fwiw I grew up a little in my Dad's hometown and the rest of it all over the place. My mom's hometown is a tiny little place at the junction of a couple highways, population about 1200. Now theres no place on earth like what is shown in the movie (waving him into the right house) but the interactions of the people as a family and community felt right on for the movie. As my Mom said, "yeah it's a little goofy and a lot of cornball, but I'm like that, so, so what?"


Plus the joke about the west coast=california (hell he could be in new mexico or nevada and it'd still be california) hit me as especially accurate (and always funny).

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

Michael, is the Joe Spinell documentary an extra on a Maniac DVD? Not really a big fan of the feature film but wanted to see the doc after reading other rave reviews.

Been watching the WCFields Comedy Collection......

Out of

You Can't Cheat An Honest Man 1/2 Fields stars as the owner of a low-rent circus who feuds with Charlie McCarthy, the ventroliquist's dummy, insults his other acts and his customers and then scandalizes an upper-class party. Very funny Fields entry especially towards the end with the hilarious table tennis match ("How is your ping-pong?") and his treatment of the hostess.

It's a Gift The humdrum life of Fields and his family changes when WC buys an orange grove. This one is pretty funny but I think I prefer it when Fields is more acerbic - in this one he seems a little too browbeaten. But it's still funny to hear his wife constantly berate and belittle him. And the way he and his family lay ruin to private property is pricless.

International House Fields is one of many characters in a Shanghai Hotel. The plot is just an excuse to introduce many different actors and different threads to the film including singing, comedy and a weird dance number. Fields is the funniest part but Burns and Allen also shine.

The Wicker Man 1/2 Have not seen this for many years but it is still a compelling, intelligent tale. The music is superb in this film and adds to the setting. Maybe not quite the classic that some hold it to be.

City of God 1/2 Flashy but empty tale of gangsters in Rio de Janeiro's slums. No context is offered to the setting, no depth is given to the characters, no reason for all the directorial tricks. Since this movie stands at #18 on IMDB's Top 250 Movies, I'm sure I'm in the minority but the more I think about it the more I did not like it.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

Rock 'n' Roll High School

If I were ever going to like a B movie, this would be it. Great music and an attempt at Animal House type humor. Unfortunately, the B movie shines through, giving us cheese instead of laughs. Thank God Roger Corman never got his hands on A Hard Day's Night.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

12/24/06: NUMBER, PLEASE? (Hal Roach and Fred Newmeyer, 1920) **1/2

This middling Harold Lloyd short is neatly divided into three sections: concerning romatic rivalry at an amusement park, it starts off with a dog chase (this early part also involving a distorted mirror gag); the mid-section is devoted to the inventive telephone antics which give the film its title; the last part, then, resolves itself into a rather overstretched sequence in which Lloyd, chased by the police, tries to get rid of an incriminating purse. Still, perhaps the single funniest bit occurs at the very beginning – a succession of title cards categorizing how various lovesick men deal with their predicament.


12/24/06: I DO (Hal Roach, 1921) **1/2

This Harold Lloyd short opens with a potentially dangerous but carefully choreographed gag in which the love-struck comedian is impervious to the heavy traffic while crossing the road. It also features an amusing gag concerning the hiding of liquor bottles by the hero and heroine inside a baby carriage, with curious bystanders wanting to peek at what they think is a baby (somehow, this subterfuge seems to have subsequently been adopted by the entire neighborhood!).

Later, the plot revolves around a lengthy set-piece in which some opportunistic relatives of the Lloyds dump their irrepressible kids in their care (considering that my family have been ‘suffering’ from this very same burden – with the boy in question being my own mentally-retarded cousin – for the last 17 years, I found this section of the film somewhat uneasy) but the invention here was certainly up to snuff – as when one of the children starts sawing the furniture and then nails Harold’s slippers to the floor, and especially the star’s disastrous attempt at preparing a bottle of milk for an infant. Also incorporated at this point is the possible intrusion into the couple’s home by a suspicious-looking character (who turns out to be just the night-watchman).


12/24/06: AMONG THOSE PRESENT (Fred Newmeyer, 1921) ***

Harold Lloyd three-reeler which finds him as a bellhop who’s asked to double for an English lord during a high-society party. Its best moments involve the star’s tall tales of his hunting prowess (catching several different types of animals, including wild beasts!) until he’s reminded that the lord’s particular specialty is supposed to be fox-hunting; one such event ensues, during which Harold not only doesn’t catch the fox but actually loses his pants! A subplot involves the maid being in cahoots with one of the guests to take possession of the estate – which our hero naturally thwarts after falling for the daughter of his hosts (played by Mildred Davis). Also, it deals with the necessity for the nouveau riche to adapt themselves to a different type of lifestyle – something which the father (and, to a lesser extent, the daughter) has difficulty in accepting, much to the chagrin of the proud and sophisticated mother; still, it’s clear where the film-makers’ sympathies lie – the finale sees Harold sitting down alongside Davis’ father to eat a plate of good old-fashioned ham and eggs!


12/24/06: A SAILOR-MADE MAN (Fred Newmeyer, 1921) ***

I didn’t have great expectations for Harold Lloyd’s debut feature (as it’s hardly ever mentioned) but I was pleasantly surprised and is, therefore, much underrated.

Many a comedian before or since had dealt with a seafaring theme: this, wisely, restricts such familiar goings-on merely to the middle section. As a matter of fact, it opens with Lloyd in typical idle-millionaire mode who has to surmount a horde of rivals for the attention of his beloved, Mildred Davis; told by her father to get a job, he finds himself enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Mildred and her friends decide to go on a yachting trip and eventually crosses paths with Harold and his crew in a Middle-Eastern port; the burly and villainous Maharajah sets his eyes on her and, before long, she’s abducted off to the palace.

Naturally, our hero proposes to save her against all odds – this latter section is, undeniably, the film’s highlight with a succession of fast-moving gags and stunts (still, my favorite is when Lloyd’s pal goes inside the palace doors and his body comes flying over the wall soon after!). Earlier on, the two of them get into a scuffle with the locals; however, Lloyd allows his companion to do his dirty work for him – while proceeding to steal the latter’s casualties and pile them up on his own side of the street; when the pal, not surprisingly worn-out from his endeavors, goes up to Harold and sees the impressive mass of bodies at his feet, he’s well and truly surprised – to which Lloyd mockingly asks “What took you so long?”

This unambitious but thoroughly engaging four-reeler gave Lloyd the chance to expand his horizons and, consequently, hone his particular skills towards achieving the genuinely great work that was still to come.


12/25/06: CHRISTMAS EVIL (Lewis Jackson, 1980) ***

I had been interested in watching this one ever since I came across its respectable *** rating in Leonard Maltin’s Film Guide (where it’s listed under the original title of YOU BETTER WATCH OUT – and which, actually, also happens to be the name on the print included here!). Apart from being championed by cult auteur John Waters (who here contributes a Commentary track, in which he’s accompanied by Lewis Jackson himself), noted film critic Carlos Clarens considered the film the darkest he ever saw (along with David Lynch’s ERASERHEAD [1977])!

It’s been previously available on DVD and I had myself been tempted to pick it up via one of those Brentwood multi-film sets, but I’m glad now that I waited for Synapse’s definitive edition (which, surprisingly, was released without much fanfare!). Anyway, I was generally impressed with the film: its deliberate pace, coupled with a remarkable leading performance from Brandon Maggart and the weird score, creates a genuinely unsettling aura throughout; despite the unfamiliar personnel involved and the obvious low-budget, the end result is certainly compelling.

Still, while it’s touted as a slasher film (one of a few with a Yuletide backdrop – I’ve watched the even superior BLACK CHRISTMAS [1974] but haven’t yet checked out any entries from the SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT [1984-92] series), the killing spree here is limited to just two violent outbursts: the first – leaving numerous victims – occurs outside a church in full view of the public, utilizing shock cuts and crude gore effects for its impact; the second, a personal vendetta taking place inside the house of one of Maggart’s colleagues, relies mainly on creating suspense and is then carried out in one swift and vicious stroke. In fact, the film is better approached as a character study in the vein of TAXI DRIVER (1976) – with Maggart, having something of an obsession with Christmas after a traumatic childhood experience, slipping slowly but surely into madness: he keeps a couple of diaries in which the vices and virtues of the neighborhood kids are periodically listed – so that, at Christmastime, he’s able to reward the good whilst punishing the bad (actually, his interaction with the children might well be construed as borderline paedophelia by today’s standards)!

Another interesting element to the film is the strained relationship between Maggart and his younger sibling, who’s forced to take care of him (though his family seems more willing to accept Maggart’s flaws): this culminates in the latter finally blowing his top and attempting to strangle Maggart, when it dawns on him that the “Killer Santa” who has terrorized the town is none other than his own deranged brother! Finding himself on the run and with nowhere to hide, Maggart decides to bow out in spectacular fashion – leaping off a bridge with his van – but Jackson decides to end it all with a disarming touch of fantasy, as the vehicle suddenly takes flight in the sky like a herd of reindeer!

The extras included on the “Special Edition” DVD are exemplary: the six-and-a-half minutes of deleted scenes don’t add much to the film, but the comment cards are an amusing feature (demonstrating the mixed reception that greeted the film on initial release) and the audition tapes (running for some 26 minutes), while necessarily repetitive, are quite interesting – and not just for showcasing such actors as George Dzundza, Lindsay Crouse and JoBeth Williams at the very start of their careers! During the engaging Jackson/Waters discussion, the former cites Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Douglas Sirk among his influences – whereas Waters perceptively likens Maggart’s desire to become Santa Claus to a transsexual’s craving for a sex-change operation (also, typically for him, he sees a lot of sexual imagery in the film, but which Jackson maintains was unintentional)!


12/26/06: OLIVER AND COMPANY (George Scribner, 1988) ***

Curiously endearing Disney animated feature inspired by “Oliver Twist”, transposing the Dickensian favorite fairly successfully to a modern-day New York setting – with the villainous Bill Sykes as a mobster (flanked by a couple of vicious mastiffs). Stylistically, it lies somewhere between LADY AND THE TRAMP (1955) and the adult-oriented films of Ralph Bakshi (without the sex and violence, naturally); as such, it stands oddly alongside the studio’s usual fare from this rather lame era – and its vitality can now be seen to have foreshadowed the renaissance in quality (and critical appraisal) which they witnessed soon after, beginning with THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989). The anthropomorphic characters (which generally swamp the humans – Fagin is very much a good guy here, if still pitiful) are quite nicely fitted to class stereotypes: hence, we get a Hispanic chihauha (with an eye for the ladies) and a posh bulldog, among others, while Dodger is basically an updated version of Tramp and Oliver himself a cute but very brave kitten. The familiar and involved plot is all but jettisoned (especially in its second half) in favor of boisterous action and character comedy, with a bouncy score and rapid pace to match. In the end, it proved surprisingly good – and, at just 74 minutes, short enough not to overstay its welcome.


12/26/06: PUSS CAFÉ (Charles A. Nichols, 1950) ***

Very enjoyable Disney animated short featuring Pluto; it deals with a couple of cats – one smart, the other dopey – who live inside a trash can and their attempts to raid the front-garden of a house, guarded by Pluto, for various types of food (milk-bottles left on the porch, birds in their wooden nest and fish in a swimming-pool). Their antics to avoid or antagonize Pluto, coupled with their own contrasting personalities, results in some delightful irreverence on the level of a typical “Looney Tunes” cartoon (somehow, I tend to take for granted the fact that Disney’s work in this field would be inferior or, if you like, less appealing than that emanating from either Warners or MGM – which, I guess, explains why I still have a handful of Limited Edition DVD tins from this stable to go through!). Among the most inventive touches is when the dopey cat is made to go underwater by his brighter sibling wearing a make-shift scuba gear in the form of an empty milk-bottle and a water-hose; the final gag is also amusing, as Pluto chases the two cats to their ‘abode’ (while we are never shown the inside of the trash can, one can hear footsteps on stairways and doors being shut!) only to be met by their considerably larger parent.


12/26/06: BAD SANTA: THE UNRATED VERSION aka BADDER SANTA (Terry Zwigoff, 2003) **1/2

Disappointing (I’ve only watched Zwigoff’s GHOST WORLD [2001] and am most interested in CRUMB [1994]): fitfully amusing but ugly and overly crude, even obnoxious. Once the film makes its point – that of foul-mouthed, alcoholic wastrel Billy Bob Thornton as the antithesis of a Santa Claus impersonator – it doesn’t really do anything with it: the main development concerns his unlikely relationship with the obese and lonely boy and, while this section provides a good deal of chuckles (especially the painful boxing match), it’s mostly condescending towards the latter…so that it’s not much different from the rest (the bittersweet ending, then, doesn’t really work)!

Still, the constant sparring between Thornton and Tony Cox (as his colored dwarf sidekick and partner-in-crime) – basically resorting to the uninterrupted spouting of obscenities! – definitely makes for some lively (if, decidedly, repetitive) banter. From the supporting cast, Lauren Graham as Thornton’s girlfriend comes off best (no pun intended); John Ritter (whose last completed film this proved to be) doesn’t have a lot to do, while Bernie Mac is almost as unsavory a character as Thornton himself; Cloris Leachman contributes an uncredited and rather embarrassing minor role as the boy’s senile grandmother. Surprisingly, the “Director’s Cut” is the reportedly less explicit 88-minute version – rather than the 99-minute “Unrated” one (though even this didn’t turn out to be quite as “naughty” as I had anticipated)!


12/27/06: FIRE AND ICE (Ralph Bakshi, 1983) ***

I had watched snippets from this as a kid but, while I purchased Blue Underground’s set immediately due to its being a Limited Edition, only now did I fit it in my viewing schedule – and that’s mainly because Bakshi’s AMERICAN POP (1981) just turned up on late-night Italian TV (see my review of that film below)!

Anyway, I found the film to be a quite good sword-and-sorcery animated epic with especially impressive-looking backdrops (the rather awkward rotoscoped characters were, admittedly, less so) with a rousing if derivative score. The plot, again, wasn’t exactly original, but proved undeniably engaging on a juvenile level and the leading characters well enough developed – especially interesting is the villainous Ice-lord Nekron and the enigmatic warrior Darkwolf; the hero and heroine, however, are rather bland stereotypes – but one can hardly complain when Bakshi and Frazetta depict the girl as well-endowed (her bra could be torn off any second) and half-naked to boot (her tiny panties are forever disappearing up her ass)! Still, it’s clearly an action-oriented piece and it certainly delivers on this front (that involving Darkwolf being particularly savage); the final showdown though brief, is also nicely handled and sees our heroes astride pterodactyls assaulting the villains’ lair inside a cave .

In the long run, apart from the afore-mentioned Frazetta backdrops, the main appeal of this movie for me now is its nostalgia factor as it transported me back to my childhood days of watching not just films like CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) and THE BEASTMASTER (1982) but also animated TV series such as BLACKSTAR (1981-82) and HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (1983-85).


12/27/06: THE MAKING OF "FIRE AND ICE" (TV) (Mark Bakshi, 1982) **1/2

Vintage featurette on the sword-and-soorcery animated film which is only available via the washed-out VHS print owned by Ralph Bakshi himself! It goes into some detail about the rotoscope technique and also shows several instances of live-action ‘performances’ (in a studio) of segments from the script – which would then be traced, blended in with the backgrounds and filmed. Still, having watched several such behind-the-scenes featurettes on the art of animation (on the Disney Tins and the Looney Tunes sets, for instance), it’s doesn’t make for a very compelling piece…


12/27/06: AMERICAN POP (Ralph Bakshi, 1981) ***

The narrative of this Bakshi animated film follows the showbiz aspirations of a Jewish émigré family through four generations (from turn-of-the-century to the present, i.e. early 1980s), taking in the various turbulent world events and reflecting the often radical changes in culture which occurred during all this time.

An ambitious if heavy-handed undertaking (Bakshi’s trademark realism, displayed through rotoscoped animation, occasionally interspersed with stock footage) which is patchy overall but frequently impressive – and undeniably evocative. The necessarily eclectic soundtrack, too, is a major asset even if the last half does lean too heavily on the the hippie/rock scene; it’s also amusing how the script presents the band which the protagonist eventually forms part of as the talent behind many of the best-known rock songs from the era by the likes of Big Brother And The Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Sex Pistols and even my own favorite, The Velvet Underground)!!


12/28/06: FRAZETTA: PAINTING WITH FIRE (TV) (Lance Laspina, 2003) ***

Overlong but generally informative feature-length documentary on celebrated artist Frank Frazetta (whose work in comic strips influenced generations of designers), which is perhaps slightly too revential towards its subject. His distinctive three-dimensional style (with which I was familiar, if not the artist’s name) is discussed at length – as is Frazetta’s personal life, including his recent health problems – and, of course, even features interjections from noted film-makers such as John Milius (who directed the Frazetta-influenced CONAN THE BARBARIAN [1982]) and Ralph Bakshi (with whom Frazetta collaborated on FIRE AND ICE [1983]). Still, one would have liked some narration to smooth over, i.e. put into context, the many anecdotes and opinions – rather than have 90 uninterrupted minutes of just ‘talking heads’!


12/29/06: HANGMEN ALSO DIE! (Fritz Lang, 1943) ***

One of a handful of propaganda films made by Hollywood during WWII to show how various occupied European countries dealt with the situation; similar films included THE MOON IS DOWN (1941), EDGE OF DARKNESS (1943), THE NORTH STAR (1943) and THIS LAND IS MINE (1943). This one, however, differs from these in that it tackles a real-life event i.e. the assassination of Heydrich – dubbed “The Hangman” (his assassination was the subject of two more films, the contemporaneous HITLER’S MADMAN [1943] and OPERATION DAYBREAK [1975]) – and is further elevated by the contribution of two important figures of pre-war German art, director Lang and writer Bertolt Brecht.

It also features a great cast (mostly delivering excellent performances, but is saddled with a miscast and rather stiff Brian Donlevy in the lead): Walter Brennan and Gene Lockhart are featured in overly familiar roles but their contribution is, as ever, reliable and entirely welcome; best of all, perhaps, are Anna Lee and Alexander Granach; beloved character actor Dwight Frye (most familiar to horror-film buffs) appears here in one of his last roles but, as was generally the case, is regrettably given only a couple of lines!

Long and heavy-going, with the propagandist element coming off as fairly corny now, but the film is held firmly together by Lang’s fine direction and James Wong Howe’s superb noir-ish lighting (the Region 1 DVD by Kino was eventually re-issued as part of a 5-Disc Noir set). It also involves a couple of scuffles which are quite tense and energetic (Granach’s death scene is especially striking), while the last third resorts to the organized frame-up by the Czechs of a traitor in their midst (collaborationist Lockhart) – which, in itself, is no less frightening an act than the heinous persecution of the Nazi regime!

I’m confused, however, about the film’s running-time: the print I watched ran for 129 minutes in PAL mode (which would bring it to about 134 minutes when converted to NTSC); even so, it contains the ending missing from the DVDs released in Regions 1 and 2 which, being the same version i.e. cut and having the same length (134 minutes), would indicate that the Kino edition is a PAL conversion – which means a full running-time of 139 minutes (a minute short of the ‘official’ length, as per Lotte Eisner’s book on Lang)! To make matters worse, both the Leslie Halliwell and Leonard Maltin film guides I own cite HANGMEN ALSO DIE! as being 131 minutes long!!

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

The Dinner Game

Superior French farce. Should have won best foreign film oscar instead of All About My Mother, but wasn't even nominated.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

I have always been surprised by Leonard Maltin's rating of Christmas Evil and am actually a little suspicious of it since the film is described as a "gripping, well-made thriller". Despite my love of the film, I do not not consider it a "thriller " or "gripping" although it is "well-made".

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

Yakuza Papers out of This series of 5 films spans the life and times of numerous gangsters from the end of World war II until the early 1970s. The quality of the films are all similar (I preferred numbers 1, 2, 5) but are nowhere wear the level of the Godfather to which they are sometimes compared. The problem is that it is hard to keep track of all the characters who come in and out of the saga and it is sometimes hard to follow (or even care) about all the yakuza machinations. However the action sequences are great - they are shot with very rough and ready camerawork that has a reportage feel to it. The voiceover narrative and stills also give it a documentary feel which is appropriate since the films are supposed to be based on actual events. Also the setting in Hiroshima and the introductory narration remind us of how big a shadow the events of World War II cast in Japan and what damage it did to the national psyche.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

Rocky Balboa (2006)

A nice way to tie up the Rocky series. A heartfelt final chapter that's sentimental and inspirational, especially for those of us over 40 and heading toward 50. Stallone did a nice job of bringing some kind of closure to his own baby, and it should be a personal victory for him when you consider how many people always joked at the concept of an "old man Rocky" film. A good cozy little film, not a great one.

One minor nitpick about the fight:
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Last entry for me this year - Happy New Year to all, and see you in '07.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

December Summary
total movies: 16
average gpa: 2.44 (39/16)
summary: pretty weak month. it was good to revisit lotr, i was glad i caught winter passing. guilty pleasure definitely goes to manhunter

title: supercop
rating: b
comments: as usual, chan is awesome and you just gotta be impressed. but, what i liked was how this reminded me what a powerhouse michelle yeoh is too. as usual the story and acting is silly and over the top ... but that doesn't take away at all from the enjoyment

title: lord of the rings: fellowship of the ring (extended ed.)
rating: a
comments: it's been a while since i've watched this and i forgot how awesome this movie is. it's ability to completely transfer you to a different place and time is amazing. crazy high production value, stellar fx, great acting ... can you tell i love this movie?

title: winter passing
rating: b
comments: a sentimental flick that, taken apart, doesn't add to much. but as a whole experience it just ... works. i give a lot of credo to zoey however-you-spell-her-last-name ... she just comes across as completely authentic. and finally, a will ferrel performance that i enjoyed ... and that is a rare thing indeed. story was just too predictable though.

title: the davinci code
rating: c
comments: just shows you that heavy hitters do not a great movie make. it wasn't horrible, but it just felt like it was going through the motions ... with way too much exposition. also it's been a couple of years since i read the book, but i think the movie took some pretty massive liberties with the original story.

title: lucky number slevin
rating: b
comments: maybe a good example of "trying too hard". it had wit, it had charm, decent acting (and i can't help but think of hartnett as a cub scout in a boy scout's world), a pretty neat story, and nice pacing. but ... i dunno ... it just felt over-worked or something. anyway, a decent rental.

title: the guns of navarone
rating: c
comments: i remember seeing this before ... and liking it more back then. this time it just seemed kind of ... boring. the characters didn't interest me much, the action ho-hum, and the effects cheesy (even for back then). not a terrible movie ... but not a great one either.

title: clerks 2
rating: c
comments: well, not a horrible flick, but it felt like smith tried too hard to make a "kevin smith type" of film. yeah, there were a few moments of hilarity (the silence of the lambs spoof about killed me), but some of the over-the-top humor just felt too forced. oh well ... worth a rental of you're a smith fan.

title: eragon
rating: c
comments: i personally enjoyed this one, but there was really nothing to set it apart. the dragon effects were amazing, but almost at the expense of the rest of the movie. some cheesy dialog almost took me out of the movie a few times. i'd say it's worth a rental ...

title: the big lebowski
rating: b
comments: i'd give this a c, but bridges performance was just too inspired. unfortunately the rest of the cast (especially goodman) felt too phoney for me. the story was typical coen bros, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but they've done better.

title: hostage
rating: d
comments: the story and cast were just silly, with way too many moments of unbelievability (as in this movie gets the "biggest-air-ducts-ever-seen" award). willis (as usual) was enjoyable to watch ... he can say so much with just a look or facial expression.

title: miracle on 34th st (1947)
rating: a
comments: i can see why this is such a beloved classic. a wonderfully told story about the power of faith. it was interesting to see such a young natalie wood. plus, i just *loved* the judge ... his expressions were priceless.

title: ultraviolet
rating: d
comments: visually an amazing film to look at. the oversaturated colors, the visual fx and (i have to admit) milla are all gorgeous. and that's where it stops. the villan is just stupid, the plot silly and predictable, and the movie as a whole just doesn't work.

title: over the hedge
rating: c
comments: about standard for the genre. decent story, animation and voice acting made for an enjoyable time. unfortunately, nothing really set this over the top. good flick, but not much of a re-watchability factor.

title: lady in the water
rating: c
comments: a tough movie to figure out and rate. in one sense it was silly and just ... stupid. but in another sense it was enchanting. giamatti does a wonderful job (especially with what he's given) and a likeable set of supporting actors really helped save this movie.

title: manhunter
rating: a
comments: man, i love this movie. i've seen it many times and it never fails to evoke a unique "spooky" feel. the scene where the guy leans on the wall and closes his eyes always gives me chills. even though this is clearly an 80's era movie, it doesn't feel dated. mann is really great when it comes to atmosphere ... no doubt about it.

title: west side story
rating: d
comments: i've always heard of, but never seen this. even though this was a musical, there were just too many songs for me. the horrible accents (wood as a puerto rican?), the cheesy sets and the idea of street thugs dancing and singing their way to death just didn't work for me. i know it came out in the 60's, but even trying to put myself back into that era ... i just couldn't buy this flick.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

2006 Yearly Summary
total movies watched: 174
average gpa: no clue (don't feel like doing the math)
comments: looking back on my list, i caught quite a few movies i really enjoyed, some movies i wish i didn't waste my time with, and came up with a few new guilty pleasures. quickly scanning my list, some standouts for me (first viewings) included:

this is spinal tap, lord of war, happy endings, sympathy for mr. vengeance, downfall, melinda and melinda, roll bounce, LA confidential, jarhead, hustle & flow, duma, kiss kiss bang bang, the proposition, good night & good luck, singles, and thank you for smoking

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

Robin Hood

One of the best of the animated Disney films during the dark years (post Jungle Book to pre Little Mermaid). Not up to classic standards, but still good.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

Magnolia

Not perfect, but for the most part, ensemble multi-character interaction film done right, and movie filled with bizarre and messed up characters done right. In this film, many of the characters are messed up, but a) you get a basic idea of why they're messed up (it's not for no reason other than to have a bizarre character in a film), and b) these messed up characters are truly multidimensional, and if they aren't all exactly likeable, they're all at least truly human (again, unlike the unidimensional weirdos in films that get called multidimensional cause they progress from bizarre to truly psychotic with no reason in the course of a movie).

So ends my 2006 movie viewing year.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

TOTALS FOR 2006: 877 Films Watched; 722 First Viewings

Best First Viewing of 2006 was PICKPOCKET (1959).

Other notable First Viewings (in order of getting watched) were:

•HARAKIRI (1962)
•DEATH BY HANGING (1968)
•LES ANGES DU PECHE` (1943)
•THE LOST ONE (1951)
•THE SNIPER (1952)
•MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (1945)
•NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940)
•THE HOURGLASS SANATORIUM (1973)
•DIVA (1981)
•SPIONE (1928)
•REMEMBER LAST NIGHT? (1935)
•WE THE LIVING (1942)
•FORBIDDEN GAMES (1952)
•YOUNG MR. LINCOLN (1939)
•CAPOTE (2005)
•BAD TIMING (1980)
•GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK (2005)
•ATLANTIC CITY (1981)
•THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (1921)
•THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937)
•MEDIUM COOL (1969)
•THUNDER ROCK (1943)
•SONS AND LOVERS (1960)
•WARNING SHADOWS - A NOCTURNAL HALLUCINATION (1923)
•HALLELUJAH I'M A BUM (1933)
•THE YOUNG IN HEART (1938)
•THE CRANES ARE FLYING (1957)
•LACOMBE LUCIEN (1974)
•NAZARIN (1959)
•THE DEPARTED (2006)
•CONTRABAND (1940)
•QUATERMASS AND THE PIT [Episodes 1-6] (TV) (1958-59)
•THEY MADE ME A FUGITIVE (1947)
•THE PRISONER [Episodes 1-17] (TV) (1967-68)
•THE DESERT OF THE TARTARS (1976)
•THE PRESTIGE (2006)
•VAGABOND (1985)
•FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE (1926)
•CASINO ROYALE (2006)
•WOMEN OF THE NIGHT (1948)

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

BEST NEW 2006 FILMS:
Casino Royale
Rocky Balboa
Borat

BEST FIRST-TIME VIEWINGS FROM OTHER YEARS (In No Order):
East of Eden (1955)
The Man Who Laughs (1928)
North by Northwest (1959)
Belle de Jour (1967)
Dial M For Murder (1954)
The Devil's Brother (1933)
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
The Penalty (1920)

WORST films seen in 2006
Fireball Jungle (1969)
Zardoz (1974)
The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
The Libertine (2004)
Soul Vengeance (1975)
Wedding Crashers (2005)
The Night of the Following Day (1968)
The Birth of a Nation (1915)
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)
The Astounding She Monster (1957)
Teenage Caveman (1958)
Thank You for Smoking (2005)

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

A Christmas Carol (1938)

Viewed 12/25/2006 (first viewing)

Solid, no frills adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic. Reginald
Owen makes for a nasty Scrooge. Humbug!

out of


Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

Viewed 12/25/2006 (first viewing)

Pleasant comedy stars Barbara Stanwyck as a magazine columnist who
doesn't actually know anything about the subjects she writes about,
namely cooking and homemaking! Will her publisher's Christmas
publicity stunt forces her to come clean? The character actors carry
this one.

out of


Waterloo Bridge (1931)

Viewed 12/25/2006 (first viewing)

James Whale directed this raw WWI romance about a prostitute who can't
bear to tell her soldier boyfriend the truth about what she does.
Tragedy ensues.

out of


Went the Day Well?

Viewed 12/25/2006

Revisited this tense account of an English village invaded by Nazi
infiltrators in 1942.

out of


Sound of the Mountain (1954)

Viewed 12/26/2006 (first viewing)

Gentle Mikio Naruse film detailing the affectionate relationship
between a young woman and her father-in-law. When it is discovered
that her husband is unfaithful, will the father-in-law step in and
help? And does he favor her more than his own daughter who is also
having marital problems? My first Naruse is a quiet delight, not that
far removed from Ozu.

out of


Junk (1999)

Viewed 12/27/2006 (first viewing)

More J-Zombies. A gang of thieves rendezvous with the yakuza at an
abandoned military base and get more than they bargained for when a
secret army experiment unleashes a horde of the living dead. More
plot than need be, but still a hoot.

out of


Magdalena's Brain (2006)

Viewed 12/27/2006 (first viewing)

Entertaining little sci-fi tale has a crippled scientist and his
surgeon wife trying to perfect a form of artificial intelligence.

out of


District B13 (2004)

Viewed 12/27/2006 (first viewing)

French actioner plays like Jackie Chan mmets Escape from New York.
An ass-kickin' cop teams with an ass-kickin' vigilante to infiltrate a walled-off,
high crime district of Paris in 2010. Can they retrieve a deadly "clean" bomb before
it goes off? Or is there more than meets the eye to their mission? Fun, exciting fluff
with great stunts.

out of


The Black Dahlia (2006)

Viewed 12/27/2006 (first viewing)

Disappointing crime drama from Brian De Palma is murky and
uninvolving. Just watchable, but this ain't The Untouchables by a
long shot.

out of


The Host (2006)

Viewed 12/28/2006 (first viewing)

Wry, offbeat Korean giant monster flick about a mutant creature
that pops out of the Han river looking for human tasty treats.

out of


Who's Camus Anyway? (2005)

Viewed 12/29/2006 (first viewing)

Altman-esque Korean drama follows a group of film students as they
deal with personal issues while trying to sort out the various
difficulties in getting their first film made. Quite enjoyable and
rife with film and literary references for buffs.

out of


Birthday Boy (2004)

Viewed 12/29/2006 (first viewing)

Oscar-nominated animated short set in 1951 Korea. A little boy
pretends he's on the front lines fighting alongside his father and
arrives home to find a birthday present that changes his life.

out of


Maelstrom (2000)

Viewed 12/30/2006 (first viewing)

A woman plagued by guilt after having an abortion accidentally hits a
man with her car and later discovers that he's died. On top of that
the boutique she manages is on the skids. Odd meditation on life, death
and love, narrated by a dying fish!

out of


Alive (2006)

Viewed 12/30/2006 (first viewing)

Russian film about a soldier who's lost a leg fighting in Chechnya.
He has trouble adjusting after his return home so the ghosts of two
fellow soldiers - both killed in the fighting - show up to help him.
But do they have an ulterior motive?

out of


The Weeping Meadow (2004)

Viewed 12/31/2006 (first viewing)

Epic historical drama from Theo Angelopoulos set in Greece during the
years 1919 - 1949. A young woman runs off with her adoptive brother
after marrying his widowed father. Eventually he runs off to America,
leaving her to face the tumultuous events of the 1930s alone.
Compelling material is almost hamstrung by Angelopoulos' aloof style -
the characters are kept at arm's length and despite the nearly three
hour running time we hardly get to know them. Visually arresting, and
watchable in that regard, but a very cold film.

out of


Le Plaisir (1952)

Viewed 12/31/2006 (first viewing)

Trilogy of stories from Guy de Maupassant filtered through the lens of
Max Ophuls. An old man dons a mask to help him regain his youth, a
group of prostitutes close down their brothel to go on a country
outing, and an artist and his model fall in love with bittersweet
results. Slight but enjoyable fare with some truly amazing camerawork.

out of

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

December Recap

Ratings range from bomb to ****

Bolded titles are first viewings.


Across the Pacific ***
Alive (2006) ***
All About Anna **
The Architect ***
Baby Face ***
Before I Hang ***
Birthday Boy ***
The Black Dahlia **
Blind Beast ***
Biozombie ***
Braindead ***
Brighton Rock ***
The Children ***
A Christmas Carol (1938) ***
Christmas in Connecticut ***
City of the Living Dead **
David Copperfield (1935) ***
Deranged ***
District B13 ***
Dorm of the Dead **
The Fair Haired Child ***
The Fall of Fujimori ***
The Flower of My Secret **
Girl of Time ***
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not ***
The Host ***
Junk ***
Knights of the Teutonic Order ***
Larceny, Inc. ***
Lawrence of Zombania **
Le Plaisir ***
Letter from An Unknown Woman ***
Life and Nothing But ***
The Light of Faith **
Look Both Ways ***
Maaz ***
Maelstrom ***
Magdalena's Brain ***
The Maltese Falcon (1941) ****
The Man They Could Not Hang ***
Maplewoods **
Miami Vice **
Music in Darkness ***
My Super Ex-Girlfriend **
Oliver Twist (1922) ***
Only Yesterday ***
Open Letter to the Evening News **
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Bomb
Pom Poko ***
Pulse (2006) ***
Querelle **
The Quick and the Undead ***
The Reckless Moment ***
Red Angel ****
Red-Headed Woman ***
The Red Shoes (2005) **
Renaissance ***
Right Now **
A Scanner Darkly ***
Sergeant York ****
Shadowing The Third Man ***
Sound of the Mountain ***
Stacy ***
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut ***
Suzanne's Career ***
The Sword Bearer ***
Tristana ***
The Vampire ***
The Vampire's Coffin ***
The Village (1975) ***
Waterloo Bridge ***
The Weeping Meadow **
Went the Day Well? ***
White Dog ***
Who's Camus Anyway? ***
The Yellow Handkerchief ***
Zombie Nation *



Total films viewed: 77

First viewings: 71

Favorites of the month: The Host, Life and Nothing But, Music in Darkness, Red Angel, Renaissance

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)

2006 in Review

Evidently I did nothing but work and sit on my butt watching movies.

Total films viewed for 2006: 779

First viewings: 666

Average rating was probably *** out of ****

Favorites of the year (picked one film per month):

January: Children of the Marshlands

February: Tony Takitani (big Murakami fan)

March: Innocence

April: Darwin's Nightmare

May: The Cremator (just edging out Cache)

June: Army in the Shadows

July: La Petite Lili (kind of a weak month for favs)

August: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

September: Water Drops on Burning Rocks (edging out Lunacy)

October: The Mask of Fu Manchu (edging out The Black Pit of Dr. M)

November: Lights in the Dusk (yay! more Kaurismaki!)

December: The Host


Kudos to It's All About Love and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
for receiving my only BOMB ratings.


Accomplishments: finished off Francois Truffaut's feature films, watched most of what is available from Haneke and Fassbinder, caught a ton of zombie flicks, got more into Asian cinema, actually went to the theater two or three times


Here's looking forward to 2007!