Track the Films You Watch (2008) (2 Viewers)

[PatW]

The Importance of Being Earnest (2002) :star: :star: :star:

Lacking alot of wit and charm of the play, it's still competent enough to warrant a mild pass from me.

Hairspray (2007) :star: :star: :star: 1/2

A sparkling comedy not as good as the original but most movies that I've seen usually aren't. The whole cast was great but initially I did have a problem with John Travolta's interpretation of Edna, but I must admit, he did grow on me as the movie progressed. Certainly no Divine though. Check out John Walters in a hysterical cameo.

 

[george kaplan]

Underworld U.S.A.

This is the best Sam Fuller movie I've seen so far, but that's not saying much. This one is competently directed, though it's filled with Fuller's usual oversimplified view of the world, though perhaps with a little less paranoia or right-wing fervor than usual. He does paint the mob correctly in terms of their ruthless violence, but misses the boat on almost all other things about them (they are, in his film, easy to infiltrate, incompetent, and more akin to 1930's vision of a waspish gangster than anything remotely resembling the actual mafia).

Other than that, a so-so, quickly forgettable film.

 

[Martin Teller]

Paprika - Some really cool ideas and arresting images, done with an impressive animation style. But the film lacks emotional impact, and ultimately gets bogged down in typical anime conventions. Power-hungry villains, psychological bullshit, convoluted plotting, tentacle rape. My mind just kind of shuts off when people start talking about "the true power". I'm thoroughly unimpressed by Satoshi Kon so far. Rating: 6


Letters from Iwo Jima - Well, this is going to be a very dry review, but I don't have much to say. It's a well-crafted film with strong themes and messages, good performances, good pacing, good photography. It didn't really push my buttons, but I can't find much fault with anything in particular. Neither better nor worse than I expected... I didn't mind watching it at all, but I can pretty much take it or leave it. Rating: 8


Rainbow Song - I can't remember why I wanted to see this. All I can figure is that it stars the young man from All About Lily Chou-Chou, but that doesn't seem right. I guess someone recommended it. At any rate, it's a nice character study/almost romance. The two main characters are very likeable, the girl more so than Mr. Chou Chou, who was a bit too clueless. The film runs a little long, but it's a pleasant and occasionally touching experience... wistful but not too morose. Rating: 8


Ten Nights of Dreams - While looking for more movies by Nobuhiro Yamashita, I stumbled across this one, which also includes work by Kon Ichikawa, Takashi Shimizu, some guys who work on "Final Fantasy" stuff and several others. Omnibus films and movies about dreams are both areas that can be problematic. But the two ideas work quite well together (see also Dreams That Money Can Buy, although that's not technically an omnibus film). There honestly isn't a bad segment out of all ten. The ones by Akio Jissoji and Miwa Nishikawa are a little bland, but only in comparison to the others. The "dreams" run the gamut from strange to funny to gross to scary to tender. The concept allows all the directors to flex their stylistic muscles, and the results are wildly imaginative and often quite beautiful (the animated sequence by the Final Fantasy people is especially stunning). This was a really nice surprise. Rating: 9

 

[Sandro]

Out of :star: :star: :star: :star:

When a Stranger Calls Back :star: :star: 1/2
This is the TV movie sequel to the underrated original. As in the original the first encounter is brilliantly done as a babysitter is menaced by a mysterious caller at the door. The rest of the film flaps around a bit as Carol Kane and Charles Durning are reintroduced and they search for the villain. The most interesting part of the film is the character of the villain but it is not fully explored. The manner in which the villain conceals himself in the finale is astonishing although probably unworkable in practice.

After Midnight :star: :star: :star:
I am a fan of horror anthologies and, if you can forgive the 80s cheese, this is a pretty decent effort with three solid stories. The wraparound story is good but if you've seen Dead of Night
then you will know where it is going.

First Snow :star: :star:
Leonard Maltin describes this as a thriller but it's just a drama with a very obvious message.

The Faculty :star: :star: 1/2
Surprisingly entertaining sci-fi/horror with a sharp script.

Block-Heads :star: :star: :star: 1/2
One of the funniest Laurel and Hardy movies. When Stan say "Remember how dumb I used to be....Well, I'm better now" you know you are in for a good time.

Swiss Miss :star: :star: :star:
Another funny L&H effort.

Hardware :star: :star: :star:
Stylish Alien/Terminator imitation has held up really well since I saw it 15 or so years ago. Whatever happened to the DVD of this? My tape is dark in places and I would like to see it in the correct ratio.

 

[Mario Gauci]

Mike,


I said earlier that I would be commenting on some of the films you had been watching lately but I didn’t realize that I hadn’t done so in almost a month and that there would be so many! Anyhow, here goes:


Re: THE DRAGON PAINTER (1919) ***1/2

I have been mildly interested in this one ever since I’ve read of its being released on DVD by Milestone Films but your review makes it sound essential; the fact that the disc includes an extra feature film and other supplements is the icing on the cake.

Incidentally, I watched a similarly-themed Japanese film recently – Kenji Mizoguchi’s FIVE WOMAN AROUND UTAMARO (1946), of which I happen to have an extra copy! – which I suppose would make for an interesting comparison…


Re: CAMILLE (1921) **1/2 and THE CONQUERING POWER (1921) ***

I have both of these Silents but have only watched the latter – which, being a fairly obscure Rudolph Valentino film, I wasn’t expecting all that much of when it cropped up on TCM UK one afternoon but, under Rex Ingram’s direction, I guess it couldn’t help but be pictorially interesting and altogether rewarding.

As for CAMILLE, I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the Greta Garbo/George Cukor version when I watched it many years ago (I still haven’t gone through Warners’ double-feature DVD) and, for the record, I also have on VHS a French-language version of Mauro Bolognini’s award-winning adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas Jr.’s novel, LADY OF THE CAMELIAS (1981), which boasts a good cast – Isabelle Huppert, Fernando Rey, Gian Maria Volonte` and Bruno Ganz…


Re: MICHAEL (1924) ***

Another film which deals with a painter in crisis: as you rightly say, Benjamin Christensen (a talented director in his own right) is superb in the lead role and a slim, young Walter Slezak (as the object of his affections!) will surprise many who are only familiar with Slezak’s slimy, rotund villains in many a Hollywood hokum. Even though she was at the center of one of the films I most admire, Jean Renoir’s THE RULES OF THE GAME (1939), I too am rather cold on Nora Gregor’s supposed charm.

On the other hand, I have to disagree with you on Carl Dreyer who, as you might know, is one of my favorite directors. Although I haven’t been getting excited as I used to be about new announcements of upcoming DVD releases of catalogue titles – not to mention that, incredibly enough, I haven’t purchased any “new” DVDs in months – I have to say that I’m pretty impatient about finally owning in a couple of months’ time not one but two definitive, fully-loaded Special Edition DVDs of Dreyer’s uniquely eerie and dreamy horror film, VAMPYR (1931) – from Criterion on R1 and Eureka/Masters Of Cinema on R2!

Incidentally, since I have just acquired on DivX Robert Bresson’s A GENTLE WOMAN (1969) – the one feature film of his left for me to watch – soon I plan to make it a double-feature viewing with Dreyer’s directorial debut THE PRESIDENT (1918) …since, in my mind, these two austere auteurs are always (if perhaps incorrectly) inextricably linked!


Re: OUR DAILY BREAD (1934) ***

King Vidor started out very strongly in the film business during the Silent days but, after the Talkies came in, his career path became much more erratic. I still think he is a great (and greatly underrated) film-maker and this movie is one I was always interested in watching – both because of the celebrated Eisensteinian farming sequence and for its having been such a personal project for him. I know it is available on DVD but, I guess, that old Image disc is rather pricey now…


Re: BLIND ALLEY (1939) ***

Where do you get to watch these gems? Let me guess: TCM. Several years back, I foolishly passed on picking up the later Rudolph Mate`/William Holden remake, THE DARK PAST (1948), when it had been available to buy on VHS over here from a local retail outlet. 11 years into the DVD format and neither of these two renowned little films has yet surfaced and, with the way things are getting to be right now with catalog titles, their future prospects are bleaker than a cornered kidnapper’s!


Re: THE GHOST TRAIN (1941) **

This is one film I didn’t hesitate to purchase (on DVD – surprise, surprise -this time around) when I chanced upon it while browsing through London’s Heathrow Airport shopping mall in January 2007. Horror and Comedy are favorite genres of mine and I’ve always been intrigued by their combinations – particularly archaic ones of “the old dark house” variety.

Also, I’m always interested in checking out “new” comics and this was my first Arthur Askey movie. While it proved to be no patch on Val Guest’s own earlier stab at the genre – the splendid OH, MR. PORTER! (1937) with the great comedian Will Hay – it was an enjoyable film of its type but it’s a pity that the earlier and reportedly superior 1931 version (which had also been directed by Walter Forde!) is nowhere to be seen these days.

Speaking of Val Guest (who was a prolific screenwriter before turning to direction), I’d be interested to know what you might make of The Crazy Gang – whose The FROZEN LIMITS (1939) was one of the highlights of last year’s viewing schedule for me…but I seriously doubt how much their films are available – or indeed mean – to U.S. film buffs other than purchasing those thankfully available on R2 DVD…


Re: HANGOVER SQUARE (1945) ***

It was pure – but most welcome – coincidence that during my 3-month tenure in Hollywood I got to watch Laird Cregar’s renowned but elusive horror duo on the same day – one on Fox Movie Channel and the other as a DVD-R rental. Frankly, I would have laughed in anyone’s face had they told me that, within a year, they would have both been graced with an official DVD release together with its director’s earlier werewolf flick, THE UNDYING MONSTER (1942)!! But that’s the beauty – and frustration – of the fickle nature inherent in the DVD format for us old movie buffs: when you go out of your way to finally get to see something that has been invisible for years on end, it gets officially announced on DVD virtually the next day!!


Re: THE SEVENTH CROSS (1944) ***1/2

An early albeit largely unsung triumph for two-time Oscar-winning director Fred Zinnemann which also provides a great role for Spencer Tracy and ample opportunity to shine for a host of splendid character actors which proliferated during Hollywood’s zenith years. Back in the day (ages ago, it seems) when local TV used to regularly surprise me with their screening of a golden oldie is where I first caught this one; I don’t know why Warners are still dragging their feet about releasing stuff like this one which would perhaps be served best by a Spencer Tracy Signature Collection. But wait a minute, the 40th anniversary of his passing was last year? Oh well – thank God for VHS…


Re: HARVEY (1950) ***1/2

A genuine childhood favorite of which one grows fonder with each passing year or subsequent viewing. I was lucky enough to catch a viewing of it at L.A.’s renowned Grauman’s Egyptian Theater in January 2006 during a “Screwball Comedy” season where it was paired with THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES (1941). Thankfully, HARVEY itself is available on DVD for its fans to cherish in an optimal quality; James Stewart created one of his most memorable characters in Elwood P. Dowd but the colorful supporting cast (Josephine Hull, Jesse White, Cecil Kellaway, etc.) are equally (and amiably) loony.


Re: WHITE MANE (1953) ***1/2 and THE RED BALLOON (1956) ***1/2

I caught THE RED BALLOON on TCM UK many years ago and its predecessor was supposed to be shown there too but, for some reason, that never happened; recently Criterion’s parent company Janus has strangely released both of them as bare-bone DVD editions but Criterion itself has already expressed intentions to revisit them in the near future via their traditional supplements-packed releases…


Re: SEVEN MEN FROM NOW (1956) ***

Although there are other, more renowned collaborations between Budd Boetticher and Randolph Scott, at this juncture I’d say that this is the one that impressed me the most – and I’ve seen them all once. I’m not sure if the fact that my viewing of SEVEN MEN FROM NOW was the only one which came via an official DVD release had anything to do with that opinion – the others were viewed either on Italian TV or via a VHS-to-DVD-R conversion – but there you go…


Re: OCEAN’S ELEVEN (1960) *** and ROBIN AND THE SEVEN HOODS (1964) **1/2

The Rat Pack movies are fun, carefree and self-indulgent entertainments and these two are the best of the bunch; the first is no RIFIFI (1955) but it still towers over its needless remake-cum-franchise and the second is an amiable if slightly overlong variation on the Robin Hood legend with Sinatra clearly feeling right at home in a gangland milieu!


Re: LONELY ARE THE BRAVE (1962) ***1/2

Having watched and loved this in childhood one morning on Italian TV, I had longed to add it to my collection – being well aware that this was Kirk Douglas’ favorite among his own films. Luckily, I managed to score it on DivX last year in a lovely, Widescreen print (probably sourced from TCM) but I haven’t had time to revisit it yet…


Re: GOD FORGIVES, I DON’T (1967) **

As I was growing up, Terence Hill and Bud Spencer were a household word both in my house and at school among friends. Back then, I somehow missed some of their various Spaghetti Western outings and, rather than via the preferable Italian-language versions on TV, I find myself getting to see them now as English-dubbed DVD rentals. Even though I was recently disappointed by both ACE HIGH (1968) and BOOT HILL (1969), I’d still be interested in checking out the first one…


Re: THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH (1970) *** and YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY (1972) **1/2

Fenech is one of Malta’s commonest surnames so knowing that Edwige’s father was Maltese makes one kind of proud. Actually, she has always been a household word around these parts – especially among adolescent males! – but, frankly, it is only after my fortnight at the 2004 Venice Film Festival that I sought out most of the films I’ve seen her in. Unfortunately, even though she was present at that prestigious event as a co-executive producer of the Al Pacino/Jeremy Irons version of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, she failed to be a trooper like her colleague Barbara Bouchet and make an appearance prior to the midnight screening of her movie which, incidentally, happened to be THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH! I did get to meet its affable director Sergio Martino and, some time later, I was pleased to learn that his favorite among his own films – TORSO (1973) – is the one which I like the best, too!


Re: OBSCENE MIRROR (1973) ***

I could have sworn that I had provided you with the Spanish-language original of this one at some point…but it seems that my memory is playing tricks on me! Anyhow, even though I watched it only once so far (and without the benefit of English subtitles to boot), I consider it one of Jess Franco’s top 5 or 6 movies. To get an inkling on how it differs from the Italian variant, you may wish to read my review of it on IMDB which, at this stage, is the only user comment available for this forgotten gem.


Re: LAST HOUSE ON THE BEACH (1978) *

My “Stracult” guide gives a “not bad” judgment on this Italian-made exploitation flick which I became aware of when it hit DVD early last year. I haven’t seen it myself yet but, somehow, I think you’re being too harsh on it. Maybe it’s simply because I’ve seen its leading lady, Florinda Bolkan, crop up repeatedly in stuff I’ve been watching fairly recently – MACHINE GUN McCAIN (1968), CANDY (1968), THE MASTER TOUCH (1972), FOOTPRINTS (1975), ROYAL FLASH (1975), THE TRAP (1985), BAD INCLINATIONS (2003), etc. And yet, her most celebrated appearance – in Elio Petri’s INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION (1970) – lies as yet unwatched in my DivX pile. Shameful, I know…


Re: MISSING IN ACTION (1984) and MISSING IN ACTION II (1985) **1/2

I’m surprised these were first viewing for you but, although I’ve toyed with the idea of renting this Vietnam War action trilogy over the years, I’m still holding out on them. For the record, I did catch a handful of Chuck Norris stuff as I was growing up: INVASION U.S.A. (1985), THE DELTA FORCE (1986), FIREWALKER (1986) and HERO AND THE TERROR (1988) and, for all I know, I wouldn’t mind revisiting them or catching up on some of his earlier movies one day…


Re: NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (1986) **1/2

THE MOSNTER SQUAD (1987) held up surprisingly well for me when I revisited it last year and this one (which I got through a local friend of mine) was almost as agreeable and satisfying.


Re: RAMBO (2008) ****

I fully agree that, to every sane film insider and movie buff’s astonishment, Stallone has delivered two good sequels to his most famous franchises …but, personally, I wouldn’t really go that much overboard with my star ratings.


Re: Indiana Jones

I, too, haven’t seen the first three Indiana Jones movies in loooong time…but I, unlike the fourth instalment (which I seemed to have liked more than most other people), I have to go with the flow and declare RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) to be the best and most enjoyable of the series. Even if I’m curious to see how its breathless action and overdone nastiness hold up after over 20 years, I’m too pressed for time nowadays to find enough space wherein to fit this trilogy…


Re: Abel Gance

Abel Gance is one real thorn in my cinematic side! Being such an important film-maker, I guess I should have watched at least some of his most acclaimed films by now but no…and yet I do have LA ROUE (1923), NAPOLEON (1927), THE END OF THE WORLD (1930) and BEETHOVEN’S GREAT LOVE (1936) in my collection!! But, again, who can afford to spend 7 hours on incomplete variants of Silent movies, milestones though they might be! Thankfully, Flicker Alley has come to the rescue with their DVD editions of a 270-minute LA ROUE and the upcoming J’ ACCUSE (1918)…

 

[Michael Elliott]

Mario:

Re: THE DRAGON PAINTER

This was a TCM viewing so I didn't get to see any of the shorts but I'll eventually rent the disc. TCM is doing an Asian month so that's where all of these viewings have come from.

Re: CAMILLE

I still haven't watched the Garbo version or any of the films inside her box set outside of GRAND HOTEL but I plan on going through them later in the year. I'm not sure what it is with actresses and me but Garbo, Davis, Crawford and several other legendary women have "big" films that I haven't seen. I've seen a lot of their "smaller" movies but none of the big ones.

Re: DREYER

He just doesn't do it for me. I'm might give VAMPYR a second viewing with the new transfer but I really don't think this guy cares about the story. It just all technical stuff. Bunuel was just as beautiful on a technical scale but he also knew how to handle the story. I'm not sure if I'm being unfair to Dreyer but none of his work has really hit me to where I'd watch it again.

Re: BLIND ALLEY

Yep, a TCM showing. They played the remake first and then the original story but I have both on the Tivo. I'm going to watch the remake sometime this week.

Re: TRACY

I'm really not sure what the hold up is either. I've seen most of the Warner owned films so I'm not overly worried about their box but I'd love to see a Fox box set since they own quite a few of his films. Fox Movie Channel doesn't play them too often but they did show another a few days ago, which I was able to record.

Re: RAT PACK

Those are the only two films I recorded from the Sinatra tribute (outside the four concerts). I also have THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM but I'm not sure when I'll get to this one.

Re: SPAGHETTI

I've got all those Spencer/Hill films on public domain DVDs but, again, I'm not sure when I'll get to them. I'm somewhat burned out on the genre right now so I'm going to put them on hold for a while.

Re: FENECH/EURO

I think a lot of our Euro Horror favs are just great bodies, great breasts and no talent but I was impressed with Fenech. I hate to say it but the first film I saw of hers was HOSTEL 2, which she certainly had a memorable part but the film was bad. I was really impressed with the two films of hers I watched and I think I got a couple others in my collection somewhere. Without looking it up on IMDB, I think she's in STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER and another giallo I have.

I've yet to see TORSO but I've got it here.

Re: LAST HOUSE ON THE BEACH

Good luck with this one. To me it would be like you and I remaking FRIDAY THE 13th but making it a family film. If you're going to be an exploitation film then you need to do it. Why they wanted to be graphic but not show something is beyond me but the film is very poorly made and acted. Not to mention it was one of the later day LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT rips. I've seen countless rips of the Craven film and this one was probably the worst. I knew it had a strong reputation when the film was discovered (or given second life) a couple years ago but it seems after people actually watched the film, they weren't left too thrilled.

Re: NORRIS

I had planned on following MIA 1 and 2 with part 3 but the disc wouldn't load. I haven't seen too many Norris pictures but SILENT RAGE is pretty silly in its Frankenstein-type story. TOP DOG and SIDE KICKS are the only others I've seen. I watched part of THE DELTA FORCE but my VCR then ate the tape.

Re: RAMBO

It delivered what it set out to and I can't bash a film for that. The DVD special features, which I rarely watch, had Stallone making an excellent point and idea. He said he didn't know how to direct this film until he realized that he could simply direct it, in character, as Rambo. So, the film is really being directed by Rambo and that explains how different it is from the other films he has directed.

Re: INDIANA JONES

I've been meaning to get the original trilogy watched for the past 15 years but just found time this past week (due ONLY to the new film being in the theater). I plan on going to see the 4th one sometime this week (as well as THE HAPPENING and perhaps IRON MAN).

Re: GANCE

I'm not sure when I'll watch them but it will be soon. I'm certainly interested in the time he spent with Griffith (which, I've read, would make a great book on its own).

 

[george kaplan]

Two Way Stretch

British comedy about a group of inmates who sneak out of jail to do a heist and then break back in so they'll have the perfect alibi. Loaded with comic possibilities, but Peter Sellers is essentially wasted. He has the lead, but basically plays a straight man, with other actors playing the interesting parts.

Too Many Husbands

I'd always figured that the production code forced My Favorite Wife to make sure that the timing was just in time to stop the bigamy from being consummated. But this film, which came out the same year, is based on the same starting premise (though it's the husband who's lost at sea), but has the wife actually married to (for six months - so clearly having sex with) the second husband when the first comes back from a shipwreck. Interesting for that reason, but nowhere near as funny or as good as My Favorite Wife.

 

[Martin Teller]

Record of a Tenement Gentleman - I guess I am becoming an Ozu fan after all, because I thought this was wonderful. Very touching, very genuine, and funny as well. Chuoko Iida has a great face and gives a winning performance as a cranky widow who reluctantly has motherhood thrust upon her. Except for a brief heavy-handed speech at the end (a call for people to be more kind-hearted with each other) and a child actor who doesn't cry very convincingly, I really enjoyed it. Rating: 9


Murder, My Sweet - Very entertaining noir, jam-packed with Chandler's sparkling dialogue and plenty of action. I don't think Dick Powell makes a good Marlowe, but he's competing with Bogart and Mitchum. The surreal dream sequence was an unexpected surprise... cheesy, but bold. Rating: 8


Godspeed You! Black Emperor - I wanted to see this because I love Yanagimachi's Who's Camus Anyway?, not because I have any interest in the band that named themselves after this movie. It's a 1976 documentary about a Japanese motorcycle club. These aren't bad kids (they make a point of emphasizing that they aren't gangsters) just restless and a little rebellious. The movie has a great dynamic energy that unfortunately fizzles out during a very long, uninteresting conversation about the poor attitude of one of the members. I guess Yanagimachi found something really compelling about this conflict, but I didn't get it. Other than that, it was good, but probably not something I would return to. Rating: 7


Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? - From the "Delirious Fictions of William Klein" box set, and delirious is absolutely the correct word... or perhaps giddy. A legitimate French New Wave film, but by an American. It's like Godard without all the bullshit. A freewheeling and hilarious satire of the fashion industry, and superficiality and artifice in general, but also a celebration of freedom and panache and new ideas. And such an incredible sense of style (as one might expect from a fashion photographer)... imaginative sets and costumes, Michel Legrand music, and eye-popping cinematography that rivals anything by Coutard or Vierny. Rapid edits, fantasy sequences, and Gilliam-esque animation. A whirlwind of wit and whimsy and fun. Rating: 9

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I don't really think Mike went overboard, Mario. I give RAMBO ***1/2 myself. Why your hesitation to give certain movies very high ratings unless they're films which traditionally are supposed to get high scores?

 

[PatW]

20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) :star: :star: :star:

I have fond memories of this cheesy, sci-fi creature-feature from the 1950's. A spaceship crashes in the ocean near Italy. It has just returned from a mission to Venus and brought back a jelly-like substance that is encased in a canister. A young boy finds this canister at the shore and takes it to a local circus to find out what it is. A creature emerges from it, grows to gigantic proportions and goes on a rampage, gets caught, placed in a zoo in Rome, escapes again. The acting is adequate but the reason to see this is for the fabulous work of Ray Harryhausen a master in stop-motion technique. This movie reportedly was a particular favourite of his.


The Natural (1984) :star: :star: :star: :star:

A feel-good movie with a satisfying conclusion unlike the book where the ending is a bit of a downer. This is one instance where I enjoyed the movie better than the book. This is a well-done movie with good acting, interesting characters and outstanding cinematography. This is close to the top of the sports themed movies, Field of Dreams being the only one to beat it out, in my eyes. If I have one disappointment, it's that the characters of Pop Fisher and Red Blow weren't fleshed out more. To me they were the most interesting characters in the story played quite well by veteran actors Wilford Brimley and Richard Farnsworth. Enjoyed seeing this one again.

Inherit the Wind (1960) :star: :star: :star: :star:

Based loosely on the Scopes monkey trial, Spencer Tracy gives one of the best performances of his career as Henry Drummond a lawyer hired by a big city newspaper to defend Bertram Cates a teacher jailed for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution to his high-school class. The prosecuting attorney is Fredrick March playing Matthew Harrison Brady a one-time presidental candidate and spokesperson for the religious right. The acting in this movie was very good except for a few exceptions the most notable being Gene Kelly as a reporter whose smugness I found annoying. This type of movie utilizes Tracy's gifts quite well. His confrontation with March on the stand was particularly well done and my favourite scene in any of Tracys movies. Though this movie is decidedly one-sided, it's still an interesting study of religious fanaticism that seems to raise its ugly head from time to time.

 

[Mario Gauci]

06/12/08: THE COMMANDER (Antonio Margheriti, 1988) :star:1/2

Around Christmas I had watched COMMANDO LEOPARD (1985), a passable low-brow German-Italian war flick; that film was the middle part of a trilogy and, back then, I had expressed a wish to check out the remaining two entries – CODENAME: WILDGEESE (1984) and THE COMMANDER (1988). I now happened upon the latter, but the result was even less rewarding! Lewis Collins is once again the hero and, as ever, producer Erwin C. Dietrich manages to assemble a fair line-up of actors in support: Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasence, Manfred Lehmann and John Steiner (both from COMMANDO LEOPARD), Paul Muller (as Van Cleef’s smart butler!) and Brett Halsey.

The convoluted plot involves an Asian dictator, a consignment of drugs and an all-important incriminating “floppy disk” (but which looks more like a CD!). The band of gung-ho mercenaries this time around also includes a native girl but, with much of the action being relegated to the second half, it’s mostly by-the-numbers stuff – until the explosive climax (which only Collins and Lehmann survive…though one member had expired early on from the bite of a cobra!). However, there’s a nice twist at the end regarding the characters of Van Cleef (fitted with a silly pirate-like earring throughout!) and Pleasence (alternating between hysteria and sarcasm and, finally, campily turning up as a tourist-photographer) – as they prove exact opposites to what they’d been played up to be!


06/14/08: TENTACLES (Ovidio G. Assonitis, 1977) :star::star:

Typically for Italian film-makers, they jumped on board the JAWS (1975) bandwagon – when Steven Spielberg’s film proved to be a worldwide box-office phenomenon – with this star-studded giant octopus flick. Of course, TENTACLES wasn’t the first film to feature an eight-fingered marine menace – Cecil B. DeMille’s REAP THE WILD WIND (1942), the Walt Disney production of 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954) and the Ray Harryhausen-created IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA (1955) among others had all preceded it. The producers in this case perhaps thought better to change the sea monster, so as to differentiate itself from its Hollywood prototype – something which Euro-Cult fixture Enzo G. Castellari didn’t bother to do with his THE LAST SHARK (1981) which, at a press conference during the 2004 Venice Film Festival which I attended, he tried somewhat ludicrously to pass off as a more profitable venture than JAWS itself had been!! I haven’t seen the Castellari movie in over 20 years but I wouldn’t mind checking it out again someday – if only it was ever shown or made available anywhere, that is…

Anyway, back to the film at hand: as I alluded to earlier, the cast includes John Huston(!) and Shelley Winters (as brother and sister!!), Henry Fonda (in another one of his practically-glued-to-the-phone “President” cameos – only this time it’s an oil conglomerate he heads rather than his nation), Bo Hopkins (stepping into Richard Dreyfuss’ shoes as the marine expert called upon to help with the crisis) and Claude Akins as the helpless sheriff of the imperiled seaside town. For a film with an Italian heritage (albeit co-produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff’s AIP unit), there are just two natives who make any significant appearance: Delia Boccardo as Hopkins’ stunning but ill-fated wife and the ambitious Cesare Danova who, inadvertently, may have been the real cause behind all the trouble. In fact, it says here that the generally non-threatening octopus is literally maddened into hostility by the radiowaves utilized by Fonda’s oil-drilling company employees to communicate with one another! Duh…

Naturally, the usual JAWS-inspired mayhem ensues – a missing baby, the decomposing remains of an old sea-wolf pop out of the water in loving close-up, a yachting race is currently on, investigating divers meet their doom and, finally, the proverbial hunt for the monster – this time by way of Hopkins and his two friendly (but deadly) orcas! There aren’t all that many attack sequences actually but the sheer magnitude of the octopus’ power (especially during Boccardo’s demise) is decidedly overdone and its relentless above-water level(!) chasing of the yachting group borders on the ridiculous; still, the climactic fight between the decently effective octopus and the two orcas is nicely enough done. Of course, one of JAWS’ trump cards was John Williams’ memorable score but here, albeit quite fine on its own terms, Stelvio Cipriani’s accompaniment is more suited for a poliziottesco than a monster flick! For the record, director “Oliver Hellman” had previously paid lip service to another horror milestone which had garnered huge box office receipts, THE EXORCIST (1973), with his own variation BEYOND THE DOOR (1974) – so he must have seemed like the logical choice to helm the next Italian rip-off of a Hollywood blockbuster…


06/15/08: TINTORERA! (Rene` Cardona Jr., 1977) :star::star:

I recall watching this as a kid on a now defunct Sicilian TV channel; however, given the ample nudity on display and, for a film of its type, the excessive length of the thing itself, it’s very probable that it had been cut to some extent.

Anyway, this is a JAWS (1975) rip-off with a difference – in that it’s a ragbag of exploitation items as opposed to a real ‘shark’ film; for long passages, as a matter of fact, the creature is completely forgotten with the plot (if so it can be called) concentrating on the sexual escapades of the two rival/buddy protagonists! It’s only in the last half-hour (of this 126-minute picture) that the chase is well and truly on – after the shark attacks and kills one of the two men; still, this doesn’t take the other’s mind off sex – resulting in perhaps the film’s highlight as a group of revelers is attacked at night, with the girl (one of two American sisters vacationing in Mexico) accompanying the hero ending up killed. Apparently, the creature is really after the latter – and eventually he gets to work on executing his personal vendetta…

Being a Spanish-British co-production, the film features two English actresses among the bevy of willing beauties – Susan George (whose contribution is the most important, even if it comes exactly half-way through the film and extends to little over 30 minutes of screen-time) and Fiona Lewis (who appears early on and is actually the shark’s first victim). The repetitious ménage-a`-trois situation results in some serious padding and a generally tedious film; that said, the shark scenes aren’t very creatively handled either (apart from the gore) – so that it can’t hope to offer any real competition to the Spielberg classic it’s imitating! For the record, I recently watched the even more popular (if still essentially dismal) horror/wrestling hybrid NIGHT OF THE BLOODY APES (1969) from this director's father and for which they both contributed to the screenplay.

Naturally, the look and sound of TINTORERA! (the title being how the Spanish refer to the Tiger Shark species) screams 1970s – including an agreeable recurring song but especially the disco-driven, drug-fuelled boat parties; frustratingly, though, the full-length print I viewed kept not only alternating between English and Spanish dialogue but had English subtitles popping up for the latter and vice-versa!

 

[Tarkin The Ewok]

6/13: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) :star::star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star:

The Connery factor elevates this movie over the other two in the trilogy. His interactions with Harrison Ford are wonderful, especially on the zeppelin and motorcycle. The movie has the perfect mixture of adventure, humor, character, and wonder.

"Just like your father. Giddy as a schoolboy."

 

[Michael Elliott]

06/15/08

Fear Itself: Spooked (2008) :star:1/2 Brad Anderson

Director Brad Anderson (The Machinist, Masters of Horror: Sounds Like) takes hold of this second episode but delivers a pretty bad film on all levels. The film tells the story of a cop (Eric Roberts) who will kill and torture anyone to get evidence he needs to solve a crime but this eventually costs him his job. Fifteen years later he is working as a private detective and he gets a new case where a woman hires him to spy on her husband who she feels is cheating. Roberts does a stakeout in the house across the street but soon haunted visions appear. I've only seen one of Anderson's previous films (the Masters of Horror segment) but so far I really haven't been impressed but I'm not sure I can blame him too much here since the screenplay to this thing is just downright horrid every step of the way. For starters, we've seen this type of film so many times and the screenplay makes sure to go for every cliche known in the horror community. The film is never scary and it doesn't contain a single inch of atmosphere. I was bored from the opening scene to the closing one and the only moment that does work is a flashback sequence where we see why Roberts' is the way he is. Roberts gives a fairly good performance here but the screenplay doesn't give him too much to work with.

Saint in Palm Springs, The (1941) :star::star:1/2 Jack Hively

The sixth film in RKO's series has George Sanders returning in the role of The Saint but this here would turn out to be his last in the series as he was replaced for the next two films. This time out The Saint takes a vacation to Palm Springs where he gets involved with a strange motel where some expensive stamps have been stolen from a safe. Out of the five Saint films Sanders appeared in I'd say this one here is the best but it still can't reach the height of the first film in the series. This film here runs 66-minutes and is well paced throughout and it also contains a pretty good story for us to follow. The biggest problem with the screenplay is that the ending really comes out of no where and the bad guy is picked out without too much thrill. Sanders never thought too much of this series or The Falcon series but I think he was actually pretty good here. It seems he has a lot more energy in the role but I guess this could have been due to him knowing this was his last one. Wendy Barrie is nice in her supporting role but it's Paul Guilfoyle who steals the film as the sidekick who's on probation and worried about going to prison.

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The (1921) :star::star::star: Rex Ingram

Rudolph Valentino does the tango here and with that one scene he became a household name, one of the biggest stars around and forever put his name in the books of Hollywood legend. The Argentinean Madariago (Pomeroy Cannon) has two daughters; one who marries a a French guy and one who marries a German against his wishes. The French daughter has a son named Julio (Valentino) who quickly because his grandfather's favorite but after Madariago dies, the two families movie back to the husband's home countries and soon afterwards WW1 breaks out. Julio, who lived as a playboy, must choose if he wants to give his lifestyle up and join the war. This legendary film from Rex Ingram certainly lives up to its reputation even though some of the anti-war feelings are a little backwards. There's no doubt the film is against the war but at the same time the film paints Valentino as a coward for not wanting to fight in the war. How can you have an anti-character in an anti-war film being shown as a coward? Outside of that this is a very impressive film and what also impressed me was the tinting used by Ingram. For the most part the film is shown in a brown tint but it also switches back to your typical B&W footage while yet again changing to a red tint for the horsemen scenes. The horsemen scenes are very well done and I thought that the special effects still looked quite good. The few battle scenes in the film look nice as well. The performances are all very good with Valentino giving the best performance I've seen from him in the eight or so movies I've watched of his. He's very good during the romance scenes but he also proves himself quite well in the dramatic department. Cannon, Josef Swickard, Alice Terry and Brinsley Shaw are also good in their roles. Wallace Beery is good in his few scenes as a German officer.

 

[Mario Gauci]

Mike,


Re: Hollywood Leading Ladies

Back in the day, local TV used to be full of vintage movies from MGM and Warners which is how I got to see most of the Greta Garbo and Bette Davis films I have gotten under my belt. I’m still a long way off on Joan Crawford but TCM UK occasionally helps in my catching up on those. Having said that, I haven’t seen most of these in over 15 years and, so far, I have only purchased Warners’ 10-Disc Garbo set but, alas, none of the multiple Davis and Crawford sets…


Re: Carl Theodor Dreyer

Be careful Mike or you’ll start sounding like “George Kaplan” if you keep this up! Seriously, though: to criticize, say, VAMPYR (1931) for its narrative deficiencies is akin to looking for great acting in Robert Bresson’s latter-day films. I’m surprised you seem resolved not to give (at the very least) THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (1928) – my candidate for the greatest of all Silent films – another look but, before writing Dreyer off, I urge you to someday consider DAY OF WRATH (1943) and ORDET (1955) – the latter is arguably the most poignant and spiritually uplifting film I’ve ever seen.

It’s nice of you to compare Bunuel to Dreyer on a technical plane, however, because that’s just one of the things that has always most mystified me about my favorite film-maker: while his films are technically accomplished, he makes their inherent artistry seem almost incidental; in short, while the technique is clearly there, it doesn’t call undue attention to itself.


Re: Spencer Tracy

I was lucky enough to catch DANTE’S INFERNO (1935) on the Fox Movie Channel while I resided in Hollywood in late 2005-early 2006 but I sure would love to catch QUICK MILLIONS (1931), ME AND MY GAL (1932), THE POWER AND THE GLORY (1933), MAN’S CASTLE (1933), STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE (1939), EDISON, THE MAN (1940) and MALAYA (1949) one day but, unless they get released on DVD or I emigrate to the U.S.A., I can’t see how I could…


Re: Spaghetti Westerns

I’m pretty burned out on the genre myself right now but, having recently scored two lesser-known but intriguing-sounding Sergio Corbucci flicks – the recently-released NAVAJO JOE (1966) and the ultra-rare THE SPECIALIST (1969) – plus a couple more by other directors, I might just get them watched sooner rather than later anyhow…


Re: THE DELTA FORCE (1986)

Your VHS-eating VCR anecdote brought on a flashback to the good, old, innocent and much more fun pre-DVD era! By the way, THE DELTA FORCE is a surprisingly good action flick – or at least I thought so over 20 years back…


Re: RAMBO (2008)

In a way, I understand what Stallone means when saying he directed the film in character; on the other hand, it’s hysterical to imagine him giving directions to his cast and crew in view of his monosyllabic (not to mention notoriously unintelligible) way of speaking!

This is for Joe – you commented on my stinginess with :star::star::star::star: ratings once and you’re perfectly right…so, for someone who also technically agrees that movies are basically growing worse with each passing year, it’s not so hard to grasp that what would once have been worth :star::star::star::star:, now only merits :star::star::star: because the standards have decidedly been lowered. I may be wrong in not judging today’s movies fairly by refusing to lower my own personal standards accordingly but that’s my own prerogative. Critical reception has next to no bearing on my rating of contemporary viewings because otherwise films like ATONEMENT (2007) and GONE BABY GONE (2007) would have gotten a higher rating from me, while something like the new Indiana Jones movie or Peter Jackson’s version of King Kong would have been rated considerably less! Or don’t you agree?


Re: Abel Gance

I see that you’ve been quite impressed by LA ROUE (1923). You’re 2 up on me on the Gance front, dammit!

 

[Michael Elliott]

Yes but I doubt I'll revisit either of them. I think any film buff MUST see these films but I'm not sure about repeat viewings. The total running time of LA ROUE was 4 hours and 20 minutes. It flew by without a problem but I couldn't help but wonder what was in the 8 hour version!!!!

 

[Sandro]

I liked the episode a little more than you but it was pretty run-of-the-mill. However do not let it deter you from watching Brad Anderson's other work. Session 9 and The Machinist are two of the better horror movies of the last 10 years and I also like his two romantic comedies - Next Stop, Wonderland and Happy Accidents.

 

[Michael Elliott]

I know this was aimed at Joe but it's a good topic, which was needed.

I certainly don't agree with you unless we're looking at it from different points of view. I really don't think films have gotten any better or worse because each era has its own thing. It's somewhat like people bashing THE THIRD MOTHER because it isn't like SUSPIRIA. Two different decades, two different types of films. I think people want today's films to be like yesterdays but it really isn't fair to either side. We can say we want romantic comedies like JUST LIKE HEAVEN to be like BRINGING UP BABY but it's not fair. We can't watch Lugosi's DRACULA and say it needs more T&A and gore like a current vampire film.

As you know, I just watched LA ROUE and I knew going in about its connection to Griffith. According to Gance, Griffith's influence on the editing played a huge factor to the point where Griffith could have gotten a credit for it. If this is true then I'm going to call Griffith a hard-headed fool. Why? Because if Griffith had the talent to do this type of filmmaking, which I feel he did, then he's a fool for not doing it. Griffith's career died because he refused to move into the next level of filmmaking. His films from 1920-1931 all look like they were made in 1915. German and French cinema took Griffith's style and went forward but Griffith refused to do this so he was left behind. Even something like Hammer would have been ruined if they didn't borrow from Universal and then add their own thing to it to make it fresh.

I think all films need to be judged for what they are and not be judged by what they're not. RAMBO isn't GUNGA DIN so why take points away for it not being? SAW is SAW. It's not THE RAVEN.

There's been a lot of talk about "replay" value when it comes to new films but you and I hardly ever rewatch films. If you go down the front page, the majority of people here are watching more new films compared to repeat viewings. With that in mind, not even the old films have much replay value. You and I have a lot of favorite films that we haven't watched in years so do these films value go down because of this? Are we to be harsh on ourselves for watching so many new films? Joe and I talked about this on another thread but he loved all those Warner gangster films yet he hasn't rewatched them yet. Do we bash him for not rewatching them or bash him for not watching a new one? Are we suppose to have an even mix?

I have given a lot of films four-stars but I'll never watch them again. Just because they don't have a replay value doesn't mean the films are of any lesser quality. Looking at my list, I'd say 90% of the films will never get a second viewing from me no matter how great or poor they are.

I know some people say there aren't as many "great" films today as several decades ago but again, I disagree. When it comes to older films, people ONLY seek out those with a great reputation. People say that 1939 was a great year for cinema because they watch the great films that year offers up. They don't bother watching all the crap that was made that year. They don't talk about the hundreds of films from that year are now forgotten. If 1939 gave us 20 great films and 2007 gave us 12, I'd say that 2007 wins simply because less movies were produced.

There might not ever be stars like the old days but this is just have films are today. An actor might make one film a year when back in the day some would make over five or six. People talk about the great Cagney, Bogart and Tracy films but they don't mention the bad performances or bad films. I'm sure fifty years from now people will talk about the great movies from 2008 while all the bad ones are forgotten.

So, I have to ask. Fifty years from now if someone asked you to name "great" movies from 1990-2008, would you honestly tell them that there weren't any?

 

[Michael Elliott]

I plan on watching the two horror films at some point. Perhaps at this year's Horror Challenge.

I'm not sure what it is but I haven't been impressed with either episode of FEAR ITSELF. I actually liked the majority of the MASTERS series so I keep hoping future episodes get better but at this point I'm wondering if NBC will kill the series before we see all of them.

 

[PatW]

The Golden Compass (2007) :star: :star: 1/2

I had to fight with myself to stay awake during this one. While I can't fault the acting and the look of the film was breath-taking, the story failed to impress. I'll try watching it again when I'm not as tired but I doubt I'll change my mind.

 

[Martin Teller]

Rabindranath Tagore - A documentary by Satyajit Ray about the distinguished poet/novelist/painter/lyricist/activist. My only prior knowledge of Tagore was through Ray's adaptations of his work (Ghare-Baire, Teen Kanya, Charulata) but it was interesting to learn a little more. The early parts were the most compelling to me, especially the stagings of his operas. Some of the political stuff was kinda dull. Rating: 7

Outcast of the Islands - From a novel by Graham Greene, it's the story of a scoundrel forced to flee Singapore and head for the outer islands, where he sinks even lower after falling for one of the natives. Trevor Howard is terrific in the anti-hero role, but the rest of the cast is blah. Wendy Hiller is a fine actress, but here her talents are wasted in a very small role. The drama is something you can sink your teeth into, but Reed's direction is lackluster, especially coming off of The Third Man. There are a few noteworthy scenes, the rest of it doesn't seem to have much heart or thought in it. Also, it's rife with lousy rear projection. Rating: 7