Adventures In Moving Pictures

so yeah

2010-04-18T11:26:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a break from this.

Skip It 3/7/2010

2010-03-07T10:21:00.002-05:00

Tobacco Road (1941)
Directed by: John Ford
Written by: Erskine Caldwell; Jack Kirkland; Nunnally Johnson
Starring: Charley Grapewin, Marjorie Rambeau, Gene Tierney, William Tracy, Elizabeth Patterson, Dana Andrews, Slim Summerville, Ward Bond
A family of backwood idiots in South Carolina are evicted from their property by the bank, and do very little to help themselves. Soon the moronic son is married to the local religious zealot and they buy a car and drive around reeking havoc, crashing into almost everything and abusing the car like it's a toy. The patriarch of the family wants to get a loan from the bank so he can plant some crops again, but he's too lazy and shiftless to actually do anything. There's a bunch of weird slapstick and overacting that could put post-Scarface Pacino to shame, mixed with awful maudlin scenes of desperation. This kind of film is typical of that era in American history, where rich, 'enlightened' people gathered to laugh at those less fortunate, be it blacks, latinos or hicks, in movies filled with stereotypes and cruelty. It's a dated dud that is better off forgotten. D

Possessed (1947)
Directed by: Curtis Bernhardt
Written by: Rita Weiman; Silvia Richards + Ranald MacDougall
Starring: Joan Crawford, Van Heflin, Raymond Massey, Geraldine Brooks, Stanley Ridges
Joan Crawford falls in love and gets rejected, so she tries to do everything she can to win the object of her affection's love. At some point someone drowns or something and Crawford winds up in a hospital, but I think there was more to it than that. To be honest I had the hardest time paying attention to this one. I typically like Joan Crawford movies, but this melodrama just seemed stagnant. Her acting is good as usual, but she'd definitely done better work than this. C

Blood Beach (1980)
Directed by: Jeffrey Bloom
Written by: Jeffrey Bloom
Starring: David Huffman, Marianna Hill, Burt Young, Otis Young, Lena Pousette, John Saxon, Darrell Fetty
'Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, you can't get to it.' The film's tagline is probably the most memorable thing about this movie. An unseen monster is sucking people under the sand of a California beach, and a bunch of cops try their best to find it and kill it. The story could have made for a good monster movie, but the execution here is abysmal. There are entire scenes that seem (badly) improvised, such as a scene were the wife of a victim spends what seems like an eternity describing to the police what her husband was wearing when he disappeared. The scene is endless, and pointless, just like the rest of the movie. F

Dick Tracy (1990)
Directed by: Warren Beatty
Written by: Chester Gould; Jack Epps Jr. + Jim Cash
Starring: Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Charlie Korsmo, Glenne Headly, Madonna, Dustin Hoffman, William Forsythe, Seymour Cassel, Charles Durning, Mandy Patinkin, Paul Sorvino, Dick Van Dyke, James Caan, Kathy Bates, Catherine O'Hara, Mary Woronov
When the various crime families are forced to consolidate, detective Dick Tracy must do his best to bring the big boss down. Also hanging around are a homeless kid who Dick takes under his wing, a nice girl who wants to marry Dick, and the bad girl lounge singer who knows more than she's letting on. The problem with this movie is the story, which fails to hold the various more successful elements together. Everything else is pretty exceptional, from the over-the-top comic book performances, colorful sets, a lively score, bizarre make-up and some original songs by composer Stephen Sondheim. But the story is pretty routine and fails to really hold everything together, and by the last half hour things get really tiresome. C+

The Forbidden Dance (1990)
Directed by: Greydon Clark
Written by: Roy Langsdon + John Platt
Starring: Laura Harring, Jeff James, Barbra Brighton, Miranda Garrison, Sid Haig, Angela Moya, Richard Lynch, Shannon Farnon
An Indian princess from the Amazon must convince a corporation to stop the destruction of her jungle, so she and a witch-doctor hop on a plane and fly to Los Angeles. Soon she's someone's maid, and she goes out dancing with her bosses spoiled lay-about son. They dance the 'forbidden dance,' aka The Lambada!, one of the most ridiculous dances I've ever seen. Soon the lay-abouts bigoted ex-girlfriend and the evil corporation's hit-man team up to get rid of the sexy dancing thorn in their sides while our hero couple prepares for a televised dance competition. This is one of those movies that has to be seen to be believed, where every scene is just so aggressively awful that you question the direction of our society as a whole. F (A+ for camp value)

See It 2/27/2010

2010-02-27T20:40:00.006-05:00

Grand Illusion (1937)
Directed by: Jean Renoir
Written by: Jean Renoir + Charles Spaak
Starring: Jean Gabin, Dita Parlo, Pierre Fresnay, Erich von Stroheim, Julien Carette, Georges Peclet, Werner Florian
WWI changed everything, and 'Grand Illusion' carefully reveals the eroding social structure of the early 20th Century. The classes are melting into each other, and the new world emerging is seen with both hope and reservation. The cast is well chosen and they work wonderfully as an ensemble. There are many powerful scenes in the film, so many that it would be pointless to try listing them. Nevertheless, this is a great film about the futility of war, racism, classism, and all other things that separate any human being from another. A wonderful film. A-

Pygmalion (1938)
Directed by: Anthony Asquith + Leslie Howard
Written by: George Bernard Shaw, WP Lipscomb, Cecil Lewis, Ian Dalrymple, Anatole de Grunwald, Kay Walsh
Starring: Leslie Howard, Wendy Hiller, Wilfrid Lawson, Marie Lohr, Scott Sunderland, Jean Cadell, David Tree, Everley Gregg
Professor Henry Higgins, an upper-class intellectual snob, makes a bet with a friend that he can transform Eliza Doolittle, a crass, unrefined girl from the street into a refined, dignified lady of society. After working and training Eliza to fit in, he soon realizes that Eliza is a human being, with feelings and opinions of her own. Goerge Bernard Shaw's play is successfully adapted into a funny, touching film, featuring an absolute knock-out performance from Wendy Hiller as Eliza. The sexism that occasionally rears its ugly head could turn off today's viewer, but whatever, they'd be missing out on a really good film. B+

Ninotchka (1939)
Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
Written by: Melchior Lengyel, Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, Walter Reisch
Starring: Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Ina Claire, Bela Lugosi, Sig Ruman, Felix Bressart, Alexander Granach
A wonderful romantic comedy starring the luminous Greta Garbo, who plays Ninotchka, a tough Soviet visiting Paris to finalize the sale of some confiscated royal jewels. She plays the role to perfection in finding nothing good with capitalism and all that it represents. The movie must have given audiences some insight into what was going on with the Soviets at that time. She eventually begins to soften a little after spending time with her co-star Melvyn Douglas, a rich playboy, who happens to fall in love with her. Things get complicated when true identities are discovered, and the former owner of the jewels tries to get them back. The story is somewhat basic but does have quite a bit of humor that brought on more than a few chuckles. B+

The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Directed by: John Ford
Written by: John Steinbeck; Nunnally Johnson
Starring: Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Charley Grapewin, Dorris Bowdon, Russell Simpson, O.Z. Whitehead
This powerful film chronicles the turmoil of a family traveling west to California during the Great Depression. The always excellent Henry Fonda plays Tom, just released from prison. He travels back to his family's farm only to discover they've been evicted from their land. When rumors of available work spread from the west, the family packs all their belongings to brave the unknown as they make their way cross country in their jalopy. There are countless powerful scenes and images throughout, as our heroes face starvation, homelessness, and cruelty on their journey. A

Ball Of Fire (1941)
Directed by: Howard Hawks
Written by: Billy Wilder, Thomas Monroe, Charles Brackett
Starring: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Oskar Homolka, Henry Travers, S.Z. Sakall, Tully Marshall, Leonid Kinskey, Richard Haydn, Aubrey Mather, Kathleen Howard, Mary Field, Dan Duryea
When a group of socially awkward professors, led by Gary Cooper, realize they need to study how 'real' people talk in order to complete their 12 year encyclopedia writing project, they end up unwittingly aiding a beautiful singer (Barbara Stanwyck) escape from the police when her gangster boyfriend gets into hot water. While laying low with the professors, everyone learns something new, and eventually she gets a marriage proposal from Cooper. Things get dangerous for everybody when her mobster boyfriend locates her. Stanwyck is great as always, but it's Gary Cooper who's the real draw here. Playing against his tough guy image, he is really good as the timid, awkward Professor Potts. B

The Naked City (1948)
Directed by: Malvin Wald
Written by: Albert Maltz + Malvin Wald
Starring: Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart, Don Taylor, Frank Conroy, Ted de Corsia, House Jameson, Anne Sargent, Adelaide Klein
Amid a semi-documentary portrait of New York City and its people, Jean Dexter, an attractive blonde model, is murdered in her apartment. Homicide detectives Dan Muldoon and Jimmy Halloran investigate. Suspicion falls on various shifty characters who all prove to have some connection with a string of apartment burglaries. This police procedural was groundbreaking in it's day, but often plays like a narrated episode of 'Law and Order.' Regardless, it's still a pretty interesting movie, with some great on location cinematography of a long-gone New York City of yesteryear. B

Miss Julie (1951)
Directed by: Alf Sjoberg
Written by: August Strindberg; Alf Sjoberg
Starring: Anita Bjork, Ulf Palme, Marta Dorff, Lissi Alandh, Anders Henrikson, Inga Gill, Ake Fridell, Kurt-Olof Sundstrom, Max von Sydow
When the young, wealthy Miss Julie and the married servant Jean spend the midsummer night together, they reflect on their respective pasts. They are in love but because of who they are they know they cannot possibly be together. They hatch a plan to run away together, but circumstances, and the specters of their painful histories, seem to hold them where they are. This is a very odd but incredibly moving film. Anita Bjork is fantastic as the cold, defensive Miss Julie, and the dreamlike cinematography is some of the best I've ever seen. A-

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Listening to: Loretta Lynn - Snowbird
via FoxyTunes

My Oscar Choices

2010-02-20T22:08:00.002-05:00

Best Motion Picture
of the Year:
The Hurt Locker
or
Inglourious Basterds

Best Performance by an
Actor in a Leading Role:
Jeff Bridges for 'Crazy Heart'
or
Jeremy Renner for 'The Hurt Locker'

Best Performance by an
Actress in a Leading Role:
Gabourey Sidibe for 'Precious...'
or
Carey Mulligan for 'An Education'

Best Performance by an
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Christoph Waltz for 'Inglourious Basterds'

Best Performance by an
Actress in a Supporting Role:
Mo'Nique for 'Precious...'

Best Achievement in Directing:
Kathryn Bigelow for 'The Hurt Locker'
or
Quentin Tarantino for 'Inglourious Basterds'

Best Writing, Screenplay
Written Directly for the Screen:
'The Hurt Locker' by Mark Boal
or
'Inglourious Basterds' by Quentin Tarantino

Best Writing, Screenplay
Based on Material Previously
Produced or Published:
'In the Loop' by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell,
Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche

Skip It 2/20/2010

2010-02-20T21:40:00.004-05:00

The Box (2009)
Directed by: Richard Kelly
Written by: Richard Matheson; Richard Kelly
Starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn, Holmes Osborne, Gillian Jacobs, Celia Weston, Deborah Rush
A creepy old man offers a suburban couple one million dollars if they simply push a button in a box. The catch is that somewhere in the world, someone they don't know, will die. After a bit of contemplation the button is pushed, and soon after things get complicated. What could have been a really creepy thriller is bogged down by tons of needless exposition and some really bad acting. 'The Box' is a film that tries to be thought provoking but just ends up being stupid. D-

Where The Wild Things Are (2009)
Directed by: Spike Jonze
Written by: Maurice Sendak; Spike Jones + Dave Eggars
Starring: Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini, Paul Dano, Catherine O'Hara, Forest Whitaker, Chris Cooper, Lauren Ambrose
An obnoxious little boy runs away from home because he doesn't get enough attention from his single mom, and finds himself on an island inhabited by giant unpleasant mascots. They declare him their king and then they run around breaking things and arguing for the rest of the movie. A kids book is stretched out into a long, unpleasant, boring movie that only masochists would enjoy. F

Nine (2009)
Directed by: Rob Marshall
Written by: Mario Fratti, Maury Yeston, Arthur Kopit; Anthony Minghella + Michael Tolkin
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren, Stacy Ferguson
An acclaimed director is trying to come up with a script for his new film, which has already begun production in Rome. While following this man as he goes through a private development hell, we meet a group of women that have either inspired him in the past or complicate his life in the present. All these women have a big song, but the only memorable one belongs to Marion Cotillard, who plays the wife. Other characters are jammed in haphazardly, particularly Nicole Kidman as the directors muse and Kate Hudson as a reporter, and all the big production numbers fall completely flat. The whole movie is disjointed, way too long, and ultimately a big mess. C-

The Wolfman (2010)
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Written by: Curt Siodmak; Andrew David Walker + David Self
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Art Malik, Geraldine Chaplin
In this remake of the 1941 cult classic, a man named Lawrence Talbot returns to his ancestral home on the English moors after his brother goes missing. When he arrives he discovers that his brother's body has already been found, and it looks as if he was torn apart by a wild animal. Soon, Talbot is bitten by a giant wolf and before we know it, he himself transforms into a hulking beast when the moon is full and goes on a rampage. Also along for the ride are his creepy father, his dead brother's former fiance, a Scotland Yard detective and some gypsies. The only things that make this absolute mess watchable are the cinematography and production design, which create a wonderfully foreboding atmosphere. We have fog shrouded forests, vine encrusted edifices, long dark hallways, cob-web covered walls, and tons of gore. What's missing here is a good script, decent pacing and some actual suspense. There's absolutely no reason to care about Lawrence Talbot, and the only scares in this are the cheap jump scares. Avoid. D-

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Listening to: Icehouse - Crazy
via FoxyTunes

See It 2/13/10

2010-02-13T11:49:00.004-05:00

The Loveless (1982)
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow + Monty Montgomery
Written by: Kathryn Bigelow + Monty Montgomery
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Robert Gordon, Marin Kanter, J. Don Ferguson, Tina L'Hotsky, Lawrence Matarese
A young biker (Dafoe) on his way to a rally in Florida is held over in a small sleepy roadside town when his motorcycle needs repairs. While waiting in a diner he meets some other bikers and some locals looking for a thrill. 'The Loveless' focuses on atmosphere over plot and hhile the movie is incredibly slow moving, I guess it really captures what it was like to be in a biker gang in the 50's. You didn't know where you would end up, time passed by unnoticed and you never knew who you were going to cross paths with. B

La Femme Nikita (1990)
Directed by: Luc Besson
Written by: Luc Besson
Starring: Anne Parillaud, Marc Duret, Patrick Fontana, Tcheky Karyo, Jeanne Moreau
In France, a violent gang member is arrested after a botched robbery, declared dead by the government and enlisted into a top secret organization of assassins. After being held underground and trained for a few years, she is released and sent on various missions. When she falls in love with an unsuspecting civilian she has a hard time keeping her double life as an assassin separate from her married life. This film has a wonderful look to it, as well as a great soundtrack. But the best thing about it are it's action set-pieces, which keep you on the edge of your seat. B+

Gojira (1954)
Directed by: Ishiro Honda
Written by: Ishiro Honda, Shigeru Kayama, Takeo Murata
Starring: Akira Takarada, Momoko Kochi, Akihiko Hirata, Takashi Shimura, Fuyuki Murakami
After a Japanese fishing village is ravaged by what everyone thinks is a hurricane, a team of scientists discover that a radioactive monster has been awakened by atomic bomb testing in the pacific. The monster, nicknamed Gojira by the Japanese after a mythical sea god, ravages Japan, while the scientists race to find a way to destroy it. There were two versions of this film released, the original Japanese version, and a version released in America with scenes of Raymond Burr as a visiting American shoehorned in while other scenes with the Japanese cast were omitted. This is the original version, and while the effects seem dated and clunky, and the acting stiff, the images of civilians being burned alive, children dying and cities being toppled and burned to the ground are an all too painful reminder of how Japan was eviscerated at the dawn of the atomic age. B

Running On Empty (1988)
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Written by: Naomi Foner
Starring: Christine Lahti, River Phoenix, Judd Hirsch, Jonas Abry, Martha Plimpton, Ed Crowley, L.M. Kit Carson, Steven Hill, Augusta Dabney
During the Vietnam War, a pair of liberal activists blew up a napalm factory, paralyzing an innocent bystander in the process. Ever since they have been fugitives of the law, going from town to town under assumed identities. Now they have two children, Stephen, a young boy and Michael, a teenage piano prodigy (a wonderful River Phoenix.) After they arrive in a small town in New Jersey, the teenager falls in love with his music teacher's daughter and applies to Julliard in NYC. But when the family needs to skip town and go on the run again, he is torn between his aspirations and his family. Christine Lahti and Judd Hirsch are both great as the streetwise, idealistic parents, but the real star here is the late River Phoenix, who gives a wonderful, angst filled performance. A-

Skip It 2/5/10

2010-02-05T11:51:00.005-05:00

New Year's Evil (1980)
Directed by: Emmett Alston
Written by: Emmett Alston and Leonard Neubauer
Starring: Roz Kelly, Kip Niven, Chris Wallace, Grant Cramer, Louisa Moritz
The hostess of a televised New Years Eve punk show is terrorized by a killer. Throughout Los Angeles the killer murders various people, eventually finding his way to the hotel where the punk show is being broadcast. This is one of the many holiday themed slasher films that were churned out after 'Halloween' hit big. This movie features some awful acting, particularly Roz Kelly as the lead, terrible punk music from no-name bands, and absolutely no scares. Completely inept on every level. F

The Stepfather (2009)
Directed by: Nelson McCormick
Written by: J.S. Cardone
Starring: Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Penn Badgley, Amber Heard, Sherry Stringfield, Paige Turco, Jon Tenney
Remake of the 80's cult classic has the same basic storyline, but switches the genders of the teenage protagonist (for no apparent reason.) A nut-job (a decent Dylan Walsh) goes from family to family, seeking the perfect family, killing them if they don't meet his high expectations of perfection. This time he marries a single mom with two sons. The eldest son (a sleep inducing Penn Badgley) grows suspicious of his step-dad, and things sloooooooowly build to a predictable, cliched climax. Stick to the original. D-

The Countess (2009)
Directed by: Julie Delpy
Written by: Julie Delpy
Starring: Julie Delpy, William Hurt, Daniel Bruhl, Anamaria Marinca, Andy Gatjen, Adriana Altaras
I really wanted to like this. Based on the true story of 17th century Countess Bathory, who grew obsessed with retaining her youth, and decided the best way to do this was by bathing in the blood of virgins. What could have been a disturbing descent into madness turns out to be a dull by the numbers bio-pic/period piece. Julie Delpy does an alright job in the titular role, but the departure from her usual romantic roles doesn't really work, as Delpy just seems like she's on auto-pilot thru most of the film. The script, written by Delpy, treats the Countess as some sort of feminist pioneer, and at other times, shows her to be a monster. The movie wants to have it both ways, but in the end it it just seems really confused and tiresome. C-

See It 1/17/10

2010-01-17T17:03:00.004-05:00

An Education (2009)
Directed by: Lone Scherfig
Written by: Lynn Barber; Nick Hornby
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Peter Sarsgaard, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams, Cara Seymour, Emma Thompson, Sally Hawkins
It's England in the early 60's, and a young, impressionable but headstrong student gets courted by an older man she meets one day walking home from school. She loves everything about his cultured lifestyle, the music, the parties, the people etc. Soon she abandons her schooling in favor of spending time with him in his world, unaware he is hiding something. Carey Mulligan, and Alfred Molina as her protective father, are both excellent in this wonderfully made coming-of-age cautionary tale. A-

Whip It (2009)
Directed by: Drew Barrymore
Written by: Shauna Cross
Starring: Ellen Page, Alia Shawkat, Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, Eve, Zoe Bell, Drew Barrymore, Andrew Wilson, Jimmy Fallon, Ari Graynor
A rebellious Texan girl feels trapped in her small town life of beauty pageants and lower middle class boredom. After seeing a flyer for a roller derby in a nearby city, she and her friend sneak out and attend the event. Soon she becomes part of the team and has to hide her involvement with the raucous league from her family. This isn't as funny as it could have been, given the cast, but the performances are all really good, the derby scenes exciting, and first time director Drew Barrymore proves herself to be more than capable behind the camera. B

Sorority Row (2009)
Directed by: Stewart Handler
Written by: Mark Rosman, Josh Stolberg, Pete Goldfinger
Starring: Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Jamie Chung, Rumer Willis, Margo Harshman, Audrina Patridge, Matt O'Leary, Julian Morris, Caroline D'Amore, Matt Lanter, Carrie Fisher
A group of tight knit sorority sisters decide to play a prank, and as things usually go in these movies, everything goes horribly wrong when one of the sisters is killed. The sisters decide to cover up the killing and never speak of it again. Cut to a few months later, and the girls start getting mysterious text messages and warnings. Someone knows what they did. During the big end of the year graduation party, a cloaked killer starts offing the sisters, and their boyfriends, one by one. Unlike 2005's dreadful 'Black Christmas,' another sorority set slasher, this is a fun, fast paced, gory whodunit filled with well rounded (for a horror film) characters and some actual scares. It's one of the best slasher movies in over a decade. B+

Avatar (2009)
Directed by: James Cameron
Written by: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephan Lang, Joel Moore, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, CCH Pounder
James Cameron creates a visually stunning film with 'Avatar,' fully realizing a world of lush jungles, magical trees, flying dragons and tons of other fantastical elements that literally jump from the screen. But the story is pretty basic and at times seems a little drawn out. On the distant planet of Pandora, a human is synced into the mind of an avatar and becomes one of the native people. Soon he realizes that the humans who are mining the planet plan on destroying the native's land and he manages to get the natives to fight back. Even though the story is pretty simple and left me kind of cold, the film is still a must see while it's still in theaters. It features the absolute best, most convincing special effects to date. A-
(EDIT 2/5/10: After a couple weeks, I've come to the conclusion that 'Avatar' is stupid. Click Here to see why.)

The Blind Side (2009)
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Written by: Michael Lewis; John Lee Hancock
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kim Dickens, Adriane Lenox, Kathy Bates
In the south, a wealthy white woman offers a helping hand to a homeless black teenager. She and her family eventually consider him one of their own, giving him a roof over his head, a private tutor and getting him involved with football. At times the movie does seem pretty manipulative and 'feel good,' but despite the cynic in me, I enjoyed it. I don't think Sandra Bullock has ever been better and I think it's her performance that makes this enjoyable. I read that Julia Roberts turned down the chance to be in this, and I cannot imagine how awful this would have been with her in it. Oh God. B

See It 1/7/10

2010-01-07T20:17:00.002-05:00

Thrashin' (1986)
Directed by: David Winters
Written by: Paul Brown + Alan Sacks
Starring: Josh Brolin, Robert Russler, Pamela Gidley, Brooke McCarter, Josh Richman, Brett Marx, Sherilyn Fenn
A hilarious time capsule of a movie. In Los Angeles, a skateboarder (Brolin) falls in love with the sister of the leader of a rival skate-gang. So it's pretty much Romeo & Juliet with skating instead of suicide. This isn't a good movie by any means, but it's really entertaining. B

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
Directed by: Sydney Pollack
Written by: Horace McCoy; James Poe and Robert E. Thompson
Starring: Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Gig Young, Red Buttons, Bonnie Bedelia, Michael Conrad, Bruce Dern, Al Lewis
One of the more depressing films I've seen recently. This grisly film follows a group of desperate people who enter a three day dance marathon during the Great Depression. Throughout the film the various contestants drive themselves to the brink of physical, and in some cases mental, exhaustion in order to win a cash prize. A-

White Dog (1982)
Directed by: Samuel Fuller
Written by: Romain Gary; Samuel Fuller and Curtis Hanson
Starring: Kristy McNichol, Paul Winfield, Jameson Parker, Samuel Fuller, Lynne Mooder, Martine Dawson, Burl Ives
A girl (McNichol) in Los Angeles is driving along Mullholland one night when she hits a large stray white German Shepherd. After getting it some medical attention she adopts it. Soon, to her dismay, she realizes the dog has been trained by it's previous owner to attack and kill black people. She does whatever she can to retrain the dog, and ends up taking it to an experienced animal trainer (Winfield) who specializes in breaking 'white dogs.' What follows is a heartbreaking meditation on racism. B+

Skip It 1/4/10

2010-01-04T18:49:00.003-05:00

Taking Woodstock (2009)
Directed by: Ang Lee
Written by: Elliot Tyber and Tom Monte; James Schamus
Starring: Demetri Martin, Imelda Staunton, Henry Goodman, Emile Hirsch, Paul Dano, Kelli Garner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Eugene Levy, Jonathan Groff, Mamie Gummer, Liev Schreiber
A gay jewish guy manages to get the Woodstock festival to take place in his sleepy town in upstate New York, unaware of the cultural significance the event will gain. While dealing with permits, hippies, war vets, and angry locals, he meets various weird characters, the most interesting being a drag queen played by Liev Shreiber. What hurts this film is it's insistence on following a boring character around instead of focusing on more interesting people, and clocking in at two hours, it takes too long to tell its story. Also, the usually great Imelda Staunton plays the grossest, most stereotypical jewish person I've seen on film, who literally cannot control herself around money. The 'Woodstock' documentary remains the best window into this historic concert. C

Dorian Gray (2009)
Directed by: Oliver Parker
Written by: Oscar Wilde; Toby Finlay
Starring: Ben Barnes, Colin Firth, Richael Hurd-Wood, Rebecca Hall, Emilia Fox, Ben Chaplin, Caroline Goodall, Fiona Shaw, Maryam d'Abo, Douglas Henshall
A pretty boy (Barnes) gets his portrait painted and it somehow gives him immortality. After getting endlessly talked at by a rich dapper gent (Firth) about morals and beauty, he fucks anything that moves. When sex with women isn't enough he resorts to S&M, gay sex and getting tattoos, and eventually murder, all while his portrait shows the strain all this bad behavior. The film starts off alright, but halfway through it just becomes a hokey, badly acted mess. D

Up In the Air (2009)
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Written by: Walter Kim; Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Amy Morton, Melanie Lynskey, J.K. Simmons, Sam Elliott, Danny McBride, Zach Galifianakis
George Clooney plays a guy who flies all over the country to assist companies with the laying off of their employees. He gets assigned an 23 year old ingenue by the company to train, while developing a romance with a fellow traveler he frequently meets at airports. And then nothing very interesting happens. This could possibly be the most overrated movie of 2009. It's not bad, but it's nowhere near as good as the ads and critics would have you believe. The only standout here is Anna Kandrick, who plays the trainee. C+

See it 1/3/10

2010-01-03T16:19:00.003-05:00

The Earrings of Madame de... (1953)
Directed by: Max Ophuls
Written by: Louise de Vilmorin; Marcel Achard, Max Ophuls and Annette Wadermant
Starring: Danielle Darrieux, Charles Boyer, Vittorio De Sica, Jean Debucourt, Jean Galland, Mireille Perrey
Beautifully filmed and wonderfully acted story about Louise, a wealthy woman who sells a pair of her earrings to pay back some debts. After her husband buys them back and gives them to his mistress, the earrings find their way to a wealthy man who falls in love with Louise. A-

Pee Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Written by: Phil Hartman, Paul Reubens, Michael Varhol
Starring: Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Daly, Mark Holton, Diane Salinger, Cassandra Peterson, Alice Nunn, Jan Hooks, Judd Omen
Bizarre, sometimes annoying, but altogether entertaining story about a weird man-child who gets his prized bicycle stolen. He goes on a long journey in order to get it back, crossing paths with several strange characters. B

The King of Comedy (1982)
Directed by: Martin Scorcese
Written by: Paul D. Zimmerman
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott, Sandra Bernhard, Shelley Hack, Ed Herlihy
Rupert Pupkin is a desperate wannabe comedian who goes to great lengths to impress his idol Jerry Langford, the host of a late night talk show. After trying repeatedly to get close to him, Rupert and Jerry's number one stalker, played by Sandra Bernhard, team up and kidnap him. The acting is great in this dark, but hilarious, film. A-

R.I.P. 2009

2009-12-20T16:41:00.014-05:00

Bea Arthur
1922-2009
Actress:
Fiddler On the Roof (1964) Broadway
Mame (1968) Broadway
Maude (1972-1978)
Mame (1974)
The Golden Girls (1985-1992)

Dom DeLuise
1933-2009
Actor:
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Silent Movie (1976)
Sextette (1978)
The Muppet Movie (1979)
Fatso (1980)
History of the World: Part I (1981)
The Cannonball Run (1981)
The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas (1982)
Haunted Honeymoon (1986)
Spaceballs (1987)
Going Bananas (1987)

Koko Taylor
1928-2009
Singer

Michael Jackson
1958-2009
Singer

Karl Malden
1912-2009
Actor:
Kiss of Death (1947)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
I Confess (1953)
On the Waterfront (1954)
Baby Doll (1956)
Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)
Gypsy (1962)
How the West Was Won (1962)
Dead Ringer (1964)
Patton (1970)
The Streets of San Francisco (1972-1977)
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979)

Molly Sugden
1922-2009
TV Actress:
The Liver Birds (1971-1978)
Are You Being Served? (1972-1985)
Come Back Mrs. Noah (1977-1978)
That's My Boy (1981-1986)
Grace & Favour (1992-1993)

John Hughes

1950-2009
Writer, Producer, Director
Vacation (1983)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
European Vacation (1985)
Weird Science (1985)
Pretty In Pink (1986)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
Uncle Buck (1989)
Christmas Vacation (1989)
Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)
Beethoven (1992)
Dennis the Menace (1993)

Mary Travers
1936-2009
Singer
Peter, Paul & Mary

Captain Lou Albano
1933-2009
Pro-Wrestler
Cyndi's Dad

David Lloyd
1934-2009
TV Writer:
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1963-1970)
Mary Tyler Moore (1973-1977)
Phyllis (1976-1977)
The Bob Newhart Show (1976-1977)
Rhoda (1978)
Lou Grant (1977-1982)
Taxi (1979-1983)
Amen (1986-1987)
Cheers (1982-1993)
Frasier (1994-2001)

Dan O'Bannon
1946-2009
Screenwriter:
Dark Star (1974)
Alien (1979)
The Return of the Living Dead (1985) (also Director)
Lifeforce (1985)
Invaders From Mars (1986)
Total Recall (1990)

Brittany Murphy
1977-2009
Actress:
Clueless (1995)
Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Don't Say A Word (2001)
Little Black Book (2004)
Sin City (2005)

See It 12/20

2009-12-20T01:17:00.004-05:00

The Hindenburg (1975)
Directed by: Robert Wise
Written by: Michael M. Mooney; Nelson Gidding
Starring: George C. Scott, Anne Bancroft, William Atherton, Roy Thinnes, Gig Young, Burgess Meredith, Charles Durning, Rene Auberjonois, Katherine Helmond
Chronicles the events that lead up to the 1937 Hindenburg disaster in Lakehurst, NJ, where a German passenger zeppelin burst into flames upon landing, killing most of the passengers and crew. Solid performances from an all star cast make this disaster film masquerading as a historical drama memorable. B

The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)
Directed by: Uli Edel
Written by: Stefan Aust; Bernd Eichinger
Starring: Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek, Nadja Uhl, Stipe Erceg, Niels-Bruno Schmidt
Complex, riveting film depicting the actions and exploits, and eventual trial, of the Red Army Faction, the infamous terrorist group that plagued Germany with bombings, robberies, murders and kidnappings throughout the 1970's. It's fascinating, and scary, stuff. A-

California Suite (1978)
Directed by: Herbert Ross
Written by: Neil Simon
Starring: Jane Fonda, Alan Alda, Maggie Smith, Michael Caine, Walter Matthau, Elaine May, Herb Edelman, Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, Gloria Gifford, Sheila Frazier
Four separate comedic story-lines all take place within a posh Los Angeles hotel. We follow an actress and her gay husband on their way to the Oscars, a vacationing group of friends from Chicago, a divorced couple in town to discuss custody of their child, and a philandering man who tries to hide a hooker from his unsuspecting wife. Maggie Smith and Michael Caine are the standouts here, but the rest is pretty vanilla. B-

Skip It 12/16

2009-12-16T23:39:00.005-05:00

The Stepfather II: Make Room For Daddy (1989)
Directed by: Jeff Burr
Written by: John Auerbach
Starring: Terry O'Quinn, Meg Foster, Caroline Williams, Jonathan Brandis, Henry Brown, Mitchell Laurance, Miriam Byrd-Nethery
Madman who is obsessed with finding the perfect family escapes from an insane asylum, somehow cons his way into becoming a neighborhood marriage councilor, and worms his way into a single mothers life. Terry O'Quinn is still pretty good as the creepy conservative, but the story lacks any suspense and is pretty contrived, even for a horror sequel. D+

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Written by: Stephanie Meyer; Melissa Rosenberg
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Anna Kendrick, Michael Welch, Justin Chon, Christian Serratos, Jackson Rathbone, Michael Sheen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Peter Facinelli, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Dakota Fanning
Annoying characters, horrible acting, a deliriously bad story and a cheesy script help make this 'vampire' movie one of the worst of all time. This makes the first one seem amazing. It still boggles my mind why anyone would find this boring, anti-female series entertaining in any way. F

Scanners (1981)
Directed by: David Cronenberg
Written by: David Cronenberg
Starring: Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan, Lawrence Dane, Michael Ironside, Robert A. Silverman
Interesting premise about a secret government plot to corral a select few who have the power to control peoples thoughts never really gets off the ground. The main problem is the lead actor, who is absolutely awful. The scene that the film is most famous for, the head explosion, occurs within the first ten minutes, and the film plods along from there. C

Land of the Lost (2009)
Directed by: Brad Silberling
Written by: Chris Henchy and Dennis McNichols
Starring: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride, Jorma Taccone, John Boylan, Matt Lauer
Remake of the cheesy 70's kids show goes the ironic route in it's attempts at humor. Permanent man-baby Will Ferrell runs around acting like an idiot when he and two others get sucked into an alternate dimension filled with dinosaurs, hairy men, lizard people and magic crystals. It tries to be irreverent and subversive, but ends up being pointless and forgettable. D-

See It 12/6

2009-12-06T18:57:00.002-05:00

Thirst (2009)
Directed by: Chan-wook Park
Written by: Seo-Gyeong Jeong, Chan-wook Park
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Ok-vin Kim, Hae-sook Kim, Ka-kyun Shin, In-hwan Park, Dal-su Oh, Young-chang Song, Mercedes Cabral
A priest gets a blood transfusion and becomes a vampire. Soon he takes an abused girl under his wing, and they plan to murder her husband. Things get crazier from there. This is probably the best vampire movie in years. It's gory, gripping and the acting is excellent. In the age of glittering vegan vamps, it's nice to see real vampires who aren't afraid to suck some blood and snap some necks. A-

Good Hair (2009)
Directed by: Jeff Stilson
Written by: Lance Crouther, Paul Marchand
Starring: Chris Rock
A really interesting documentary about black women's hair. It's a look into a world that I really only had an inkling of knowledge about. We learn about relaxer, weaves, wigs, hair shows, and we're even shown where the human hair used in weaves comes from. Filled with great interviews conducted by Chris Rock with Nia Long, Al Sharpton, Eve, Sandra Denton, Maya Angelou, Raven-Symone, Tracie Thoms and many more. B+

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009)
Directed by: Werner Herzog
Written by: William M. Finkelstein
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes, Jennifer Coolidge, Brad Dourif, Fairuza Balk, Michael Shannon, Shawn Hatosy, Denzel Whitaker, Irma P. Hall, Xzibit, Vondie Curtis Hall, Tom Bower
Nicholas Cage's best performance in nearly a decade. He plays a drug addicted cop who gets in too deep with drug dealers and other assorted lowlifes in balmy post-Katrina New Orleans. Much more interesting, and entertaining, than the original with Harvey Keitel. But really, they're such different movies it's almost pointless to compare them. A-

Skip It 12/5

2009-12-05T15:53:00.006-05:00

Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009)
Directed by: Phil Claydon
Written by: Stewart Williams, Paul Hupfield
Starring: James Corden, Mathew Horne, MyAnna Buring, Vera Filatova, Paul McGann, Silvia Colloca, Lucy Gaskell, Louise Dylan, Ashley Mulheron
If 'Twilight' is barren, boring 'erotica' for teenage girls, then this unfunny, juvenile mess is a 13 year old boys wet dream. Two homely blokes go to an old village and run into a clan of big breasted lesbian vampires who explode into white goo when killed. Not one joke works and the acting sucks. F

Xanadu (1980)
Directed by: Robert Greenwald
Written by: Richard Christian Danus, Marc Reid Rubel
Starring: Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, Michael Beck, James Sloyan, Dimitra Arliss, Katie Hanley
A young artist meets a Greek muse and they decide to open up a roller rink. They fall in love in the process. Horrible musical numbers, terrible acting, and a lame story make this one of the most famous failures in movie history. Personally, I didn't find it bad enough to be 'so bad it's good.' It's just bad. F

Leonard Part Six (1987)
Directed by: Paul Weiland
Written by: Bill Cosby, Jonathan Reynolds
Starring: Bill Cosby, Tom Courtenay, Joe Don Baker, Moses Gunn, Pat Colbert, Gloria Foster, Victoria Rowell, Anna Levine, David Maier, Grace Zabriskie
One of the most bizarre star vehicles I've ever seen. Cosby plays a secret agent who must stop an evil vegetarian's plan to rule the world with her animals. It's supposed to be funny, but it's just awful. Why Cosby did this at the height of his TV success is a mystery for me. F

The Queen of the Damned (2002)
Directed by: Michael Rymer
Written by: Anne Rice; Scott Abbott, Michael Petroni
Starring: Aaliyah, Stuart Townsend, Marguerite Moreau, Vincent Perez, Paul McGann, Lena Olin
The Vampire Lestat (played by Tom Cruise in 'Interview With the Vampire) is now a rock star. He wakes the oldest vampire in the world with his music and she comes looking for him. That's basically the crux of the story. Two of Anne Rice's books were jammed into one film, and it's a total failure. Every decision the makers of this movie made, from the script to the costumes to the music, was wrong. But instead of being a fun bad movie, it's just lifeless. F

See It 10/30

2009-11-30T14:10:00.006-05:00

Taxidermia (2006)
Directed by: Gyorgy Palfi
Written by: Lajos Parti Nagy; Gyorgy Palfi, Zsofia Ruttkay
Starring: Csaba Czene, Gergely Trocsanyi, Piroska Molnar, Adel Stanczel, Marc Bischoff, Gabor Mate, Zoltan Koppany
This sick, vile, disgusting film tells the stories of three generations of men in Hungary. One a soldier in WWII who ejaculates fire, the next, his son, an overweight competitive eater born with a pig tail, and his son, a taxidermist who wants to stuff his own torso, who takes care of his massive elderly father and his obese cats. Not many films these days elicit sickness while watching, but this did it all right. Just bizarre, foul, and unpleasant but strikingly original, surreal and entertaining. A-

Being There (1979)
Directed by: Hal Ashby
Written by: Jerzy Kosinski
Starring: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden, Richard Dysart, Richard Basehart, Ruth Attaway
Peter Sellers plays a middle aged gardener who had never stepped foot outside his employers home and received all impressions of the outside world through television. When his boss dies he leaves and eventually befriends a powerful and wealthy man, who thinks the gardeners simple, ignorant statement are genius, as do all the other important people around him, including the President. Sellers is fantastic in this. B+

Deconstructing Harry (1997)
Directed by: Woody Allen
Written by: Woody Allen
Starring: Woody Allen, Richard Benjamin, Kirstie Alley, Hazelle Goodman, Billy Crystal, Judy Davis, Bob Balaban, Elisabeth Shue, Demi Moore, Robin Williams, Caroline Aaron, Eric Bogosian, Mariel Hemingway, Amy Irving, Julie Kavner, Eric Lloyd, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobey Maguire, Stanley Tucci
Ingmar Bergman's 'Wild Strawberries' on a joint rolled with weed and laced with crack, chased down by a whiskey and acid chaser. Woody Allen plays a writer who is invited to receive an honor at his old alma mater. He reminisces about his multiple marriages and affairs, and the books he wrote fictionalizing his life, while making the trip with his young son, who he kidnapped from his ex-wife, a black hooker and a dying friend. A large, talented cast play the real life characters and their fictionalized counterparts. Of the large cast, Kirstie Alley is the standout. A-

See It 10/24

2009-11-24T00:16:00.006-05:00

In the Loop (2009)
Directed by: Armando Iannucci
Written by: Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannuci, Ian Martin, Tony Roche
Starring: Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Gina McKee, James Gandolfini, Chris Addison, Anna Chlumsky, Enzo Cilenti, Mimi Kennedy, Alex Mcqueen
Bitingly hilarious satire of government features some great performances. When an inept low level British government official slips and accidentally says a war in inevitable, all hell breaks loose. Soon the American's are involved, trying to use this official for their own political gain. It's all very fast paced and dry, and sadly realistic. A-

Precious: Based On the Novel Push By Sapphire (2009)
Directed by: Lee Daniels
Written by: Sapphire; Geoffrey Fletcher
Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz, Stephanie Andujar, Chyna Layne, Amina Robinson, Xosha Roquemore, Angelic Zambrana
A poor, overweight, illiterate, sexually abused girl in Harlem is kicked out of her school when she gets pregnant for the second time (by her abusive father.) When she attends an alternative school, she begins her ascent from her horrible home life and her horrifying past. But it's not all inspiration and feel good scenes from there. Powerhouse dramatic performances from comedian Mo'Nique as Precious' monster of a mother, and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe make this a must see. A-

Broken Embraces (2009)
Directed by: Pedro Almodovar
Written by: Pedro Almodovar
Starring: Lluis Homar, Blanco Portillo, Penelope Cruz, Jose Luis Gomez, Ruben Ochandiano, Lola Duenas, Tamar Novas
A filmmaker reminiscing about a lost love, and an event that caused his blindness. Despite strong performances and some great sequences, the plot lines all seem to hang there, and things get a little boring. Despite that, the acting is wonderful, and the film looks great. But 'Bad Education' and 'Volver' were much better. B

Black Dynamite (2009)
Directed by: Scott Sanders
Written by: Michael Jai White, Byron Minns, Scott Sanders
Starring: Michael Jai White, Kym Whitley, Tommy Davidson, Kevin Chapman, Arsenio Hall, Miguel A. Nunez Jr., Salli Richardson, Nicole Sullivan
Hilarious spoof of 70's blaxsploitation films. A great cast is game with a ridiculous plot about dick shrinking malt liquor that takes detective Black Dynamite from the ghetto all the way to the White House. Imagine all the most absurd elements of films like 'Shaft,' 'Superfly,' and 'Coffy' and you'll get... Black DynAmite. B+

Skip It 10/22

2009-11-22T01:11:00.006-05:00

Little Ashes (2009)
Directed by: Paul Morrison
Written by: Philippa Goslett
Starring: Javier Beltran, Robert Pattinson, Matthew McNulty, Marina Gatell, Adria Allue, Simon Andreu, Ruben Arroyo
A biopic where the supposedly brilliant real life characters go around constantly spouting supposedly brilliant things. In other words, a real snore. D-

Tormented (2009)
Directed by: Jon Wright
Written by: Stephen Prentice
Starring: Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, Dimitri Leonidas, Calvin Dean, Tuppence Middleton, Georgia King, Mary Nighy, Olly Alexander, James Floyd
A bullied teenager comes back from the grave to terrorize and kill the popular clique who tormented him while alive. None of the character are likeable, and the film doesn't offer any twists or innovations on this familiar plot. But if you're looking for a fast paced, brainless revenge teensploitation flick, seek this one out. C+

Scenes From A Mall (1991)
Directed by: Paul Mazursky
Written by: Roger L. Simon + Paul Mazursky
Starring: Woody Allen, Bette Midler, Bill Irwin
A middle aged couple in Los Angeles visit the mall on Christmas Eve and confess to eachother their infidelities. Then they argue, make up, bicker, fight, make up, have sex, becker some more and get drunk, all the while being stalked by an annoying mime. Allen and Midler are both alright, but things are pretty predictable and by the end you've just watched Bette yelling for an hour while Woody spouts out little Woody-isms. C

Funny People (2009)
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Written by: Judd Apatow
Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza
Unfunny, overlong, self-indulgent movie about a megastar comedian who finds out he's dying. It's like a Lifetime movie with dick jokes. So far, the most disappointing movie of 2009. D

See It 10/20

2009-11-20T22:55:00.007-05:00

The Addiction (1995)
Directed by: Abel Ferrara
Written by: Nicholas St. John
Starring: Lili Taylor, Edie Falco, Annabella Sciorra, Christopher Walken, Paul Calderon, Fredro Starr
Unique twist on the vampire mythos features Lili Taylor as a newly turned vampire struggling with her addiction to blood. It's more of a drug addiction movie than a vampire movie. Sciorra and Walken also play vampires. In black and white. B+

Interview With the Vampire (1994)
Directed by: Neil Jordan
Written by: Anne Rice
Starring: Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas, Stephen Rea
Decent adaptation of the novel. Brad Pitt is awful though, and nearly ruins the movie. Despite his terrible acting (and wig) there are enough things to recommend about this film to any horror/vampire fan. B-

Wolf (1994)
Directed by: Mike Nichols
Written by: Jim Harrison + Wesley Strick
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader, Kate Nelligan, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Plummer, Eileen Atkins, David Hyde Pierce, Om Puri
Instead of focusing on gore and transformations, this werewolf film focuses on the human aspect of things. It gets a bit slow every now and then and the makeup effects are dated, but the chemistry between Nicholson and Pfeiffer is great, and Spader makes a great villain. B+

Nadja (1994)
Directed by: Michael Almereyda
Written by: Michael Almereyda
Starring: Elina Lowensohn, Nic Ratner, Karl Geary, Peter Fonda, Martin Donovan, Galaxy Craze, David Lynch
Weird black and white quasi-remake of 'Dracula's Daughter' walks the fine line between the weird and sublime. Peter Fonda is fucking nuts in this as Doctor Van Helsing. It often has a cheap film school look though, which takes away from the overall effect of the film. B

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Listening to: John Barry - The Knack
via FoxyTunes

See It 11/13

2009-11-13T18:10:00.005-05:00

(500) Days of Summer (2009)
Directed by: Marc Webb
Written by: Scott Neustadter + Michael H. Weber
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler, Patricia Belcher, Clark Gregg
A plodding, routine story is saved by the two leads, who are great to watch, and an interesting non-linear structure. B

Julie & Julia (2009)
Directed by: Nora Ephron
Written by: Julia Child, Alex Prud'homme; Julie Powell; Nora Ephron
Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond, Helen Carey, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jane Lynch
This would have been so much better if it were only about Julia Child, instead of jumping back and forth between the 50's and the 00's. The storyline with Streep is really entertaining, and I would have liked to see more of it. B

Aisha Tyler Is Lit: Live At the Fillmore (2009)
Directed by: Kerry Asmussen
Written by: Aisha Tyler
Starring: Aisha Tyler
Tyler is hilarious in this filmed performance in San Francisco. It's not as funny as one of Wanda Sykes or Kathy Griffin's numerous specials, but it's definitely up there. B+

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T02:41:00.007-04:00

In honor of my favorite holiday, I've watched five horror movies back to back on Hulu.

Black Sunday (1960)
Directed by: Mario Bava
Written by: Nikolai Gogol; Ennio De Concini, Mario Serandrei, Marcello Coscia
Starring: Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Ivo Garrani, Arturo Dominici, Enrico Oliveri

Atmospheric chiller about a family haunted by the presence of an evil centuries old vampire, who on the anniversary of her death must resurrect herself and claim the life of her descendent. This creepy black and white film is a must see. A-

Moon of the Wolf (1972)
Directed by: Daniel Petrie
Written by: Leslie H. Whitten; Alvin Sapinsley
Starring: David Janssen, Barbara Rush, Bradford Dillman, John Beradino, Geoffrey Lewis, Royal Dano

A woman is found clawed to death and it is up to the local sheriff of a backwater Louisiana town to find the murderer. He gets more than he bargained for when he discovers a werewolf may be the culprit. If this run-of-the-mill TV movie had a bigger budget, better actors and a more compelling storyline, this could have been better. Instead it's just a dull murder mystery where we don't see the "werewolf" until the last ten minutes. F

The Spell (1977)
Directed by: Lee Philips
Written by: Brian Taggert
Starring: Lee Grant, Susan Myers, James Olson, Helen Hunt, Kathleen Hughes, Barbara Bostock

A chubby girl grows tired of being terrorized by her classmates at school and ignored by her parents at home, so she uses her supernatural powers to get revenge. This made for television movie, a rip-off of 'Carrie,' is unintentionally hilarious campy fun. F (A)

Fright Night (1985)
Directed by: Tom Holland
Written by: Tom Holland
Starring: William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall, Stephen Geoffreys, Jonathan Stark, Dorothy Fielding

Fun horror comedy about a teenage boy who suspects his new neighbor is a vampire. He soon learns that his suspicions are not unfounded when he is confronted by the vampire neighbor, so he enlists the help of his friends and a local late-night horror host to destroy him. B+

Scarecrows (1988)
Directed by: William Wesley
Written by: William Wesley, Richard Jefferies, Larry Stamper, Stephen Gerard, Marcus Crowder
Starring: Ted Vernon, Michael David Simms, Richard Vidan, Kristina Sanborn, Victoria Christian, David James Campbell, BJ Turner, Dax Vernon

A group of thieves hijack a cargo plane and end up in the Mexican jungle. They soon discover that they are being murdered one by one by a group of supernatural killer scarecrows. Some decently creepy shots of scarecrows can't save this run of the mill movie, which is basically a zombie movie without the zombies. D

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Listening to: Kate Bush - Hello Earth
via FoxyTunes

Read a Goddam Book!

2009-10-30T11:42:00.004-04:00

Click

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Listening to: Bionic Boogie - Chains (Extended)
via FoxyTunes

See It 10/30

2009-10-30T10:55:00.009-04:00

Matinee (1993)
Directed by: Joe Dante
Written by: Joe Dante, Charles S. Haas
Starring: John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty, Simon Fenton, Omri Katz, Lisa Jakub, Kellie Martin, Jesse Lee Soffer, John Sayles

A nice little tribute to schlock-meister William Castle and the cheesy gimmicks he used to get audiences butts into seats at the cinema. The Cuban missile crisis figures in here, but the real reason to see this is John Goodman and Kathy Moriarty. B

Winter Light (1962)
Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
Written by: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Gunnel Lindblom, Max von Sydow, Allan Edwall, Kolbjorn Knudsen

Ice cold drama about a pastor of a small rural church, and the lonely spinster who adores him. The acting is impeccable, the atmosphere chilly and depressing, and the direction is stark and captivating. A-

Cheri (2009)
Directed by: Stephen Frears
Written by: Colette; Christopher Hampton
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, Rupert Friend, Felicity Jones, Frances Tomelty, Anita Pallenberg

Michelle Pfeiffer is pretty good in this, shedding her vanity to play an aging courtesan. But for a film set in France everything seems awfully English. This would have been better if the role of the love interest were better cast, but it's still pretty entertaining. B

World's Greatest Dad (2009)
Directed by: Bobcat Goldthwait
Written by: Bobcat Goldthwait
Starring: Robin Williams, Alexie Gilmore, Daryl Sabara, Michael Thomas Moore, Jermaine Williams

Pitch-black comedy involving suicide, voyeurism, auto-erotic asphyxiation and zombies. Robin Williams successfully forgoes his manic schtick to play a failed author who does his best to raise, and control, his delinquent, perverted son. B+

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Listening to: Jean Carne - Was That All It Was
via FoxyTunes

See It 10/18

2009-10-18T13:24:00.005-04:00

Were the World Mine (2008)
Directed by: Tom Gustafson
Written by: Tom Gustafson, Cory James Krueckeberg
Starring: Tanner Cohen, Wendy Robie, Jusy McLane, Zelda Williams, Jill Larson, Ricky Goldman
At an all boys school, a gay teen discovers the recipe for a magical potion that somehow changes a person's sexual orientation. He sprays it all over the place and complications ensue. Whimsical little movie with a good heart. B

The Unknown (1927)
Directed by: Tod Browning
Written by: Waldemar Young, Tod Browning
Starring: Lon Chaney, Joan Crawford, Norman Kerry, Nick De Ruiz, John George, Frank Lanning
Lon Chaney plays a murderer posing as an armless knife thrower in a circus who falls in love with the big top beauty, played by a young Joan Crawford. To win her love he goes to great lengths, which include murder and self-amputation. B+

The Stepfather (1987)
Directed by: Joseph Rubin
Written by: Carolyn Lefcourt, Brian Garfield, Donald E. Westlake
Starring: Terry O'Quinn, Jill Shoelen, Shelley Hack, Charles Lanyer, Stephen Shellen, Stephen E. Miller, Robyn Steven
A crazy conservative serial killer goes from family to family marrying widowed mothers, then killing the families when they disappoint his moral standards. Really fun and probably one of the best horror films of the 80's. B+

Whatever Works (2009)
Directed by: Woody Allen
Written by: Woody Allen
Starring: Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Michael McKean, Henry Cavill, Ed Begley Jr.
An angry pessimistic man takes in a dumb teenage runaway and they manage to help eachother deal with life, and soon they fall in love. Things get complicated when the girl's mother comes to town. As far as Allen's recent comedies go, this was pretty good. It's not a deep movie by any means but it's enjoyable, but not very memorable. B+

Skip It 10/18

2009-10-18T13:01:00.006-04:00

Horror House (1969)
Directed by: Michael Armstrong
Written by: Michael Armstrong
Starring: Frankie Avalon, Jill Haworth, Dennis Price, Mark Wynter, George Sewell, Gina Warwick
A bunch of teenagers go to a supposedly haunted house when a party gets boring and someone gets murdered. The rest of the movie consists of the kids arguing and the cops trying to find the killer. F

American Werewolf In Paris (1997)
Directed by: Anthony Waller
Written: Tim Burns
Starring: Tom Everett Scott, Julie Delpy, Vince Vieluf, Phil Buckman, Julie Bowen, Pierre Cosso
Typically cheap, scare free late 90's horror. Boy meets girl, girl bites boy, boy turns into werewolf, bad special effects abound. Nothing interesting to see here. D-

Deranged (1974)
Directed by: Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsby
Written by: Alan Ormsby
Starring: Roberts Blossom, Cosette Lee, Leslie Carlson, Robert Warner, Marcia Diamond, Brian Smeagle, Arlene Gilleb, Robert McHeady
Loosely based on the true horror story of Ed Gein, 'Deranged' will definitely make you question why you watch movies like this. A lonely, borderline retarded man digs up his mother's corpse and keeps her in the house and goes about trying to seduce women and lure them back to his house so he can kill them and make furniture out of the skin and bones. Some parts are so ridiciulous I wasn't sure if they were supposed to be funny or not. Watch this movie, 'Psycho,' 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre,' and 'Silence of the Lambs,' to see how different filmmakers have used (or exploited) the Ed Gein crimes for their own artistic visions. D+

Returning Favorites: Desperate Housewives

2009-10-15T19:39:00.006-04:00

Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Starring: Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman, Teri Hatcher, Dana Delaney, Kathryn Joosten, Drea DeMatteo, Kyle MacLachlan, Ricardo Chavira, Doug Savant, James Denton, Richard Burgi, Kevin Rahm, Tuc Watkins, Jeffrey Nordling, Beau Mirchoff

Ah Desperate Housewives. Even though at the end of last years season finale I vowed that I was done with this show, I still find the ladies of Wisteria Lane irresistible. Of all the shows I watch I consider this my guiltiest of guilty pleasures.

Last season was without a doubt the worst season so far. It started off well with the series jumping ahead five years into the future. Gaby was a harried housewife with two young daughters and a blind husband, Susan and Mike had gotten a divorce due to an auto accident they were involved in, Bree and Katherine's catering business had taken off, resulting in Bree becoming a Martha Stewart-like celebrity, Orson had gone to prison for three years due to his attempted murder of Mike at the end of Season 2, and Lynette and Tom now had three teenagers to deal with, as well as a struggling pizza restaurant.

Edie, who had left the neighborhood five years ago after getting on the wrong side of the other women, returned, now married to the creepy Dave Williams. As is tradition with this show, Dave had a secret agenda for wanting to move to Wisteria Lane. It turned out that he had lost his wife and daughter in the accident Mike and Susan were in during the five year gap, and he wanted to hurt them both by killing their young son MJ. Unlike past mysteries on this show, his secret was predictable from the very first episode, and his storyline was dragged out for the entire season.

This season picked up by answering the cliffhanger question from last year: Who did Mike marry? Susan or Katherine? The answer, although incredibly predictable, is Susan. But this is a good thing because it allows Katherine to drop the needy nice girl act and return to her Season Four roots as the manipulative bitch I loved so much.

We also have new neighbors. New Yorkers Nick and Anglie Bolen move into Mary Alice's old house with their college aged son Danny. Danny quickly gets involved with Susan's daughter Julie, and Karen witnesses them fighting one evening. When Julie is strangled and left in a coma by a mysterious assailant, the neighborhood is thrown into an uproar. Hopefully the mystery as to who attacked Julie will be better than last years lame mystery. There are already several suspects, and I have a feeling there will be several twists along the way until we find out who attacked her, and why. Are the mysterious new neighbors involved? Maybe, maybe not.

Other things happening on the street include Bree having a secret affair with Karl, Susan's ex-husband, Katherine slowly losing her grip on reality as she tries to sabotage Mike and Susan's relationship, Lynette and Tom expecting twins, and Gaby and Carlos dealing with his live-in troublemaking niece Ana.

Last season I was worried that when Edie was electrocuted by some downed power lines that the show wouldn't be the same without her. So far I haven't even noticed her absence. There are enough characters in this large cast to keep things interesting.

So far, this season, now three episodes in, is much better than last year. All the characters are getting decent amounts of screen-time, the storylines are all entertaining, and the mystery is so far so good. Hopefully it doesn't run out of creative steam by the halfway mark like it did in Seasons 2, 3 and 5. But even if it does I'll keep watching.

Watch On Hulu

Returning Favorites: Nip/Tuck

2009-10-15T18:58:00.005-04:00

Nip/Tuck (FX)
Starring: Dylan Walsh, Julian McMahon, John Hensley, Roma Maffia, Kelly Carlson, Linda Klein, Rose McGowan, Mario Lopez, Joely Richardson

When we left off last season Christian (McMahon) was diagnosed with breast cancer and he married Liz (Maffia) in order to have a companion in the last stages of his life. The night they were leaving for their honeymoon, Christian discovered that the lab screwed up his results and he does not have cancer.

All is not well for Sean (Walsh) either. We found out that his wild-child girlfriend Teddy (Katee Sackhoff) is a murderer who apparently gets off on killing doctors. Of course, Sean doesn't know this yet.

We pick up this season with Christian and Sean in the midst of financial collapse. The crappy economy is affecting the plastic surgery industry pretty hard. On top of that, Liz and Christian are getting a divorce, with an angry Liz demanding half of everything. Sean is struggling with insomnia, trying to keep Teddy (now played by Rose McGowan) happy with the wealthy lifestyle she's grown accustomed to. I'm not sure why Teddy was recast for Season Six. Last season Katee Sackhoff hit it out of the park with her slow-burning psycho, but so far Rose McGowan fits into the role well.

Sean and Christian luck out when they partner up with the young Dr. Mike Hamoui (Lopez, reprising his Season Four role.) After witnessing the young doctor at work, both Sean and Christian realize they aren't the young men they used to be.

Jammed into all of this is Matt (Hensley,) Christian and Sean's co-son. Always having trouble leading his own life without ruining it, Matt, who has been involved with transsexuals, Neo-Nazi's, and Scientologists in the past, has now become a street performing mime. Why is this character still around? Can't be just be written off already? He hasn't been useful since the third season.

Julia (Richardson,) who used to be a main player on the show, will appear this season, but did not show up in the premiere. Her character has been handled pretty unevenly since she and Sean got a divorce during Season Four. For both parts of Season Five she appeared sporadically, but hopefully she'll have more screen time this season.

Also back in the mix is Kimber (Carlson,) the washed up porn star, who is now working as a freelance electrolocist, and Nurse Linda (Klein) the golf-loving nurse who over the course of the series' run has become the source of most of the comedy relief in this very dark show.

I've had a love/hate relationship with Nip/Tuck for a couple years now. Sometimes I love it, and other times I vow I'll never watch it again. But it always pulls me back in. Season One and Two were brilliant, Season Three was haphazard and dark, Season Four was too much of a soap opera, and Season Five was practically schizophrenic. Hopefully for Season Six they find a balance between the violence, sex, humor, suspense, glitz, campyness and soap opera aspects. The first episode showed a ton of promise, and I hope the intensity and freshness doesn't wear off as the season wear on like it has in the last couple seasons.

See It 10/15

2009-10-15T17:26:00.005-04:00

The Believers (1987)
Directed by: John Schlesinger
Written by: Nicholas Conde; Mark Frost
Starring: Martin Sheen, Helen Shaver, Harley Cross, Robert Loggia, Elizabeth Wilson, Harris Yulin, Jimmy Smits, Lee Richardson, Carla Pinza
A good supernatural thriller concerning a father and son who get caught up with a satanic cult in New York City who sacrifice children. Despite some hokey elements, this has some pretty creepy sequences, and an unsettling atmosphere. B

Orphan (2009)
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Written by: Alex Mace, David Johnson
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder, Jimmy Bennett, Margo Martindale, Karel Roden, Aryana Engineer
A nifty little thriller about a family recovering from personal tragedy who decide to adopt a sweet and friendly little girl. But this girl happens to have a disturbing secret and an evil agenda. Vera Farmiga and Isabelle Fuhrman are both excellent in this. So far, the best horror film of 2009. B+

RoboCop (1987)
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Written by: Edward Neumeier + Michael Miner
Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer, Robert DoQui, Ray Wise
One of the better action movies of the over-indulgent 80's. In Detroit, a good cop is gunned down by a bunch of crooks and is resurrected by a corrupt corporation as a robotic policeman and uses his new abilities to avenge his death. Not great, but pretty entertaining. B

See It 10/13

2009-10-13T17:08:00.004-04:00

Remains of the Day (1993)
Directed by: James Ivory
Written by: Kazuo Ishiguro; Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Reeve, Emma Thompson, James Fox, Peter Vaughn, Paula Jacons, Ben Chaplin, Hugh Grant
Anthony Hopkins gives the performance of his career in this wonderful story about a devoted butler in 1930's England, who learns how misguided his loyalty to his Nazi sympathizing boss has been. Fascinating, low key film opens a window on a world so foreign to most people. A

Wild Strawberries (1957)
Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
Written by: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Victor Sjostrom, Bibi Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Julian Kindahl
An elderly professor reflects on his childhood and adolescence while traveling with his daughter-in-law by car on his way to receive an award. Victor Sjostrom is absolutely fantastic as we witness various memories through his eyes, the expression of his face remaining with you long after the film is over. A

Auntie Mame (1958)
Directed by: Morton DaCosta
Written by: Patrick Dennis; Betty Comden, Adolph Green
Starring: Rosalind Russell, Forrest Tucker, Coral Browne, Fred Clark, Roger Smith, Patric Knowles, Peggy Cass, Jan Handzlik, Joanna Barnes
In the roaring 1920's, young Patrick goes to live with his eccentric, modern, free spirited Auntie Mame after his father dies. She introduces him to all that is good about the world, her lifestyle epitomized in her expression, "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!" Rosalind Russell is wonderful as Mame, and we follow her and Patrick through various ups and downs over the years, culminating is a hilarious dinner party thrown for Patrick's prospective bigoted in-laws. Based off a book and a Broadway play, later a Broadway musical starring Angela Lansbury, and a movie musical starring Lucille Ball. A-

Skip It 10/13

2009-10-13T16:21:00.004-04:00

Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (1975)
Directed by: Sam O'Steen
Written by: Jerome Kass
Starring: Maureen Stapelton, Charles Durning, Michael Brandon, Elizabeth Berger, Lewis Charles, Natalie Core
Nice sentimental low key TV movie musical about a widow finding new romance is ruined by a really stupid, needless ending. C+

Return To Me (2000)
Directed by: Bonnie Hunt
Written by: Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Andrew Stern, Samantha Goodman
Starring: David Duchovny, Minnie Driver, Carroll O'Connor, Robert Loggia, Bonnie Hunt, David Alan Grier, Joely Richardson, James Belushi, Marianne Muellerleile
The supporting cast fares better than the two leads this schmaltzy, overly sentimental romantic comedy where a widower falls in love with the woman who received his dead wife's heart. This movie has it's moments, but on a whole it's pretty forgettable. C+

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Directed by: David Yates
Written by: J.K. Rowling; Steve Kloves
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman
Yet another year at Hogwarts. After the last two decent installments in this seemingly endless series, this was a major letdown. It's just boring. Running for nearly two and a half hours, how kids (let alone adults) can find this film interesting is beyond me. D

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
Directed by: Robert Hamer
Written by: Roy Horniman; Robert Hamer + John Dighton
Starring: Dennis Price, Valerie Hobson, Joan Greenwood, Alec Guinness, Audry Fildes, Miles Malleson
I expected so much from this purported dark comedy. A poor young man decides to murder all his relatives one by one in order to claim a royal title. The only reason to see this boring film is Alec Guiness, who plays eight different roles. Sadly, his screen time is limited, with each role a glorified cameo. The rest of the movie is never that funny or engaging. Overrated. C-

See It 10/6

2009-10-06T13:32:00.006-04:00

The Hustler (1961)
Directed by: Robert Rossen
Written by: Walter Travis; Sidney Carroll + Robert Rossen
Starring: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, Goerge C. Scott, Myron McCormick, Murray Hamilton, Michael Constantine

In this wonderfully acted film about a cocky pool-shark (Newman) who goes up against a long-time champion (Gleason) in a single high0-stakes match, Paul Newman has never better than he was here. A-

Dead Man Walking (1995)
Directed by: Tim Robbins
Written by: Helen Prejean; Tim Robbins
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Robert Prosky, Raymond J. Barry, R. Lee Ermey, Celia Weston, Lois Smith, Scott Wilson, Roberta Maxwell, Margo Martindale

Susan Sarandon is excellent as a nun who becomes aquainted with a death row inmate (played brilliantly by Sean Penn) and becomes a target of outrage from the killer's victims parents. Very well done all around, and it doesn't get too preachy about the rights and wrongs of capital punishment, which surprised me given the reputations of Sarandon, Robbins and Penn. A-

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman (1994)
Directed by: Ang Lee
Written by: Ang Lee, James Schamus + Hui-Ling Wang
Starring: Sihung Lung, Yu-Wen Wang, Chien-lien Wu, Kuei-Mei Yang, Sylvia Chang, Winston Chao, Chao-jung Chen

This delightful film centers around an elderly cook and his three grown daughters, and their lives, all connected by their weekly family dinners. All four story lines intersect beautifully, with excellent performances from all. By the end of the film you won't help but smile. A

Read a Goddam Book!

2009-10-06T13:22:00.004-04:00

Click

New Show To Check Out: Modern Family

2009-10-06T12:51:00.005-04:00

Modern Family (ABC)
Wednesdays at 9:00
Starring: Ed O'Neill, Julie Bowen, Sofia Vergara, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Sarah Hyland, Nolan Gould, Ariel Winter, Rico Rodriguez

This hilarious new show centers around three families which are interrelated through Jay Pritchett, his uptight gay son Mitchell Pritchett and his married and harried daughter Claire Dunphy. The families occasionally meet with each other at family functions, such as the meeting of Mitchell and Cameron's new baby in the first episode.

The stand-outs on the show are Sofia Vergara as Jay's fiery Colombian wife of six months, Ty Burrell as the wannabe 'cool dad,' and Eric Stonestreet as Mitchell's flamboyant boyfriend.

'Modern Family' mostly reminds me of a more grounded 'Arrested Development' mixed in with the documentary-style laughs of 'The Office.' Each episode has three main storylines that involve the members of each branch of the family, and unlike some multiple strand shows where some storylines get boring, this show makes them all work.

Watch On Hulu

Skip It 10/2

2009-10-02T00:37:00.005-04:00

September (1987)
Directed by: Woody Allen
Written by: Woody Allen
Starring: Mia Farrow, Elaine Stritch, Sam Waterson, Denholm Elliott, Dianne Weist, Jack Warden
A group of people clash in a summer house. Nothing substantial happens here in one of Woody Allen's more annoying movies. D

Bullitt (1968)
Directed by: Peter Yates
Written by: Robert L. Fish; Harry Kleiner + Alan Trustman
Starring: Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, Norman Fell
A policeman is assigned to guard a witness from the mob. The movie is famous for a chase scene, that isn't even that impressive by today's standards. The rest of the movie is so slow it's hard to keep track of the plot, or remain interested. C

Time After Time (1979)
Directed by: Nicholas Meyer
Written by: Karl Alexander; Steve Hayes + Nicholas Meyer
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, Mary Steenburgen, Charles Cioffi, Kent Williams, Andonia Katsaroos, Patti D'Arbanville
H.G. Welles travels back in time to present day San Francisco to track down Jack the Ripper. Despite the subject matter, it's more of a fish out of water comedy than a thriller. C

Darkman (1990)
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Written by: Sam Raimi + Chuck Pfarrer + Ivan Raimi + Daniel Goldin + Joshua Goldin
Starring: Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels, Larry Grant, Nelson Mashita
Like most of Sam Raimi's films, this one, about a scientist scarred in a chemical fire turned vigilante, is obnoxious, overblown, loud and ultimately hollow. C+

See It 10/1

2009-10-01T02:39:00.006-04:00

The Four Seasons (1981)
Directed by: Alan Alda
Written by: Alan Alda
Starring: Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Len Cariou, Sandy Dennis, Rita Moreno, Jack Weston, Bess Armstrong, Elizabeth Alda, Beatrice Alda
A group of adult friends deal with one couple's divorce throughout the course of a year. Even though the story is routine and the direction pretty stagey, the cast is great. Woody Allen-lite.
B+

Silver Streak (1976)
Directed by: Arthur Hiller
Written by: Colin Higgins
Starring: Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Jill Clayburgh, Patrick McGoohan, Ned Beatty, Clifton James, Ray Walston, Len Birman, Valerie Curtin, Lucille Benson, Scatman Crothers, Richard Kiel, Fred Willard
A mild mannered man witnesses a murder aboard a train. After getting thrown off by some hoods, he does whatever he can to find the killer, prove he isn't guilty, save the girl and get to Los Angeles. The best parts of the movie feature Wilder and Pryor on screen together. The rest is pretty forgettable. B-

The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Written by: Richard Matheson; Jane Wagner
Starring: Lily Tomlin, Charles Grodin, Ned Beatty, Henry Gibson, Elizabeth Wilson, Maria Smith, Pamela Bellwood
A suburban housewife is exposed to a combination of chemicals that cause her to rapidly shrink. She subsequently becomes a celebrity and her life is changed even more. Lily Tomlin is great, as always, but something just seems off about the whole thing. Regardless, see it for Tomlin, playing duel roles. B-

Mother, Jugs, & Speed (1976)
Directed by: Peter Yates
Written by: Stephen Manes; Tom Mankiewicz
Starring: Bill Cosby, Raquel Welch, Harvey Keitel, Allen Garfield, L.Q. Jones, Bruce Davison, Dick Butkus, Larry Hagman, Valerie Curtain
A group of drivers for a private ambulance company in LA deal with the competition, day to day excitement and shenanigans, and eachother. Cosby and Keitel are good, Welch is beautiful, and there are some really funny moments. Does have some slow patches and a rather depressing section, but all in all it's a fun movie. B

New Show To Check Out: Cougar Town

2009-09-29T12:47:00.004-04:00

Cougar Town (ABC)
Wednesdays at 9:30
Starring: Courtney Cox, Busy Phillips, Christa Miller, Dan Byrd, Josh Hopkins, Ian Gomez

I was never a fan of 'Friends.' I could never get into any of the characters and the relationship drama got on my nerves. After 'Friends' went off the air, everyone wondered what the cast members would do next. Of all the cast members post-'Friends' projects, Courtney Cox has had the most interesting.

She starred in the FX drama 'Dirt,' where she played a ruthless Hollywood tabloid editor. While the first season was a dark exploration of the price of fame, the second season tried to lighten things up and the show lost it's edge. Due to low ratings and the writers strike, the show was cancelled seven episodes into it's second season.

Now Cox is back in a great vehicle. In 'Cougar Town' she plays a recently divorced single mom who, with the help of her young real estate co-worker, played hilariously by Busy Phillips, tries to reenter the dating world. What I expected to be a trainwreck actually turned out to be very funny. The writing is great, the humor mixing wit and raunch, and the pacing is quick. Hopefully the quality doesn't slip as the series continues.

Watch On Hulu

Skip It 9/29

2009-09-29T12:05:00.005-04:00

Extremities (1986)
Directed by: Rober M. Young
Written by: William Mastrosimone
Starring: Farrah Fawcett, James Russo, Alfre Woodard, Diana Scarwid, Sandy Martin
A woman is attacked and almost raped. The rapist tracks her down to her house, where she is attacked again, but she soon turns the tables on her attacker. This is pretty hard to watch, and gets really campy once she subdues her attacker. Fawcett is good, but everything else is just weird. C+

The Detective (1968)
Directed by: Gordon Douglas
Written by: Roderick Thorpe; Abby Mann
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Lee Remick, Ralph Meeker, Jack Klugman, Jacqueline Bisset, Horace McMahon, Lloyd Bochner, Tony Musante, Robert Duvall, Sugar Ray Robinson, Renee Taylor
When a gay man is murdered, Sinatra, as the surprisingly not-homophobic detective, tries to find the killer. Too much of this movie is bogged down by the detective's relationship drama with a wooden Lee Remick. Although it must have been shocking when released, it's never very exciting, and goes on far too long. C

Sunset Beat (1990)
Directed by: Bill Corcoran + Sam Weisman
Written by: unknown
Starring: George Clooney, Michael DeLuise, Markus Flanagan, Erik King, James Tolkan, Jack McGee
A group of undercover cops who ride motorcycles around LA battle with a sadistic kingpin. A pilot for a short lived television show, this is just bad. Clooney makes the best of his role, and it's clear why he's gone on to such success. F

Catch the Heat (1987)
Directed by: Joel Silberg
Written by: Stirling Silliphant
Starring: Tiana Alexander, David Dukes, Rod Steiger, Brian Thompson, Jorge Martinez
A female cop goes undercover as an exotic dancer in South America. Discovers that drug dealers are smuggling cocaine into the US by implanting it in women's breasts. Absolutely awful. F

See It 9/29

2009-09-29T11:47:00.004-04:00

How To Beat the High Co$t of Living (1980)
Directed by: Robert Scheerer
Written by: Leonora Thuna + Robert Kaufman
Starring: Jane Curtin, Susan Saint James, Jessica Lange, Richard Benjamin, Fred Willard, Eddie Albert, Dabney Coleman, Cathryn Damon, Sybil Danning, Garrett Morris
Serviceable comedy about three women in dire straits who plot to steal a large sum of money from their local shopping mall. A poor man's '9 To 5,' it could be funnier, but for a comedy about the effects of an economic recession, it works. Could be remade today with Kristen Wiig, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. B

The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
Directed by: Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, Tim Whelen, Alexander Korda, Zoltan Korda, William Cameron Menzies
Written by: Miles Malleson
Starring: John Justin, Sabu, Conrad Veidt, June Duprez, Rex Ingram, Miles Malleson, Morton Selten, Mary Morris
The original 'Aladdin' features remarkable technicolor cinematography and great special effects for the time. The acting is a little hokey, but this big budget fantasy is a must see. A-

Victim (1961)
Directed by: Basil Dearden
Written by: Janet Green + John McCormick
Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Sylvia Sims, Dennis Price, Nigel Stock, Peter McEnery, Donald Churchill
When homosexuality was a punishable crime, a closeted englishman investigates a series of blackmailings involving other closeted men, fearing he may be the next target. One of the first movies to address homosexuality face on. It's a bit dated and sometimes boring, but it's a must see to realize how far we've come in terms of equality. B

All Over the Guy (2001)
Directed by: Julie Davis
Written by: Dan Bucatinsky
Starring: Dan Bucatinsky, Richard Ruccolo, Sasha Alexander, Adam Goldberg, Doris Roberts, Andrea Martin, Joanna Kerns, Christina Ricci, Lisa Kudrow
A charming gay romantic comedy. The leads aren't very interesting, but there are some funny parts and supporting players Andrea Martin and Doris Roberts are hilarious. B-

Skip It 9/28

2009-09-28T22:57:00.006-04:00

Modern Girls (1986)
Directed by: Jerry Kramer
Written by: Laurie Craig
Starring: Cynthia Gibb, Virginia Madsen, Daphne Zuniga, Clayton Rohner, Chris Nash, Stephen Shellen, Rick Overton, Pamela Springsteen
Lame comedy following a group of girlfriends during a wild night out in Los Angeles. Almost approaches the 'so bad it's good' level. D

Three Girls About Town (1941)
Directed by: Leigh Jason
Written by: Richard Carroll
Starring: Joan Blondell, Robert Benchley, Binnie Barnes, Janet Blair, John Howard, Hugh O'Connell, Una O'Connor
Boring screwball comedy deals with three hotel hostesses and a reporter who try to hide a dead body they found in their hotel room. D

Night Terror (1977)
Directed by: E.W. Swackhamer
Written by: Carl Babler + Richard DeNeut
Starring: Valerie Harper, Richard Romanus, Nicholas Pryor, John Quade, Michael Tolan, Beatrice Manley
A woman driving long distance witnesses a murder. The deranged killer pursues her along the lonely desert highways. Good for a TV suspense movie, but still not very good. C+

Still of the Night (1982)
Directed by: Robert Benton
Written by: Robert Benton
Starring: Roy Scheider, Meryl Streep, Jessica Tandy, Joe Grifasi, Sara Botsford, Josef Sommer, Frederikke Borge
A mystery thriller that isn't very thrilling. A psychiatrist investigates the murder of a former patient with the help of the patients lover. C

See It 9/28

2009-09-28T14:57:00.012-04:00

The Red Shoes (1948)
Directed by: Michael Powell + Emeric Pressburger
Written by: Hans Christian Andersen; Emeric Pressburger + Michael Powell
Starring: Marius Goring, Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, Leonide Massine, Robert Helpmann, Albert Bressermann, Esmond Knight, Ludmilla Tcherina
Beautiful technicolor cinematography and wonderful ballet sequences make up for plodding story and bad acting. B+

The Census Taker (1984)
Directed by: Bruce R. Cook
Written by: Bruce R. Cook + William Kerwin + W. Gordon Smith
Starring: Greg Mullavy, Meredith MacRae, Timothy Bottoms, Austen Taylor, Garrett Morris, Troy Alexander, Erin-Bruce Tolcharian
Funny dark comedy concerning a suburban couple who murder a rude census taker, and go about hiding the body during a dinner party. Very 80's and very dry. Austen Taylor stands out as ditzy sister-in-law. B+

The Whales of August (1987)
Directed by: Lindsay Anderson
Written by: David Berry
Starring: Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Vincent Price, Ann Southern, Harry Carey Jr.
Two elderly sisters reside in their remote seaside cabin in Maine. Throughout the course of a couple days they come to terms with their lives. Good performances all around. A-

Burglar (1987)

2009-09-22T00:24:00.005-04:00

Directed by: Hugh Wilson
Written by: Lawrence Block; Matthew Wilson + Hugh Wilson
Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Bobcat Goldthwait, G.W. Bailey, Lesley Ann Warren, James Handy, Anne De Salvo, John Goodman, Elizabeth Ruscio

In 1985 Whoopi Goldberg made her film debut in 'The Color Purple' and gave one of the best performances of all time. After the success of 'The Color Purple' it seemed like Hollywood wasn't really sure how to find the right fit for Goldbergs talents. In 1986 and 1987, she starred in three action comedies, 'Jumpin' Jack Flash,' 'Fatal Beauty,' and 'Burglar.' It seemed like Hollywood was trying to mold her into a female Eddie Murphy.

Of the three, 'Burglar' is easily the best. Goldberg plays Bernice Rhodenbarr, a cat burglar and used book shop owner. When an ex-cop comes to her with a threat to hand in evidence that he withheld years ago that would incriminate her, she is forced to do a job for him. She agrees to steal a dentist's jewellery back from her ex-husband after a messy split. She carries out the crime but is interrupted and has to hide. When she comes out of hiding she finds the man dead and her bag of jewels gone. In order to clear herself she must find out who would want the man dead before the cops can get to her.

While 'Fatal Beauty' was too dark, and 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' was too scattershot, 'Burglar' manages to find a good balance between the comedy and the action. Most of the comedy comes from Goldberg, who plays the smart-ass, streetwise type very well. The rest of the laughs come from Bobcat Goldthwait, playing Goldberg's manic friend, and Lesley Ann Warren, playing the frazzled dentist. The rest of the cast plays it straight, not attempting to upstage the star, and it works well.

The film does have it's major flaws. Some sequences drag on too long, some of the comedy falls flat, and the movie is filled with cliched twists and turns. But when the film works, it works, thanks completely to Goldberg.

Final Verdict: See it if you want to see Whoopi Goldberg before she got all schmaltzy in the 1990's, and especially before she replaced Rosie on 'The View.'

Dead Of Winter (1987)

2009-09-18T20:23:00.004-04:00

Directed by: Arthur Penn
Written by: Marc Shmuger + Mark Malone
Starring: Mary Steenburgen, Roddy McDowell, Jan Rubes, William Russ, Ken Pogue, Wayne Robson, Mark Malone

Mary Steenburgen plays Katie, a down on her luck actress who is told that she is being considered to take over a film role that was being played by someone else who greatly resembles her. The casting director (Roddy McDoweel) tell her that the first actress had a breakdown and ran away from the set. She is taken to a snowbound country house in remote upstate New York to film an audition tape for the eldery, wheelchair bound producer (Jan Rubes.) After she arrives, things begin to look as if they are not what they seem. Katie soon realizes she is in incredible danger and attempts escape.

With a premise straight out of a 40's suspense melodrama, I didn't expect much from this film. Like most bad thrillers, the most entertaining portions of the film occur in the last twenty minutes, after the damsel in distress finally pieces things together and has to fight for her life. But the majority of the movie is just tedious set-up and scenes of Katie acting like an idiot as she uncovers what her hosts are really up to.

Is she so desperate for a job that she'd go to a remote house out in the country with a complete stranger, just to shoot an audition tape? If you see your drivers license burning in a fireplace, would you not automatically question your hosts? The movie is filled with situations where Katie is forced to do something stupid in order to move the story along. I've seen this so many times in so many of these kinds of movies, but at least sometimes it's exciting. Not here.

Like I said, things pick up in the last act. When Katie's evil Doppelgänger shows up, things get interesting, mainly because we get to see Steenburgen play two different roles, one timid and afraid, the other heartless and evil. Unfortunately for the film, but not for me, their final confrontation is so absurdly shot and choreographed, the scene intended to be tense turns out to be hilarious camp straight out of a Joan Crawford or Bette Davis thriller from the twilight of their careers.

To sum things up the movie isn't a complete disaster, it's just too derivative of films of the past, and doesn't add anything new to the 'woman in distress' thriller sub-genre. Steenburgen is pretty good, even if her character can be a complete idiot at times, and Roddy McDowell has some demented fun when the shit finally hits the fan during the climax.

Final Verdict: See It (if you don't mind cliches.)

The Rain People (1969)

2009-09-14T19:28:00.005-04:00

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Written by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Shirley Knight, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Marya Zimmet, Tom Aldredge, Laura Crews, Andrew Duncan, Margaret Fairchild

Shirley Knight plays Sara Ravenna, a Long Island housewife who runs away from her marriage when she discovers she is pregnant. She plans to drive into America's heartland and start anew. Along the way she picks up a friendly hitchhiker (James Caan) who calls himself 'Killer.' Soon she discovers that the good natured 'Killer' is actually brain damaged, and by picking him up she has unknowingly taken on a huge responsibility. The two of them drive all the way to Nebraska, where Sara gets Killer a job helping out at a roadside reptile farm. It is here that Sara meets Gordon, a local cop, and soon things go horribly wrong for everyone.

This is a powerful drama about people disconnected from society, alienated by the choices they make or by the limits imposed on them by others. Even with such a low budget and a very freewheeling attitude, the film is able to capture everything that needs to be said through these clearly defined characters. Shirley Knight has a complex, diverging role and there are moments of some awe-inspiring acting by her. One of my favorites is when she is on the telephone calling her home to her worried husband the first time. It is such a tense scene on both ends, and in every small gesture and inflection of a word, so much about her is spoken with so little. Then comes in the character of 'Killer' played by James Caan. This character is unlike any I've ever seen him play, and he performs wonderfully. It's one of his best performances as he is very restrained and moving.

The way Coppola develops the characters by using short, dream-like flashbacks is very clever, adding a fragmented kind of view onto it all. The quick flashbacks that are graphic and self-contained contrast well with the longer shots in some crucial scenes. Also, because this film was shot on location all over the Eastern U.S., it offers an interesting, authentic look at America in the late 1960's.

I haven't seen any other films starring Ms. Knight, I'm only familiar with her more recent work on television, usually playing a nagging mother in law or a dotty old woman. It was great seeing her so young, beautiful, and so wonderfully subtle in this movie. It's also kind of a shame that James Caan went on to be typecast as the 'tough guy' for the rest of his career, because this film evidenced that he is capable of so much more than that.

Final Verdict: See It

Mr. Frost (1990)

2009-09-14T01:23:00.003-04:00

Directed by: Philippe Setbon
Written by: Derry Hall + Brad Lynch
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Alan Bates, Kathy Baker, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Vincent Schiavelli, Maxime Leroux, Francois Negret

When an insane mass murderer Mr. Frost (Jeff Goldblum) arrives at a secluded European psychiatric hospital, the only female doctor on the staff (Kathy Baker) finds herself strangely fascinated by him. He only speaks when she is around, and she is slowly seduced by his odd charms and mystique, despite his bloody past. Soon odd, frightening and deadly things begin to occur inside and outside of the clinic, and Mr. Frost reveals that he is more than just a mad serial killer, he claims he is Satan himself, and it is up to the doctor and a policeman (Alan Bates) to stop him.

For a so called horror film, nothing even remotely scary happens. Sure a few people are murdered and some 'scary' visions are seen, but even when these things happen, the filmmakers manage to make it boring, from beginning to end.

All the actors are terrible, especially Goldblum, who basically plays the same character he always plays but with long hair and a bad mood. The usually adept Kathy Baker seems bored whenever she isn't in some sort of trance or in Frost's thrall.

This movie has an interesting premise, but the script is pretty stupid, and the execution is even worse. Whether it was from budget constraints, a bad director, a satanic curse, or a mixture of all these things, the film is just awful. A better director could have taken the crappy script, improved on it's interesting conceits, and made a somewhat entertaining supernatural thriller. But there's no such luck here. What we get is a dull, wannabe intelligent horror film. It shoots to be in league with 'The Exorcist' but ends up in the toilet with 'Bless the Child.'

Final Verdict: Skip It

Nickelodeon (1976)

2009-09-13T19:56:00.003-04:00

Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich
Written by: Peter Bogdanovich + W.D. Richter
Starring: Ryan O'Neal, Burt Reynolds, Tatum O'Neal, Brian Keith, Stella Stevens, John Ritter, Jane Hitchcock, Jack Perkins

This homage to the childhood days of the motion pictures starts in 1910, when the young attorney Leo Harrigan (Ryan O'Neal) by chance meets a motion picture producer. Immediately he's invited to become a writer for him - the start of a sensational career. Soon he's promoted to a director and shoots one silent movie after the other in the tiny desert village of Cacamonga with a small crew of actors. But the competition is hard: the patent agency sends out Buck Greenway (Burt Reynolds) to sabotage them. When they visit L.A., his crew is surprised by a new species: fans!

This movie has many problems. The biggest one being it's running time. At over two hours, it's just way too long for a comedy, especially one that aspires to recreate the screwball humor of the olden days. The second problem is the confusing tone. One moment it's a love story, the next it's a slapstick comedy, then it's a history of early filmmaking, then it's a melodrama, then back to comedy. Repeat that for over two hours and things get pretty tiresome. Because of the constant jerking of the tone, none of the leads make much of an impression with their characters.

The slapstick comedy that worked so well in director Bogdanovich's hilarious 'What's Up Doc?' falls flat on it's face here. If Bogdanovich hadn't used such a heavy-handed slapstick, there might have emerged a fond tribute to the pioneering days of silent films in the early part of the 20th Century. But instead, he has filled the movie with a whole series of non-stop sight gags that become tiresome and repetitious, even more so because none of the characters involved really come to life. As the pretty heroine of the piece, Jane Hitchcock has very limited abilities beyond staring wide-eyed into the camera lens. Burt Reynolds at least does derive several good chuckles from his comedy efforts as a reluctant participant in the troupe of silent film actors. Younger and elder O'Neal are not too bad, but Ryan is never as funny as he was in 'What's Up Doc?' and Tatum, whose performance in 'Paper Moon' is still the best child performance ever on film, isn't very memorable here.

Technically, the film is handsomely produced and pleasing to look at in color, but it plods along without the benefit of a tight script or a really compelling story and suffers, mainly, from the heavy-handed approach to comedy.

Final Verdict: Skip It

Bobby Deerfield (1977)

2009-09-12T00:21:00.006-04:00

Directed by: Sydney Pollack
Written by: Erich Maria Remarque; Alvin Sargent
Starring: Al Pacino, Marthe Keller, Anny Duperey, Walter McGinn, Romolo Valli, Stephan Meldegg

I was glad I caught this Al Pacino film. I had never heard of it, and unlike his other excellent work in the 1970's, this seems to have been all but forgotten.

This is the story of a racing car driver Bobby Deerfield (Pacino) who cheats on his unloved wife (Duperey) and finds solace in the arms of Lillian Morelli, a strange and irresistible woman (Keller). In the long conversations where they explore each other's lives, Lillian asks incessant questions and invents dramatic events of her past life just to add interest and excitement to their exchange of ideas. Lillian has a teasing manner and Bobby finds her mannerisms strange at first but then begins to realise that here is a woman of difference and he begins falling in love with her and seeks her out wherever she happens to be. Bobby's journeys take him to some of the most romantic spots in France and Italy, beautiful vistas that really enhance the film. But Bobby soon discovers that his wife knows more about this quirky woman than he does.

Unlike many of Pacino's films, this is an very subtle film. Nothing terribly exciting happens during the film, but the chemistry between the two leads is wonderful. The scenes with the two of them just talking are so romantic and interesting. Also, the scenery is gorgeous, as is the lush soundtrack.

Like many people, I prefer Pacino's work pre-'Scarface.' In film like this, and 'The Godfather I and II,' 'Panic In Needle Park,' 'Serpico' and 'Cruising,' Pacino creates fascinating characters, one never like the other. In 'Scarface' he went over the top and sadly has rarely come down since.

My favorite scene is when Bobby does an impression for Lillian that he used to do as a child. If this movie were made a decade later, this scene would have been painful to watch. But as he does his best imitation of Mae West, the scene is sweet, and Pacino reveals a vulnerability in Bobby that shoots straight to your heart.

Final Verdict: See It

The Apartment (1960)

2009-09-11T23:53:00.005-04:00

Directed by: Billy Wilder
Written by: Billy Wilder + I.A.L. Diamond
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Jack Kruschen, David Lewis, Hope Holiday, Joan Shawlee

Bud Baxter (Lemmon) is a struggling clerk in a huge New York insurance company. He's discovered a quick way to climb the corporate ladder - by lending out his apartment to the executives as a place to take their mistresses. He often has to deal with the aftermath of their visits and one night he's left with a major problem to solve, when the girl he loves, Fran Kubelik (MacLaine,) who also happens to be the mistress of his boss, tries to kill herself in his bedroom.

I expected so much from this film, as it's always referred to as a classic. In my opinion, it's a ridiculously overrated film. The main characters are absurd and their motivations make little sense. The supporting cast plays characters right out of a comic book. All this superficiality and absurdity wouldn't matter at all if only this were a proper comedy. Unfortunately, it isn't one. This is a romantic melodrama with some humorous one liners.

The film plays up the near-perfection and integrity of its two main leads, but it simply doesn't wash in MacLaine's case. If she is such an angel why is she a home-wrecker who goes out with a married man with kids? Her suicide attempt is too far-fetched and overly dramatic. And what's with Lemmon's character? This guy is so self-sacrificing and noble that he should have been nailed to the cross in the last scene.

The basic plot outline of the film is good and there was real potential there for a terrific situation comedy, but Billy Wilder took the easy route and turned this into a schmaltzy romance film with the Hollywood violins accompanying every schmaltzy scene. The charisma of the two leads simply isn't enough to drag this movie out of the mud. The jokes and gags that there are, are mostly primitive and outdated at best.

Final Verdict: Skip It

And God Created Woman (1988)

2009-09-11T22:24:00.005-04:00

Directed by: Roger Vadim
Written by: R.J. Stewart
Starring: Rebecca De Mornay, Vincent Spano, Frank Lengella, Donovan Leitch, Judith Chapman

Probably one of the worst movies of the 1980's, 'And God Created Woman' stars Rebecca De Mornay as Robin, a prison inmate who convinces the prison handyman (Spano) to marry her for a large sum of money so she can get released on parole. When she's out, they move in together and don't get along. Robin starts a rock-band, hoping to fulfill her life long dreams of becoming famous. Soon Robin catches the eye of local senator James Tiernan, and they eventually have an affair. As Robin's new found freedom is put in jeopardy, she must do whatever she can to remain free, while not hurting the man she really loves.

If there was ever a movie looking for a point, this is it. The movie has no direction, it wants to be too many things and ends up nowhere. There are prison breaks, gratuitous sex, family squabbles, political banquets, and rock bands. The writing in this is so over the top I had a hard time figuring out if this movie was intended as a drama or a comedy.

Hack director Roger Vadim, remaking his own 1956 film of the same name, had hoped this might do for De Morney what the original film did for famous sex symbol Brigitte Bardot, but the film turned out to be a box-office dud, and she'd have to wait a few more years before her chilling performance in 'The Hand That Rocks the Cradle' finally saw her deservedly hit the big time.

Final Verdict: Skip It

I Saw What You Did (1965)

2009-09-11T21:59:00.003-04:00

Directed by: William Castle
Written by: Ursula Curtiss; William P. McGivern
Starring: John Ireland, Sara Lane, Andi Garrett, Sharyl Locke, Joan Crawford, Leif Erickson

A trio of teenage girls spend the night alone in a big old house making prank calls to people from the phonebook. They have the incredibly bad luck of calling a man who has just murdered his wife and telling him, "I saw what you did, and I know who you are!" Thinking they are serious, the killer decides to find them and do them in. Also involved in all of this is the killers amorous neighbor, played by Joan Crawford, who sticks her nose into her neighbors business one too many times.

What a great idea gone to crap. The photography is flat, the acting is beyond weak, the score was from a 1960's sitcom, and the 'thrills' are non-existent. This movie has such a foolproof concept, but the writing is contrived and convenient. I try to see a silver lining in most bad movies, especially one that features Crawford, but there's no hope for this one.

Final Verdict: Skip It

1969 (1986)

2009-09-10T23:58:00.004-04:00

Directed by: Ernest Thompson
Written by: Ernest Thompson
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Kiefer Sutherland, Bruce Dern, Mariette Hartley, Winona Ryder, Joanna Cassidy

Kiefer Sutherland plays Scott, a naïve and idealistic 19-year-old who attends college with his best friend Ralph (Downey Jr.) to avoid being drafted into the army and shipped out to Vietnam, the fate that has befallen his older brother. The film focuses on the boy's experiences during their last summer of innocence, but nothing much really happens. They go to San Francisco, sit in a bar, then come straight home again. Ralph has a bad LSD trip, while Scott falls in love with Ralph's younger sister (Ryder,) and grows increasingly adrift from his war-hero father (Dern) over the war in Vietnam. Even though the film takes place in 1969, nothing of that era is successfully captured here, and the presence of three young stars of the 80's doesn't help either.

Watching it, you sit there waiting for something meaningful to happen, something interesting that might make you give a damn about the people involved. You wait and you wait, and finally, five minutes from the end credits, the film pulls an 'inspiring' and 'uplifting' scene that is truly horrible to watch. I really mean that – it's horrible. I couldn't believe it was actually happening, or that a screenwriter of any merit would expect us to believe that the characters' deeply ingrained convictions about a subject as complex as that which he has tried to tackle could be swept aside so superficially.

Final Verdict: Skip It

Barefoot In the Park (1967)

2009-09-10T23:29:00.004-04:00

Directed by: Gene Saks
Written by: Neil Simon
Starring: Jane Fonda, Robert Redford, Charles Boyer, Mildred Natwick, Herb Edelman

Robert Redford plays Paul Bratter, a conservative young lawyer, just married to a vivacious young woman, Corrie, played by Jane Fonda. Their highly passionate relationship descends into comical discord in a five-flight New York City walk-up apartment.

The only reason to check out this horribly dated comedy are the performances by Charles Boyer and Mildred Natwick, who play the eccentric upstairs neighbor and Corrie's uptight mother, respectively. Whenever they are on screen the movie comes alive with a comic energy that is absent in the rest of the film.

Redford and Fonda are alright but forgettable, and like most of the Neil Simon movie adaptations, the dialogue is corny and dated. In their day, Simon's plays must have been great on stage, but every film adaptation has the same kind of inoffensive and milquetoast humor that only Park Avenue types still find funny. After a while it just gets boring. Boyer and Natwick manage to make it work, but Fonda and Redford just sound like actors reciting dialogue from a play.

Final Verdict: See It for Charles Boyer and Mildred Natwick

Mighty Aphrodite (1995)

2009-09-10T23:01:00.006-04:00

Directed by: Woody Allen
Written by: Woody Allen
Starring: Woody Allen, Mira Sorvino, F. Murray Abraham, Helena Bonham Carter, Olympia Dukakis, Michael Rapaport, David Ogden Stiers, Jack Warden, Peter Weller, Danielle Ferland

Sportswriter Lenny Weinrib (Allen) and his wife (Bonham-Carter) adopt a baby from an anonymous mother. After a few years pass, Lenny starts to wonder about the woman. Curiosity quickly gets the better of him, so he steals files from the adoption agency and sets out to find her. Lenny is dismayed, maybe even terrified, to find that Linda (Sorvino,) the mother, is a beautiful $200-an-hour prostitute. So that he can fashion the proper mother-son reunion and save himself from what fate seems to have in store, he determines to 'reform' Linda. Interwoven throughout the story is a greek chorus (including F. Murray Abraham and Olympia Dukakis,) who add their own unique take on the proceedings.

I've always preferred Woody Allen's comedies over his dramas. This one is probably one of my favorites. This film is a great example of Woody Allen showing no interest in convincing his audience into swallowing down some serious morals. It's light, fluffy, shamelessly sentimental and does not suffer a bit because of it. The plot is generally an uplifting tale of changing ones life for the better, and intertwined with this is some of Woody Allen's best humour. There are many entertaining characters, especially Mira Sorvino's prostitute and Michael Rapaport's dim-witted boxer, Kevin.

The stand-out here is Mira Sorvino. She is absolutely enthralling, with her ditsy nature and confidence masking a timid vulnerability, all of which earned her a well deserved Oscar. Linda could have been an over the top, cartoonish character, Pygmalion on crack. But under the careful direction of Allen, Sorvino gives the best performance of her career so far, and one of the funniest performances ever.

Final Verdict: See It

Weird Science (1985)

2009-09-09T00:10:00.004-04:00

Directed by: John Hughes
Written by: John Hughes
Starring: Kelly LeBrock, Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Bill Paxton, Suzanne Snyder, Judie Aronson, Robert Downey Jr., Robert Rusler, Vernon Wells, Michael Berryman

The plot is simple. Two unpopular teenage virgins (Hall and Mitchell-Smith) use a supercomputer to build the perfect woman (Kelly LeBrock.) She's programed to give them whatever they want. (Why they only create one for the two of them is a little kinky, no?) Instead of giving them what they want, the all-knowing Lisa gives them what she knows they really want. They want to be popular, well liked, cool, and most of all, popular with the ladies. So she sets out to boost their confidence using her magic powers and sex appeal in various ways.

The boys deal with bullies (Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Rusler,) a nasty older brother (Bill Paxton,) uptight parents, a gang of mutant bikers, a nuclear warhead in the living room, and cranky grandparents, all while gaining respect from their classmates and winning the affection of two popular girls from school.

Personally, I have never been big a fan of John Hughes movies*. I think 'Sixteen Candles,' 'Ferris Bueller,' and 'The Breakfast Club' are all overrated. They're not bad movies, I've just never personally found them very interesting.

But I really enjoyed 'Weird Science.' It's probably one of the most unpretentious films I've ever seen. It's random, funny, bizarre and has a refreshing anarchic feel to it. It's like a punk film without the punks.

Watch the Trailer

Final Verdict: See It

*Excludes the first three 'Vacation' movies, 'Class Reunion,' 'Uncle Buck,' 'Home Alone 1 & 2,' 'Beethoven 1 & 2,' and 'Dennis the Menace.' All films I cherish from my childhood. He only wrote those ones.

Gandhi (1982)

2009-09-08T21:39:00.005-04:00

Directed by: Richard Attenborough
Written by: John Briley
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Rohini Hattangadi, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Martin Sheen, Ian Charleson, Athol Fugard, Geraldine James

The only times I've ever heard this film mentioned it was usually disparaging remarks about how it's overrated or how it stole awards from more deserving films the year it was released. Because of those comments I never really had much desire to see 'Gandhi.' What a mistake. This film is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.

The film follows Mohandas K. Gandhi from when he was a young lawyer in South Africa, leading non-violent protest against the colonial British powers, to his assassination many years later, after he became known as 'The Father of India.' We see his struggles to unite the native population of India, including Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, to peacefully reject the authority of the British Empire through non-cooperation. We witness the sacrifices he and his followers made to sustain their vision of a free India, the torrents of abuse those who followed him suffered, and the astonishing way they all took it in stride, and the notoriety he and the movement gained all over the world.

Of all the bio-pics I've seen, this is definitely at the top of the list. While other films need to romanticize and glorify their subjects, the real life Gandhi was fascinating enough not to warrant any embellishment on the filmmakers part.

Over the three hour running time we not only get a thoughtful, detailed biography of this fascinating man, but we also get a history of India. We learn what it was like as a native living under Colonial rule, and what the country was like after the British left. We see what caused the rift between Muslims and Hindus, and the creation of present day Pakistan, and the tense, violent relations that still exist between the two nations today.

In other films the actors playing their real life counterparts rarely disappear into their character. Ben Kingsley not only disappears into his role, he becomes Gandhi. Never once during the three hours did I catch myself thinking 'Hmm Ben Kingsley is acting really well!' I can't say that about many of the other acclaimed bio-pics I've seen. On top of Kingsley's brilliant performance, we have a large, wonderful supporting cast. The film also boasts beautiful cinematography and a gorgeous musical score. All of these elements make the long running time fly by.

The makers of this film tried to get it made for over a decade, but kept reaching dead ends. It's a good thing that they pushed through the Hollywood bullshit and were able to make it. Not one minute or one penny were wasted on this magnificent film.

'Gandhi' won Academy Awards for Actor, Director, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Editing, and Best Picture. Looking over the list of people and films it beat out, 'Gandhi' deserved every statuette it received.

Final Verdict: See It

Cooley High (1975)

2009-09-08T18:51:00.004-04:00

Directed by: Michael Schultz
Written by: Eric Monte
Starring: Glynn Turman, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis, Corin Rogers, Maurice Leon Havis, Joseph Carter Wilson

This this coming of age dramedy set in Chicago in the early 60's, we follow a group of highschool friends as they navigate through the ups and downs of their lives. The two central characters are Leroy "Preach" Jackson (Turman) and his best friend Richard "Cochise" Morris (Hilton-Jacobs.) Both of these boys have promising futures. Preach is a great writer but a lazy student, and Cochise has just received a college scholarship for basketball. When they're not hanging out at the local diner shooting craps with their friends, or hanging out at a friends house or chasing girls, they're skipping school, riding the trains through Chicago or going to quarter parties on the weekends.

Things go wrong when Preach and Cochise make the mistake of getting involved with two hoods and go joyriding in a stolen car. The police pursue them and they are arrested. But thanks to the efforts of a concerned teacher (SNL's Garrett Morris) they are released. But the two hoods are not, and vow to get revenge on Preach and Cochise, thinking they blamed the whole thing on them.

This movie is very episodic, but it still works because thats what life is, a series of episodes. Some funny, some sad, some romantic, some bizarre. The film never gets boring because all the characters are so well played and realistic, and the situations are all believable and relatable. Like Preach romantically pursuing a beautiful girl, or a party turning violent when some asshole decides to start a fight, or dealing with a bratty younger sibling. But even when a situation isn't personally relatable, like the guys pretending to be undercover cops to con a hooker out of some money so they could get all their friends into a movie, the sequence is still hilarious.

'Cooley High' was the basis for the classic 70's sitcom 'What's Happenin!' which aired on ABC from 1976-1979. Even though the show is most famous for the character Rerun, he is not in this film, nor is there any character remotely like him. The humor of that show was very broad, but still funny. The humor of 'Cooley High' is truer to life, and thus more entertaining.

Additionally, the soundtrack is wonderful. Classic songs from that period by Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, Martha & the Vandellas, and Smokey Robinson play throughout the film, adding to the fun, youthful, exuberant tone of the film.

Final Verdict: See It

Terror At London Bridge (1985) aka Bridge Across Time

2009-09-08T14:09:00.002-04:00

Directed by: E.W. Swackhamer
Written by: William F. Nolan
Starring: David Hasselhoff, Stepfanie Kramer, Randolph Mantooth, Adrienne Barbeau, Clu Gulager, Rose Marie

In 1888 Jack the Ripper is shot by police and dies in the Thames river. In 1985 the last original stone used to rebuild the London Bridge in Lake Havasu, Arizona is laid, and all the city is happy. But since that moment some strange murders occur in the quiet tourist destination. The policeman Don Gregory (Hasselhoff) has some suspects, but his ideas are quite strange. He thinks that Jack the Ripper has somehow been revived. Nobody believes him, even though he is, in fact, correct.

When I sat down to watch this, I didn't expect a masterpiece. I just expected it to be a bad 80's horror movie that would be good for some laughs and some gore. But this is a made-for-television horror film that should never have been made. The premise is ridiculous, the film is scare free, and the acting is atrocious. And since it was made for TV, there is no gore, just women screaming as Jack raises a blade as we fade to commercial.

This film isn't even good for some laughs. Despite the presence of the always terrible Hasselhoff and cult icon Adrienne Barbeau (who is given nothing interesting to do,) the movie is boring, plodding along until it's predictable conclusion.

Final Verdict: Skip It

Compulsion (1959)

2009-09-08T12:37:00.004-04:00

Directed by: Richard Fleischer
Written by: Meyer Levin; Richard Murphy
Starring: Dean Stockwell, Bradford Dillman, Orson Welles, Diane Varsi, E.G. Marshall, Martin Milner, Richard Anderson, Gavin MacLeod

In this dramatization of the infamous 1924 Leopold and Loeb murder case, Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman play a pair of rich college students who decide that they can commit the perfect murder and get away with it. They kill a young teenage boy, off screen, but are soon arrested when police match a pair of glasses left at the crime scene to one of the men. Their wealthy parents hire renowned defense attorney Jonathan Wilk (Welles,) who is known for his passionate arguments against the death penalty. Both of the killers confess to the crime but Wilk pleads them not guilty. At the trial, they change the plea to guilty and Wilk argues passionately in favor of a life sentence rather than execution.

The first half of the film is great. We meet the two killers, see how they live, what makes them tick. It's all truly fascinating stuff that is acted very well by the leads. But the second half turns the movie into a shallow ad against capital punishment.

Firstly, we do not see the crime being committed. Perhaps seeing two grown men taking a child, killing him basically for fun, and then discarding his body like a bag of garbage would make a viewer think less of the two poor lads who go to trial.

Second, the little boy is treated more as a mentioned aside, rather than a real little boy. We do not see the huge impact that the murder has upon his family. We never even see the body. There are even subtle, basically unchallenged, references to him being a brat. Thus putting a little negative spin in the viewer's mind that the boy brought this evil upon himself!

Third, In the courtroom scenes, the audience is asked to question their beliefs if they happen to think the killers deserve to be executed for their cold blooded crime. During a long-winded speech made by Orson Welles (taken largely from actual courtroom transcripts) he goes on an on about how the two 'boys' shouldn't be put to death. I'm not going to get into what my beliefs on capital punishment are, but to ask an audience to feel some pity on two callous young men who murdered a boy for fun is absolutely ridiculous!

And we don't even hear any type of closing argument from the Prosecutor. As a matter of fact, everyone, even the judge, looks shamed by Orson's 'wonderful' speech about love, mercy, kindness, blah blah blah... It's a big fat cop out.

The acting and cinematography in 'Compulsion' is great, but the screenplay is just shallow liberal propaganda. (<-- And it really hurts me to say that.)

Final Verdict: See it for everything but the message.

Exposed (1983)

2009-09-07T00:31:00.002-04:00

Directed by: James Toback
Written by: James Toback
Starring: Nastassja Kinski, Rudolf Nureyev, Harvey Keitel, Ian McShane, Bibi Andersson, Ron Randell

Every once in a while, you see a movie so dull and so stupid, you have to wonder if drugs were somehow involved in making the film. 'Exposed' is one of those films.

The plot of this film doesn't unravel, it oozes like molasses in January. Nastassja Kinski plays a Wisconsin farm girl named Elizabeth who leaves home and runs away to New York. After being discovered by a fashion photographer (McShane) she is whisked away into the glamorous world of fashion. Soon she's in Europe, and is recruited by a mysterious violin player (the awful corpse-like Rudolf Nureyev) to infiltrate a terrorist organization and kill it's leader. The leader is played by Harvey Keitel, who is given next to nothing to do.

The only good scene is at the very beginning when two terrorist babes blow up a Parisian restaurant. But it all goes downhill from there. In more capable hands and with a better cast, this film could have been good. But everything is a mess. The script is convoluted and boring, the acting is atrocious, the direction is flat, there is no suspense, and no characters that seem even human.

Oddly, so many people seem to praise Nastassja Kinski as a great actress. I've just never seen it. In every film I've seen her in she just seems vacant and bored, but this is Kinski at her worst, no doubt.

Final Verdict: Skip It

A Small Circle of Friends (1980)

2009-09-06T23:45:00.005-04:00

Directed by: Rob Cohen
Written by: Ezra Sacks
Starring: Brad Davis, Karen Allen, Jameson Parker, Shelley Long, John Friedrich, Gary Springer, Richard Nelson

This film follows the lives of three friends (Davis, Allen, and Parker) as they attend Harvard in the 1960's. They meet, bond, fall in and out of love, and challenge the system during the time of social upheaval and student unrest. Their friendship is complicated when a love triangle develops, and it takes a senseless tragedy to bring them crashing back down to earth.

Like many films set in this era, most key events, from LBJ refusing to seek a second term to the rise of the far left terrorist groups, are seen through the eyes of the main characters. But unlike films like 'Forrest Gump,' the historical references feel more organic to the film, and not just points on a timeline.

The three leads are very good as well. Through the various ups and downs in their friendships and the world around them, Brad Davis, Karen Allen and Jameson Parker manage to communicate the changes their characters go through over the two decades this film spans. Even though some of the film borders on melodrama, there are enough interesting sections of the film that keep it from becoming trite.

But what I liked most about this film was that it doesn't romanticize the counter-culture. It shows the flaws in the idealism and that not everyone who was against the war was an enlightened peace loving flower child. But it also shows the good things. Like the sense of community, protest through art, and an embracing of love over violence. 'A Small Circle of Friends' manages to show that the hippies were individuals making their own choices and dealing with the consequences, and not some giant smelly organism that shared a collective consciousness.

Final Verdict: See It

The Dark Half (1993)

2009-09-04T22:41:00.003-04:00

Directed by: George A. Romero
Written by: Stephen King; George A. Romero
Starring: Timothy Hutton, Mary Beth Hurt, Michael Rooker, Julie Harris, Robert Joy, Kent Broadhurst, Beth Grant, Rutanya Alda

There are only a small handful of films based on works by Stephen King that can without a doubt be classified as 'great movies.' They are 'Carrie,' 'The Shining,' 'Misery,' 'Dolores Claiborne,' 'The Dead Zone,' 'Stand By Me' and 'Cujo.' All the others range from 'flawed' to 'awful.'

Despite it's decent cast, and respected horror director Romero at the helm, 'The Dark Half' lies more towards the awful end of the spectrum. The filmmakers gave it their best shot but things just didn't work out. It fails as a horror film in terms of suspense, plausibility, and narrative.

When Thad Beaumont (Hutton) was a child, he had an operation to remove a tumor from his brain. During the operation, it was discovered that far from being a tumor, the growth was a twin brother of Thad's that never developed. Years later, Thad is a successful author, writing his serious books under his own name, and his trashy money-makers under the pseudonum 'George Stark.' When blackmailed by someone who has discovered his secret, Thad publically 'buries' George Stark. From that point on, Thad increasingly becomes the prime suspect in a series of gruesome murders.

Of all the King adaptations I've seen, this is one of the dullest. The main character is unsympathetic, his alter ego is two dimensional and totally hammy, you don't care about any of the victims (much less even know who they are at some points,) and there is hardly any horror and next to no tension.

However, there is some good production design and cinematography on display here, as well as some striking images. Huge flocks of sparrows gathering as an omen of doom is a haunting sight. But that alone can't save this film, which is just another King adaptation from a period where almost everything he'd write would end up being made into a movie.

Final Verdict: Skip It

Dante's Inferno (1935)

2009-09-04T22:10:00.005-04:00

Directed by: Harry Lachman
Written by: Philip Klein + Robert Yost
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Claire Trevor, Henry B. Walthall, Alan Dinehart, Scotty Beckett, Robert Gleckler, Rita Hayworth

Spencer Tracy plays a man who lucks into carnival barking as a result of meeting a man, played by Henry B. Walthall, who runs a concession known as 'Dante's Inferno.' Walthall soon becomes Tracy's father-in-law, and Tracy becomes a successful businessman. He launches a huge, gaudy Inferno employing ruthless means to get the property. Though a wonderful husband and father, in his corporate world, he stops at nothing to get what he wants, including cheating, bribery, and ignoring possible dangers. The consequences are disastrous.

This film features three giant set pieces that must have thrilled audiences in 1935. Two of them are large scale disasters, the first on the boardwalk pier and the second aboard a luxury liner. But the most memorable and eye popping of these set pieces is a lengthy dream sequence where Tracy descends into hell. We see mountains of tortured souls writhing naked in lava, masses of hooded demons marching into oblivion, the damned, suffering, screaming as they are tortured for all eternity. Even if you don't believe a hell exists, this is some visually powerful stuff.

Unfortunately, besides these memorable sequences the story is pretty routine. Poor man makes it big, destroys his soul in the process, and in the end repents to his loving wife (only after countless people are killed by his greed and carelessness. Twice.) At times it seems that the rest of the film was written around the amazing dream sequence. They needed a story to lead into that trip through the underworld, and what they came up with was pretty routine. But no matter, for the film features some amazing special effects for that era, some that could still impress today.

Final Verdict: See It

Wildcats (1986)

2009-09-04T00:28:00.003-04:00

Directed by: Michael Ritchie
Written by: Ezra Sacks
Starring: Goldie Hawn, Swoosie Kurtz, Robyn Lively, James Keach, Jan Hooks, Bruce McGill, Nipsey Russell, Mykelti Williamson, Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson

In the 1980's there wasn't a bigger female comedy star than Goldie Hawn. She excelled at playing the 'fish out of water' character in films like 'Private Benjamin,' 'Protocol,' and 'Overboard.' 'Wildcats' has the same formula those films had, only instead of the Army, Washington DC, or abject poverty, Goldie finds herself coaching football.

Here Goldie plays Molly, a divorced mother of two who has always dreamed of coaching a football team. But throughout her coaching career all she's been allowed to do was coach female track and field. When Molly gets the opportunity to take a head coaching job in an inner city school, she jumps at the chance. When she arrives at the school she is faced by a disorganized and disrespectful team of players. They don't want her as their coach, but she sticks to her guns, and she fights to gain their respect and obedience.

Of all the comedies that Goldie has starred in, this isn't one of her best. She's still great in this, but the film is overlong, bogged down by a buzz killing custody storyline with her schmuck ex-husband (Keach) and her two kids. There's also alot of unfunny 'fart humor' on display, but thankfully not from Goldie's character.

But when the film is good, it's good. Besides the custody storyline, things move at a brisk, fun pace. It's fun to watch Goldie work to get the team to see eye to eye with her, or hunt down the truant quarterback in the ghetto and almost get herself caught up in a robbery, or hide a rival teams goat mascot in the locker room.

This isn't really heavy stuff here, but it is a fun 80's comedy with a great star doing what she does best. So if you're a fan of Goldie Hawn and 80's comedies, check this out.

Final Verdict: See It

Mr. Billion (1977)

2009-09-03T23:56:00.002-04:00

Directed by: Jonathan Kaplan
Written by: Ken Friedman + Jonathan Kaplan
Starring: Terence Hill, Valerie Perrine, Jackie Gleason, Slim Pickens, William Redfield, Chill Wills

In this awful late 70's cross country adventure film, Italian actor Terence Hill plays Guido Falcone, the recipient of his recently deceased uncles estate. Guido lives in a small village in Italy where he fixes cars for a living. He is visited by John Cutler, his uncles former right-hand man at the Falcon Bank in San Francisco. He informs Guido that he has 20 days to make it to San Francisco, or the inheritance will be null and void. Soon Guido is in New York and Cutler is back in San Francisco. Cutler has his greedy eyes on Guido's money and new found power at the bank. So he hires the sexy Rosie Jones to seduce Guido on his was to California, and trick him into signing over power of attorney to Cutler. What follows is an episodic cross country lark involving kidnappings, cowboys, explosions, bar fights, car chases, gunfights and other misadventures.

This movie might have been tolerable if the leads could actually act. Terence Hill and Valerie Perrine are embarrassingly bad. Watching Terence Hill in this made me wonder if the directors just grabbed the first decent looking italian guy they could find, rolled camera, and told him to read the cue cards.

Valerie Perrine, most well known (and funny) as Lex Luthor's main squeeze in the first two 'Superman' films, borders on bad camp in this. I must say her scenes were funny but not for the reasons intended. Her introduction scene is notably guffaw worthy.

But sadly, this isn't a good movie to watch to laugh at. Although there are a few unintentional howlers here and there, most of the movie is just plain boring.

There are some good arial shots along the way, and Slim Pickens makes things a little more fun when he's on screen, but all in all this is a true dud.

Final Verdict: Skip It

A Night To Remember (1942)

2009-09-03T21:03:00.003-04:00

Directed by: Richard Wallace
Written by: Richard Flournoy + Jack Henley
Starring: Loretta Young, Brian Aherne, Jeff Donnell, William Wright, Sidney Toller, Gale Sondergaard, Donald MacBride, Lee Patrick

In this quaint, serviceable comedy, a mystery writer and his wife move into a basement apartment at 13 Gay Street in Greenwich Village. The whole house has a sinister air and the other tenants seem hostile and frightened. The discovery of a murdered body outside the couple's back door doesn't help the atmosphere.

What this film really is is a knock-off of the popular 'Thin Man' series starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. 'A Night to Remember' tries to reproduce the witty banter and screwball crime solving done so wonderfully in those films, and it is only somewhat successful.

Young and Aherne have good chemistry, and the supporting actors are all game, but most of the humor is forced, and the mystery, taking a backseat to the comic antics, is only somewhat intriguing and borders on implausible. The cinematography is pretty good, making the dark shadows of the apartment sinister, but the entire production reeks from budget constraints and looks cheap.

Final Verdict: If you've seen the brilliant first three 'Thin Man' films, don't bother with this one. You've already seen the best and you'll be disappointed here. However, if you haven't seen them yet, check this out, and then rent 'The Thin Man' movies and you'll appreciate them so much more.

Chattahoochee (1990)

2009-09-03T18:19:00.003-04:00

Directed by: Mick Jackson
Written by: James Hicks
Starring: Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Frances McDormand, Pamela Reed, Ned Beatty, M. Emmet Walsh

Emmet Foley (Oldman,) a decorated but troubled Korean War vet suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and impotence, has a breakdown and goes on a shooting spree in his neighborhood, subliminally hoping to commit "suicide by cop." When that fails, he shoots himself in the chest but survives to be sentenced to a maximum security mental hospital in 1955 Florida. While recovering, he begins to feel a sense of rage over the mistreatment and open abuse of his fellow inmates, whose needs are ignored in an atmosphere of neglect and filth. With the help of another inmate (Hopper) and his faithful sister (Reed,) he begins a campaign against the entrenched bureaucracy to improve conditions for his fellow patients.

This film would have been better if the director had managed to reel the cast in a little bit. Oldman and Hopper in particular. Their scenes come across as ham-fisted and over the top, ruining scenes that were supposed to be harrowing and shocking. McDormand, playing the dimwitted wife, has a couple decent scenes, but she's far from memorable in this. Pamela Reed, on the other hand, gives a good solid performance in this, free of histrionics and scenery chewing.

The script is another problem. It's filled with every cliche in the 'insane asylum' genre book. From cruel orderlies to heartless hospital bureaucrats to long scenes of suffering. There's nothing here that we haven't seen dozens of times before.

All in all it's not a horrible film, it's just very predictable and routine. There are other, better films to see if you want a look inside the horrors of mid-twentieth century psychiatric wards.

Final Verdict: Skip It

The Gate (1987)

2009-09-03T17:43:00.003-04:00

Directed by: Tibor Takacs
Written by: Michael Nankin
Starring: Stephen Dorff, Christa Denton, Louis Tripp, Kelly Rowan, Jennifer Irwin

When three kids (Dorff, Denton, and Tripp) accidentally open up a gateway to hell in their backyard, an army of demon creatures is unleashed. While their parents are away, it's up to them and their friends to defeat the evil creatures and close the portal.

This late 80's train-wreck is rips off both 'Gremlins' and 'Poltergeist.' We get a suburban tract house as the source of evil and cheesy demonic apparitions. But we also get little gray claymation creatures running around. As the film goes on each scene gets more ridiculous than the last, until the laughably bad final showdown. That's all there really is to say about this instantly forgettable kiddie horror flick.

Final Verdict: Skip It

Roseland (1977)

2009-09-03T00:06:00.004-04:00

Directed by: James Ivory
Written by: Ruth Prawler Jhabvala
Starring: Teresa Wright, Lou Jacobi, Don De Natale, Louise Kirtland, Geraldine Chaplin, Helen Gallagher, Joan Copeland, Christopher Walken, Conrad Janis, Jayne Heller, Lilia Skala, David Thomas

'Roseland' is a film made up of three separate stories set in the legendary Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan. The first, entitled 'The Waltz' features the wonderful Teresa Wright as a widow who comes to Roseland in order to sustain the memory of her late husband. She meets Stan (Lou Jacobi), who offers her an opportunity for happiness in the present. 'The Hustle' concerns Christopher Walken as a gigolo with three women in his life, all of whom depend on him for different degrees of romance and companionship. In the final story, 'The Peabody,' an older woman (Lilia Skala) sets out to win a dance competition despite warnings that it could endanger her health.

All three segments are sensitive portrayals of different kinds of lonely people seeking some sort companionship and/or fulfillment. Out of the three, only 'The Waltz' is truly memorable, thanks to the great performances from Wright and Jacobi. The performances in the other two are good, but don't top those in the first.

The cinematography captures the dance floor activities wonderfully, and the entire film has an eerie, otherworldly quality to it. It's as if when these people step off the cruel New York streets, they are transported into another world. A world that is full of music, romance, and possibilities.

Final Verdict: See It

The Window (1949)

2009-09-02T23:01:00.005-04:00

Directed by: Ted Tetzlaff
Written by: Cornell Woolrich; Mel Dinelli
Starring: Bobby Driscoll, Barbara Hale, Arthur Kennedy, Paul Stewart, Ruth Roman

Now here is a great little film! I've been wanting to watch this for a couple years now, but since it is unavailable on DVD or VHS, it was impossible. Thank goodness for Turner Class Movies!

The story is simple. A little boy has a bad habit of making up wild stories to impress his friends and family. When he's sleeping out on his fire escape one sweltering summer night, he witnesses his upstairs neighbors murder a man. When he tells his mother and father, not surprisingly, they think he's making it all up or that he's had a bad dream. When the killers upstairs get wind that the little boy knows about their crime, the decide to kill him. So it's up to the boy to prove he's not lying and evade the killers.

'The Window' has many things in common with the much better known 'Rear Window.' For one thing, they're both based off of short stories written by Cornell Woolrich. Themes of voyeurism, murder, urban paranoia, and being trapped and defenseless dominate both films. 'Rear Window' is clearly the better film all around, but 'The Window' deserves to be released on DVD so it can be rediscovered and celebrated for the tight, compelling, suspenseful noir classic that it is.

Final Verdict: See It

While the City Sleeps (1956)

2009-09-02T22:39:00.003-04:00

Directed by: Fritz Lang
Written by: Charles Einstein; Casey Robinson
Starring: Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders, Howard Duff, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, Sally Forrest, John Barrymore Jr., James Craig, Ida Lupino

Famed European director Fritz Lang was responsible for such classics as 'Metropolis,' 'M,' and 'Scarlet Street,' among others. However, he made this film when his career was, sadly, in decline.

The plot involves a group of newspaper reporters trying to 'scoop' the others by finding out the identity of a mysterious serial killer murdering young women in New York City. The reporter who gets the scoop will be given a powerful position at the newspaper. What follows is an overlong, contrived, often dumb film filled with too many characters and too many subplots.

Out of the large cast, the only two performers who salvage their characters from the muddled script are George Sanders and Ida Lupino, who play an ambitious reporter and his scheming gossip columnist lover.

The cinematography at times is interesting and you can tell Lang hadn't completely lost his touch yet. The sequences involving the killer are particularly well shot and suspenseful. The rest of the movie, however, is pretty flat.

Final Verdict: Skip It

Full Moon High (1981)

2009-09-02T22:20:00.003-04:00

Directed by: Larry Cohen
Written by: Larry Cohen
Starring: Adam Arkin, Ed McMahon, Roz Kelly, Kenneth Mars, Alan Arkin, Demond Wilson, Bob Saget, Joanne Nail, Pat Morita, Elizabeth Hartmen

In this send-up of horror films, 50's cold war paranoia, Reagan-era America, and high school films, Adam Arkin plays Tony, the star quarterback of Full Moon High in the 1950's. He and his father (Ed McMahon) travel to communist Romania and while he's lost in the streets one night, he is bitten by a werewolf. When he returns stateside, he cannot control his animalistic urges and goes on a killing spree. Frustrated, he flees town. Decades later, the immortal Tony returns to town and re-enrolls in highschool. He still can't control his transformations, and the townspeople, and his friends, realize he's not quite human. It all culminates during the schools big football game.

I expected this to be one of those 'so bad it's good' films from the early 80's. But I was surprised that the film was actually, legitimately funny. The cast, including Kenneth Mars as a pervy coach, Roz Kelly as Tony's lusty former flame, Demond Wilson as a bus driver, and Alan Arkin as a oddball doctor, go all out, with hilarious results.

While watching this film I was struck by how similar the writing and humor were to 'Family Guy.' 'Full Moon High' has that same anything goes attitude and never takes itself seriously.

Final Verdict: See It

The Honeymoon Killers (1970)

2009-09-02T21:23:00.004-04:00

Directed by: Leonard Kastle
Written by: Leonard Kastle
Starring: Shirley Stoller, Tony Lo Bianco, Mary Jane Higby, Doris Roberts, Kip McCardle, Marylin Chris

Based on the true story of Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck, who met through a lonely-hearts correspondence club, Ray (Tony Lo Bianco) is sleazy and untrustworthy; Martha (Shirley Stoler) is obese, compulsive, and needy. Together, they play out a horrifying scheme in which he lures lonely women out on dates and proposes marriage to them, while she pretends to be his sister. After the marriage ceremonies, they take the womens savings and then murder them in cold blood.

The way this film is shot, with its grainy black and white footage, murky sound, bright whites and dark shadows, only adds to its incredibly unsettling nature. Watching this is almost like watching a documentary, and occasionally, a snuff film.

Though the acting from the supporting cast is a bit iffy at times, the two leads are excellent. Particularly Shirley Stoller. While Lo Bianco creates one of the most hateful slime-balls I've ever seen, Stoller dominates this film. Her Martha is a frightening, unpleasant, disgusting woman, who is as ugly on the inside as she is on the outside. Her evil nature fills the frame whenever she is on screen.

If you're looking for a fast paced thriller, look elsewhere. The pacing in this movie is slow, which only adds to the disturbing documentary feel. But if you want to see a movie where character comes first, and action second, seek this classic out.

Final Verdict: See It

Choose Me (1984)

2009-09-02T19:26:00.004-04:00

Directed by: Alan Rudolph
Written by: Alan Rudolph
Starring: Genevieve Bujold, Keith Carradine, Lesley Ann Warren, Patrick Bauchau, Rae Dawn Chong, John Larroquette

'Choose Me' concerns the interconnected love lives of several attractive people living in Los Angeles. They include a radio host (Bujold,) an escaped mental patient (Carradine,) an owner of a nightclub (Warren,) her married lover (Patrick Bauchau,) and his bored wife (Chong.) All these characters cross paths constantly. The nightclub owner calls the radio show for love advice, the radio host moves in with the nightclub owner, the mental patient sleeps with both of them, separately. Also getting involved are the married man, who plays poker with and fights the mental patient, who then sleeps with his wife, who hangs out at the nightclub.

It's all very convoluted and unbelievable. The ridiculous coincidences in this movie make the forced connections in 'Crash' seem absolutely brilliant. And none of it is ever very interesting. This was supposed to be a 'serious comedy' but all it turned out to be was a boring cheese-fest.

No one comes out of this unscathed. Everyone gives terrible performances, especially Rae Dawn Chong. The scene where her husband finds her in bed with the mental patient is hilarious for all the wrong reasons.

'Choose Me' also has a horrible soundtrack. Over all the scenes that should be romantic or dramatic, R&B songs by Teddy Pendergrass are played. It makes this already boring movie even harder to watch. On their own the songs aren't bad, but they just seem so out of place in this film.

Final Verdict: Skip It

Hester Street (1975)

2009-09-02T17:34:00.007-04:00

Directed by: Joan Micklin Silver
Written by: Abraham Cahan; Joan Micklin Silver
Starring: Carol Kane, Steven Keats, Mel Howard, Paul Freedman, Doris Roberts, Lauren Frost

I didn't expect this film to be very exciting, and it wasn't. But it was however a thoughtful, low-key story of a husband and wife dealing with their differences in regards to century old traditions.

Carol Kane plays Gitl, a turn-of-the-century Jewish immigrant arriving from Eastern Europe to live with her husband in America. When she arrives in New York City she is surprised at how traditions held dear back home are thought of as 'uncivilized' here.

For example: Her husband has shaved his beard, and the women no longer wear kerchiefs or wigs to cover their natural hair. This unnerves her and as the film progresses Gitl and her husband grow apart. Even after Gitl is given a 'makeover' by Mrs. Kavarsky (the great Doris Roberts) she knows that it's too late. Her husband is in love with another woman and wants a divorce.

The pace in this movie is very slow, and the black and white cinematography is all but stagnant. But any other artistic approach to this story wouldn't ring true. The world back then for a Jewish immigrant was very slow paced. There wasn't alot of color in their lives. And for women, sitting around their tiny apartments was all most would do.

Carol Kane was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in this, but lost (deservedly) to Louise Fletcher for 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.' Kane would go on to star in the 1979 cult horror film 'When A Stranger Calls' and then transition into comedy roles that relied on her infectious goofiness. It was really interesting to see Kane play such a low-key, subdued character here, so different from the roles she's more famous for in shows like 'Taxi' or films like 'The Princess Bride' and 'Scrooged.'

Final Verdict: See It

Blue Steel (1989)

2009-09-02T17:02:00.004-04:00

Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Written by: Kathryn Bigelow + Eric Red
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Silver, Clancy Brown, Elizabeth Pena, Louise Fletcher, Philip Bosco, Kevin Dunn, Richard Jenkins

There have always been so few female directors working in mainstream cinema, I always try to see as many of their films as I can. In this case it was a film by Kathryn Bigelow, 1989's cop thriller 'Blue Steel.'

Jamie Lee Curtis plays a rookie cop who guns down a robber in a grocery store hold-up. Unbeknownst to her, a stockbroker, played by Ron Silver, picks up the crooks gun. Soon he's obsessed with Curtis and out in the streets at night murdering random people. He tracks her down, stalks her, even takes her to dinner. When Curtis finds out that he's the madman responsible for the murders plaguing the city, they both enter into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

I've always found Kathryn Bigelow interesting. Unlike acclaimed female directors like Jane Campion and Mira Nair, Bigelow's films are aggressive, even masculine. Some of her credits include 'Near Dark,' 'Point Break,' 'Strange Days,' and this years critical hit 'The Hurt Locker.' Watching any of these films you'd have no idea they had a female behind the camera. And that's why I like her so much. She breaks the mold of what kind of pictures female directors 'should' make.

So I was looking forward to sitting down and enjoying 'Blue Steel.' Sadly, I really didn't. The problem isn't the acting or directing, it's the script. The first half of the film is tight and suspenseful, but the second half is full of cliches and plot holes.
The cinematography however, is pretty good, and sort of distracts you from the dull proceedings. It's reminiscent of a Ridley Scott film from the 80's.

All in all, 'Blue Steel' isn't terrible, it's just not very believable or exciting. There was a great movie that could have been made here, but because of the lousy script, we got a mediocre one.

Final Verdict: Skip It

The Naked Truth (1957)

2009-09-01T23:44:00.006-04:00

Directed by: Mario Zampi
Written by: Michael Pertwee
Starring: Terry-Thomas, Peter Sellers, Peggy Mount, Shirley Eaton, Dennis Price, Joan Sims

Released in America as 'Your Past Is Showing,' this amusing black comedy concerns a group of English celebrities and nobility who are being blackmailed by Nigel Dennis, an unscrupulous tabloid reporter. Four of these people, a Lord (Terry-Thomas,) a television host (Sellers,) an author (Mount,) and a model (Eaton) decide to fight back and kill their blackmailer. The catch is, none of them are aware anyone else is targeting Dennis. What follows is a series of humorous attempts to off Nigel Dennis.

Peter Sellers gets to dress up in various disguises and do impressions. Watching him is watching a true genius at work. But the movie is stolen by Peggy Mount, who plays the daffy author. She and her hilariously skittish daughter, played by Joan Sims, concoct a plan to poison Dennis, lock him in a trunk and dump him in the river. But things go wrong on several levels, and the way these two cope is hilarious.

As all the characters come together for the final act, things escalate and become even funnier. So if you enjoy british comedy, a fan of Peter Sellers, or just in the mood for a laugh, then don't hesitate to watch this film.

Watch the Trailer

Final Verdict: See It

The Terminator (1984)

2009-09-01T21:07:00.004-04:00

Directed by: James Cameron
Written by: Harlan Ellison; James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd + William Wisher Jr.
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen, Bess Motta

I think the majority of people have seen this movie. However, I had only seen parts 2 and 3.

The story is familiar to most. A cyborg is sent back in time from the future to kill Sarah Conner, who will give birth the the leader of the human rebellion in the future. Also arriving back in time is human hottie Michael Biehn, who has sworn to protect Sarah.

I thought the story of an emotionless killing machine terminating anyone in the Los Angeles area with the name of Sarah Conner was just so twisted and just thinking of it makes my skin crawl. That's why I classify this film as more of a horror film than science fiction. There is a monster after Sarah Conner, and she needs to run. Sounds more like 'Halloween' than 'Star Trek' to me.

The sequels are definitely science fiction, but 'The Terminator' relies on suspense and a tight, efficient script over large special effects sequences. But very few films blend genres so well, but James Cameron really pulled it off here. (As he did with 'Aliens' a couple years later.)

So if you want to see when science fiction wasn't all transforming cars and web slinging superheroes, revisit this classic.

Final Verdict: See It

Across 110th Street (1971)

2009-09-01T20:44:00.005-04:00

Directed by: Barry Shear
Written by: Wally Ferris; Luther Davis
Starring: Anthony Quinn, Yaphet Kotto, Anthony Franciosa, Richard Ward, Paul Benjamin

Disguised as cops, three black crooks steal a big amount of cash after killing five syndicate runners and two policemen. The NYPD and the Mafia react with immediate concern.

Tough police veteran Captain Frank Mattelli (Anthony Quinn) resents the intrusion of Lieutenant Pope (Yaphet Kotto), a black detective, in the case, while Mafia boss Don Gennaro (Frank Mascetta) sends his paranoid son-in-law, Nick D'Salvio (Anthony Franciosa), to reassert control over the Harlem branch and see that the money is recovered.

The black syndicate up in Harlem, headed by Doc Johnson (Richard Ward) and his assistant Shevvy (Gilbert Lewis), rejects D'Salvio, while promising only token help. So Nick and Shevvy rip through the city, doing whatever they can, and killing whoever they want, to get any info on who stole the money.

Anthony Quinn is pretty good as the aging detective who has long ago realized that all his efforts are not going to do more than take a small bite out of crime, but he is not above taking a bribe from a racketeer. His method of dealing with a reluctant witness is to hit hard first and ask questions later. The rigorously legal approach to police work, as exemplified by Yaphet Kotto, is not for Quinn. But these two opposites must work together to prevent the Mafia from committing any more sadistic executions.

This film always seems to get categorized as a blaxsploitation film. I disagree. In my opinion, it's more in the league of 'Serpico' or 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' and other gritty crime dramas from the early 70's. But I guess it could get called a blaxsploitation film because of the presence of some of that sub-genre's mainstays.

Final Verdict: See It

Ladies In Retirement (1941)

2009-09-01T20:15:00.007-04:00

Directed by: Charles Vidor
Written by: Reginald Denham
Starring: Ida Lupino, Louis Hayward, Evelyn Keyes, Elsa Lanchester, Edith Barrett, Isobel Elsom

This fog-shrouded Victorian era film stars Ida Lupino as Ellen Creed, the housekeeper to Leonora Fiske, a retired actress in a remote country house. One day she receives a distressing letter from London. Her two eccentric step-sisters, Emily (Lanchester) and Louisa (Barrett) are about to be evicted from their lodgings. Ellen convinces Leonora to let her step sisters stay with her. She agrees, but only for a short time.

When the dark, serious Emily and the flighty, nervous Louisa arrive they do nothing but unnerve Leonora. They're not only eccentric, they're absolutely certifiable. Ellen keeps the fact that the sisters will be committed to an insane asylum if they do not remain under Ellen's care a secret. When Leonora demands that the sisters leave the house, along with Ellen, Ellen must resort to desperate measures to assure that her family stick together. And the desperate measure? Murder.

Throw in Louis Hayward as Albert, a handsome, untrustworthy vagabond, Evelyn Keyes as Leonora's suspicious maid, and two intrusive nuns, and Ellen's problems have only just begun.

This film was clearly adapted from a play. It all takes place in and around Leonora's country house. But the staginess never gets in the way of the witty script and the great performances from Lupino and Hayward. But it's the always wonderful Elsa Lanchester who steals the show.

So if you're in the mood for fun fog shrouded suspense, watch 'Ladies In Retirement.'

Final Verdict: See It

Women's Prison (1955)

2009-09-01T17:24:00.007-04:00

Directed by: Lewis Seiler
Written by: Jack DeWitt
Starring: Ida Lupino, Jan Sterling, Cleo Moore, Audrey Totter, Phyllis Thaxter, Howard Duff

Sadly, there's not really much to say about this 50's women in prison melodrama. It's one of those movies that haven't aged well at all, and remain as interesting as a bucket of dust. The usually excellent Ida Lupino stars as the cruel warden in charge of the female side of a co-ed prison facility. After a female inmate gets pregnant, Ida Lupino's warden goes into a frenzy. She ends up beating the pregnant woman to death, and this results in the other gals rioting.

I haven't seen many of these so-called 'women in cages' films, but this film seems to mark the turning point when these types of films, up until then regarded as respectable dramas, transformed into sleazy exploitation.

Final Verdict: Skip It

Rolling Tunder (1977)

2009-09-01T16:32:00.009-04:00

Directed by: John Flynn
Written by: Paul Shrader + Heywood Gould
Starring: William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Haynes, James Best, Dabney Coleman

The vigilante revenge genre is one of my favorites. There's 'Straw Dogs,' 'Thriller: A Cruel Picture,' 'Ms. 45,' 'Foxy Brown,' 'Coffy,' and 'Death Wish,' just to name a few. 'Rolling Thunder' is somewhat different than those. Instead of balls to the wall action and formulaic dialogue, we get a very introspective film spotted with sequences of intense 70's exploitation violence.

The film stars William Devane as Major Charles Raine, a troubled Vietnam veteran returning home from the war. During a local heroes welcome home ceremony, he is awarded a large sum of money from the town for his bravery. Before he can even settle back down into a peaceful existence with his wife and son, some local thugs attack, looking for the money. During the struggle his wife and son are murdered, and his hand is cut off.

After he gets out of the hospital, (where they replaced his hand with a hook) he vows to get revenge. He befriends a local waitress (played wonderfully by Linda Haynes) and soon they are off to Mexico to track down the killers. It is during this portion of the film where we get some great glimpses into these two tragic characters heads. This part of the film is so good, that the revenge sequences towards the end seem extraneous and dull, despite their gore.

All in all it's not a bad film at all. It just seems to lose steam towards the end. It's certainly worth checking out if you're a fan of 70's revenge films and/or Vietnam movies.

Final Verdict: See It