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.
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
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-
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
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-
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.'
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.
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.
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.'
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
*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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Black Swan Carlos the Jackal Chloe The Conspirator The Danish Girl Fair Game The First Gun Greenberg The Green Hornet Hesher Howl I Love You Phillip Morris Inception Kaboom The Kids Are All Right Leaves of Grass London Boulevard MacGruber Machete Map of the Sounds of Tokyo Mother A Nightmare On Elm Street 127 Hours Peacock Piranha 3D Sympathy For Delicious Tree Of Life The Ward We Need To Talk About Kevin What's Wrong With Virginia Your Highness You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger
