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Reviews
H.O.T.S. (1979)
Does Not Take Itself Seriously But It Is Well Made.
T.O.P.S. cries out for a remake. Sometimes described as a mere T & A film, T.O.P.S. is much more. It is a parody of "Forbidden Planet", "Carrie", M.A.S.H., and homage to "Animal House". It is a subtle animal rights film and a fine feminist satire of adolescence getting laid sagas. Decades after its original release, it still has the verve and vitality of classic films such a "The Palm Beach Story".
That is not to say the filmmakers or anyone else beyond the emotional age of a sixteen-year-old boy or Hugh Hefner took it seriously.
It is in its way as good as the famous "Animal House" made a year earlier, though that too is a fine work. Neither work takes itself too seriously. They are juvenile jokes with mild titillation aimed at pre-teens. Anyone over 13-years-old might find the gags a tad weak, of course. No matter, most adults will enjoy this classic holiday film after too much food and wine on Thanksgiving evening when the cold fog rolls in over town and one has not desire for serious viewing. My family watched it at Thanksgiving.
However, the editing, cinematography, acting, direction, production design, and iconographic structure are professional. Lindsey Bloom leads a great cast as the protagonist of the film. The other cast members are not as well known as she is. I think that at least one posed in the magazine "Playboy" back when its founder was still young enough not to look too silly with just over child age models.
What is not always well known is that woman were important creators of this film. With a brilliant feminist satirical screenplay written by W. Terry Davis, Cheri Chaffaro, and Joan Buchannan, H.O.T.S, enjoys playful direction by Gerald Seth Sindell. Mr. Sindell and Ms. Davis along with Don Schain and others co-produced this classic romantic comedy. I think it is at least as good as M.A.S.H.
I must mention that this work is beautifully photographed and edited. It is a fine film about the late sixties. I think that everyone worked at a high level to make this film It is a small masterwork. I would like seeing it remade because it still has potential for improvement and updating.
1969 (1988)
Must See
Obviously, the director deeply felt this film. It clearly is a personal work. I find the script tight, complex, and engaging. The direction is as tight and focused. The then young actors work brilliantly with the seasoned ones.
Robert Downey, Jr. and Wynona Ryder were long ago two of my favourite then young actors and Kiefer Sutherland is every bit their equal. Mariette Hartley has long been an actress I very much admire. Bruce Dern is almost underrated though he has had many great roles. He has played in some of my all time favourite films and is a reason why those films are favourites. Meanwhile Joanna Cassidy is a national treasure.
The soundtrack is on target for the times and the film captures the time period well for me.
I must mention that this work is beautifully photographed and edited. It is a fine film about the late sixties and the tragedy that time was in our national life. I rate it ten because those engaged in making this film deserve it and because the film is well worth viewing. I am surprised it is not better known.
Holiday Inn (1942)
Avoid
This movie, one of the most objectionable films ever made, exploits the brilliance of Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire to create a counterfeit classic brushing over the horror of the time when it was made. It plays like a tiresome Broadway review, because it is. This mess of over-romanticizing exploits the seasonal holidays to frame the immense talents of its leads but wastes that talent The film inflicted on us one of the most irritating holiday songs ever—"White Christmas".
I know that Americans needed diversion but this thin gruel of sentiment and silliness lacks the nourishment people needed and still need. Even Mr. Astaire's dancing is the worst he ever did in any film.The opulence in the characters dress offends the spirit of the time, while the blatant propaganda footage dates and limits any universal appeal this little mess might have had.
The racist underpinning of the film only magnifies the immense failure. This is one of the most overrated movies ever. Avoid it. I give in a 2 only because of the leads.
Sea of Love (1989)
Great Actors
The actors make this film—the major players and the rest of the cast. Savoring Ellen Barkin, Al Pacino, John Goodman, and William Hickey delights this viewer. I saw it with my former wife at the time of the release and associate it with her. The location shooting in New York enhances the mood.
This is a fun movie, but, when you think about if over coffee later, the plot is mechanical and unconvincing. The plot just fails in the end.
What is convincing are Ms. Barkin and Mr. Pacino along with a great soundtrack. I overrate this movie, I know, but the actors deserve it.
Zombie (1971)
Looks Much Older Than It Was!
While not as famous or based on a scientific study of voodoo the way "The Serpent and the Rainbow" is, this movie—under whatever title--seems to forecast the latter Wes Carven masterpiece. This film seems to have no basis in any facts about zombies or voodoo.
However, the locale in Florida does give the impression of a tropical island. The makeup might be cheap but it is good. It works.
Director Del Tenney does not take himself or his film too seriously and that redeems it. This is not a so-bad-that-it-is-good movie but a simple regression to much earlier horror films. The acting is immature-well awful and not the least believable but the music works. Editing and photography are done well. Watching this is much better than submitting to reruns of police investigative program early on Sunday mornings.
Assassination Tango (2002)
Lovely and Playful
I very much prefer this film to Mr. Duvall's film "The Apostle" because this film is straightforward and unpretentious in a way the other film is not. The celebration of the tango remains the core of the film but the assassination subplot works well enough to entertain viewers and give the work coherence.
Apparently, this is a small film but a master made it. The cinematography is lovely and never draws attention to itself as such. Watching the famous dancers featured here delights the viewer. The locations are authentic but dreamlike sometimes. The music is, of course, perfect. For what it is, this is a masterwork and well worth viewing and celebrating.
State of Grace (1990)
Splendid.
"State of Grace", an elegant film noir, delights at every level. I very much appreciate the reviews by Bladeruuner here and the external review by Roger Ebert; each reviewer notes the subtly and nuances of this work. I do not need to recast what they write.
The visual beauty of the film enchants me. I love Manhattan and this film celebrates the city. Actors playing the central characters, of course, dominate discussion, but every actor here seems perfect in casting and rendition of his or her role. Robin Wright excels here.
The director Phil Joanou, with a background in cinematography and film editing, uses his skill at every moment. The en conclusion of the film might seem over-the-top but it is not—it is a perfect ending. I savoured it. Read the fine reviews of this work and enjoy watching. I would like having a DVD of this work
¡Tintorera! (1977)
Subtle, Existential Drama Set in Tropical Paradise
This is the great film "Jaws" might have been but wasn't, Scenes with sharks are real. There are no mechanical stand-ins for the sharks. The characters change throughout the first half of this work but soon enough the central characters, more or less, appear. One reason for the change in character is that a Tiger Shark kills the Fiona Lewis character Patricia.
Hugo Stiglitz portrays Steven, a man beset by immense ennui who comes alive as he explore the carefree world of shark poaching with handsome leading man Andrés García's character Miguel. They form a tacit homoerotic relationship but expressed by the two lovers making love with Susan George's Gabrielle instead of each other. However, after a tiger shark kills Miguel, Gabrielle leaves because she had signed on for a threesome, not a traditional marriage.
Then the angst seems to return for Steve but he meets two young women Priscilla Barnes as the girl from bar one and Pamela Gardner as the girl from bar two, but they join some other people for a party where those at the party engage in night swimming in an area plagued by a killer tiger shark. At that moment in the film, I somehow lost the plot and the film soon ended anyway.
This film includes the sex that Spielberg cut from his film. For its time, this was a good effort at portraying homosexual relationships. The photography is terrific and the acting is subdued and even subtle.
Innocent Lies (1995)
Masterwork Dream/NightMare
One easily underestimates this lovely film. Reading other reviews clearly reveals how easily a viewer misses the essence of this work. The narrative and style remind me very much of "Vertigo", another often misunderstood work. What most works is the subtle script by director Patrick Dewolf and Kerry Crabbe. Substance and style as in the famous Hitchcock classic define one reality.
I am not familiar with most of the cast, but they excel in this work. Casting is on target. The women are as beautiful as any would ever want to see in a romantic film. The visual beauty of the film never distracts from the complexity of the narrative and one's intrigue as the narrative unfolds. The location, of course, is famous, one exploited in many other great films. I do not want to give away any of the story because every moment is important. Highly recommended.