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Reviews
Double Indemnity (1944)
Such a Classic!
I'm not a film noir connoisseur (say that three times fast) but for my money this is the quintessential film of the genre.
It's got all the elements: overly dramatic dialogue, tons of shadows, of course in black and white, a diabolical plot that features a coupla double crosses, and plenty of dames.
There's a scene halfway through this movie where the wife and the insurance guy commit the murder at the heart of this movie. When they attempt to escape her car doesn't start right away. She can't get it to turn over. And the viewer finds themselves wanting it to start. I yelled at the screen, "C'mon, start the car!" That moment, IMO is the sign of a great film. Because I shouldn't be rooting for these people. They're murderers and they just killed an innocent man for money. But we do. We want them to escape. And that's great storytelling. Getting the viewer on the side of evil without them even realizing it takes a ton of talent.
9 out of 10 stars for me on this one. I can watch it time and time again and love it even more with each viewing.
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
Still So Good All These Years Later
If memory serves me correctly (and it may not, I was 12) we (as a family) went to see Grease! At a drive-in theater. But someone must have misread the movie time listings in the newspaper because this is the movie that was playing. We (as a family) stayed and watched it and I remember loving it. I was playing Pop Warner football at the time and falling in the love with the sport so while the romantic part of the storyline probably bored me I ate up the football footage.
I watched it again this morning during my workout. Sure it's completely farfetched, (and I don't even mean the afterlife stuff). I mean, what are the odds that 3 quarterbacks for the same team would die in the same season? Or that someone could but a football team (for $67 million btw) and the deal go through instantly? But all that aside, I still loved it. The cast is amazing, including Jack Warden (who is as good a supporting actor as there's ever been) and Charles Grodin (who is a very underrated comedic actor). And of course Warren Beatty in his prime, has there ever been a handsomer leading man?
This is probably a 6 or a 7 but I'm giving it 8 out of 10 stars and I fully admit that some of that is for sentimentality but isn't all art about what it does to your emotions?
Brian's Song (1971)
The Ultimate Guy Cry Film
I'm not crying you're crying.
An excellent sports film and the ultimate buddy film, it's hard to believe this was a "made for TV" movie. When it set the ratings record at that time they released it in theaters abroad and even a few here in the states.
It's a miracle we even got the two main actors in their roles. Gayle Sayers actually wanted to play himself but he was still an active player so his schedule wouldn't allow it. In stepped Billy Dee Williams. And James Caan initially turned down the role in order to focus on theatrical films but eventually decided he liked the script so much he'd do it.
Weird how times have changed. The N word is used quite a few times in this movie yet in real life Brian Piccolo actually died of testicular cancer which is only alluded to in the film because "testicule" was a censored word in the early seventies. 60 years later you'd never hear the N word on television yet you can say testicules or balls or family jewels or gonads (etc).
My Favorite Year (1982)
Just Kept Getting Better and Better
It's weird. This movie kept growing on me till I really liked it in the end.
It started out a little trite. I've seen the "drunken celebrity who makes everyone else's life a pain in the ass" plot before. But Peter O'Toole, who plays Alan Swann (the drunken celebrity, in this case an actor) is endearing. And Mark Linn-Baker, who plays Benjy Stone, the young man tasked to make sure Swanson shows up sober to his TV taping, has just the right amount of "aw shucks" innocence without being obnoxiously sweet. Lainie Kazan, who plays Stone's mother, shines in her limited role, as does Bill Macy who plays head writer, Sy Benson.
But O'Toole (as Swann) is the true star here. He's a gentleman through and through, even if he likes the bottle and the babes a bit too much. His "I'm not an actor I'm a movie star!" rant towards the end is pure genius. He lost the Best Actor Oscar to Ben Kingsley as Gandhi and if it hadn't been for that he would have lost to Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie or my personal favorite from that year, Paul Newman as Frank Galvin in The Verdict. But he certainly deserved the nomination and in a weaker year would have won.
8 out of 10 for me on this one.
The Devil Rides Out (1968)
A Decent Horror Film
Lots of overacting in this movie. And some pretty cheesy special effects (especially by today's standards). And every time Charles Gray was on screen I wanted to yell out "This man has no neck!" (and if you get that reference you're my people).
Despite all that, this was a pretty decent horror movie about a satanic cult trying to recruit some new members. Christopher Lee, who spent most of his career playing the bad guy (usually Dracula) is the good guy here, saving his friend from the dark side (as he says: "I'd rather see you dead than meddling with Black Magic!") while Gray is the antagonist Mocata, the head of the cult.
6 out of 10 for me on this one.
Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons (2024)
Very Interesting
There is no doubt that Stallone and Schwarzenegger changed the movie industry. Whether it was a change for the better or worse is subjective.
The fascinating thing to me is that they were rivals, not only aware of the other bit driven to outdo the other. This led to bigger guns in their films and higher body counts.
I've seen both of their recent documentaries so I was aware of all this, but this interview was still interesting to me. Harvey Levin did a great job of bringing these two icons together and fleshing out their relationship; both the adversarial part as well as the admirational part. The story about Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot was the best part of this interview.
If you grew up like me, watching all the Rambo and Terminator movies, you'll enjoy this interview.
Jubilee (1978)
Gloriously Horrible
I'm reading a biography about Adam Ant and it mentions his appearance in this film. I'd never heard of it before but was able to find it on the World Wide Web and watched it today.
It's shite. A complete waste of time. It's actually less of a film and more a series of loosely connected vignettes that are at once obscure and nihilistic. There's needless violence and rampant nudity throughout, interspersed with the odd musical performance.
What I'm saying is, it's the perfect Punk Rock Film. Punk music was shite as well. It was imperfect and perfunctory and nihilistic. And just like punk captures the youth of its time at their glorious, angriest best this film captured some of the icons of the British punk movement in their glorious, angriest best, most notably Adam Ant whose beauty leaps from the screen.
Despite the DIY feel of this movie there are some great lines in it, my favorite of which was: "As long as the music's loud enough, we won't hear the world falling apart."
We're coming up on the 50th anniversary of punk's Icarus-like rise and fall. I suspect there'll be a lot of tributes in the next few years about that fact. I wonder if this movie will see a bit of a revival along with it. Whether or not, if you appreciate the era, I'd recommend watching this movie.
You'll hate it, and that's the point.
A Shot in the Dark (1964)
Better Than The Original
A friend of mine just started watching The Sopranos for the first time and I encouraged her to stick with it through the first few episodes. I don't think they knew what they were till about halfway through that first season. Even Gandolfini plays Tony differently early on.
I'm learning the same can be said about Jacques Clouseau. I watched the original Pink Panther earlier this week and thought it was just ok. This is the sequel where he is the much more bumbling and his French accent is much more, well, accented. There are way more laugh out loud moments in this one like the whole billiards scene and the "synchronize watches" routine.
Plus we meet Clouseau's assistant Kato and the love interest in Elke Sommer who you can't take your eyes off when she's on screen.
All in all a better film than the original for me.
The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
Not Neil Simon's Best
This isn't Neil Simon's best but Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft's acting lifts this movie above the mundane.
Lemmon plays Mel Edison, who, when we meet him, is already unhappy with his life. But then he loses his job and his apartment is robbed and he deteriorates to the point of a mental breakdown. Bancroft plays his loving and devoted wife Edna who does all she can do to save her husband's sanity.
While the humor is a bit cliched I enjoyed their rapport as well as the exterior shots of New York City from the mid-70s. Plus the quick scene with a young Sylvester Stallone as a pick pocket.
I chuckle at these older movies sometimes because they point out how much times have changed. When Mel loses his job and Edna gets one (for the first time in a while), she comes home from work and cooks his dinner. The guys been sitting around the house all day while she's out working yet she has to get food on the table. Amazing!
6 out of 10 stars for me on this but it woulda been lower without Lemmon and Bancroft's performances.
The Pink Panther (1963)
More Interesting Than Entertaining
Not sure if I'd ever seen this one. I've seen plenty of the sequels where Peter Sellers plays Inspector Jacques Clouseau way more buffoonishly, but nothing in this original was familiar so this was probably my first time seeing it.
It was ok. Nothing earth-shattering, but ok. More than hysterical or dramatic, it was interesting as a time capsule of the Swinging Sixties with the fashions and vehicles and of course the perfect soundtrack by Henry Mancini.
Just 6 out of 10 for me on this one. I don't regret watching it but one time was more than enough for me. Now I'll have to revisit some of the sequels and see if they're as funny as I remember from watching them with my dad as a kid.
La passion de Dodin Bouffant (2023)
Yummy
This was a beautifully shot movie. The cinematography, especially in the cooking scenes, was extraordinary. There wasn't much of a storyline to it, but sometimes tension and plot are extraneous.
If you love food and exquisite cuisine, you'll appreciate this movie. If food is food to you and you think there's too much time spent on simple sustenance, then I suspect you'll find this film tedious and maybe even boring.
If I'm being honest I'm somewhere in the middle. While I appreciate a good meal, I don't think I have a refined enough palate to know the difference between a well cooked meal and haute cuisine. I'm the same way with wine. I know a good bottle from swill, but can I differentiate a good bootle from a great bottle? Probably not.
Anyway, I enjoyed this movie. 7 out of 10 for me.
Deadpool (2016)
So Good!
I'm not a big superhero movie fan so it makes sense that one of my favorite superhero movies makes fun of the genre.
I love everything about this film. Ryan Reynolds' snarky dialogue and constant shattering of the fourth wall is brilliant. Even the violence is funny. I mean he cuts off a dude's head at one point and then bicycle kicks it into another dude's head. That's not just gratuitous, it's hysterical.
And don't skip the closing credits either. There are more laughs there: "You're still here? It's over. Go home! Oh, you're expecting a teaser for Deadpool 2. Well, we don't have that kind of money. What are you expecting, Sam Jackson show up with an eyepatch and a saucy little leather number?
Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973)
Solid Film with a Great Cast
I started this movie as I hopped on the life cycle this morning thinking I'd do an hour spin. 90 minutes later I finally stopped pedaling and then watched the last 10 minutes of this as I cooled down. Which says a lot about this film.
It's a simple plot. Roonie Gill is kidnapped by the Feather family in a case of mistaken identity. The Feathers are currently at war with their neighbors, the Gutshalls (think Hatfield-McCoy) so Gill is literally caught in the crossfire.
It's hard to say what I liked so much about this. Everyone except Gill (and the innocent pigs who are also caught in the middle of the feud) is abhorrent. Even Jeff Bridges' Zack Feather, who's kinda nice to Gill, is still holding her against her will. I think I just enjoyed rooting against everyone, especially in the final faceoff where I was like, good, I hope they all kill each other. And I also loved seeing some of these actors (like Bridges and Gary Busey and Randy Quaid) at the beginning of their careers.
7 out of 10 for me on this. A solid movie that I'd watch again if it came back up on TCM.
Paper Lion (1968)
Very Enjoyable
I enjoyed this movie for a number of reasons.
Lauren Hutton is stunning.
Alan Alda will always be Hawkeye Pierce to me but I do enjoy seeing him in different roles.
The players. For authenticities sake they used a lot of actual NFL players in the film, and they did not embarrass themselves (especially compared to how much Alda's George Plimpton does on the football field). Most notably Alex Karras who would go on to a respectable post-playing acting career.
Did I mention Lauren Hutton? Hubba hubba.
Nostalgia. It was fun to look back on football in the late 60s. It was just emerging as America's number sport, slowing taking over from baseball as America's true pastime. There are similarities to today's game but vast differences as well. And the fact that the Cardinals' tight end was Jackie Smith gave me quite a chuckle. Any older Cowboy fan should understand why. Plus seeing the goal post in the end zone (which comes in to play at the end) was interesting.
Speaking of the end, I loved it. Rudy is one of my all-time favorite sports films and as time wound down on the exhibition game with the Cardinals I was expecting a Rudy type finale. Paper Lion provided the exact opposite. And it was a hilarious ending.
Rumble Fish (1983)
Uber Cool
Growing up, there were no cooler books than S. E. Hinton's books. And no cooler actor than Matt Dillon.
While I preferred The Outsiders over this, it's still a captivating story and the movie is very cool in a neo-film-noir sense. And as always with Hinton's stories, everyone's got a cool name/nickname (Rusty James, Smoke and of course, The Motorcycle Boy).
Francis Ford Coppola directs an amazing cast that includes Dillon, Mickey Rourke, a gorgeous Diane Lane, his nephew Nicolas Cage and Chris Penn (all in the prime of their youths). Plus there's Dennis Hopper who, like his Hoosiers character, can't seem to kick the bottle. And if that weren't enough, Tom Waits doesn't get nearly enough screen time as Benny, The Barkeeper. Add to that a trippy soundtrack from Police drummer Stewart Copeland and this movie is very unique and worth watching.
The Social Network (2010)
Moves At A Breakneck Pace!
Saw this when it first came out and loved it. Aaron Sorkin writes such crisp and witty dialogue and David Finsher directs at such a breakneck speed. Plusthe soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross simply adds to the intensity. And in his limited screen time, Justin Timberlake steals the show.
I don't really care how much of it is true. It's a great story of ruthlessness and conniving and that's the enjoyable part. You want to hate everyone involved but you also have to admire their foresight. Maybe Zuckerberg did just start this whole thing to impressive an ex-girlfriend, but you can't deny he changed the world.
A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
Amazing Film and Incredible Performances
This was really really good. The acting and the writing were just spot on and incredibly intense, especially in the second act.
There's a scene where Sidney Poitier skips work to spend the day in a bar and his mother (the incredible Claudia McNeil) goes to find him. She stands next to him glaring at him and he lowers his head in shame. Without a word said there's so much emotion in those few seconds, it's just amazing. I rewound it three times because I was blown away by it.
What I loved about this movie is that it would been easy to make Poitier's Walter Lee Younger a perfect character. But he's not. He's the kind of man who will skip work to drink a day away. And risk his sister's education money on a risky business venture. Which doesn't mean that he and his family don't deserve to live in a "white" neighborhood. So when the local community watch group offers them more money NOT to buy the home they want, it's a true dilemma. Take the money and stay with "their own" or buy their dream home? That's the collision that propels this film forward and its resolution is very satisfying.
I don't give a lot of films a 9 star rating on IMDb but this one got it from me. I loved the characters (even the squirrely white guy who comes to make the family an offer they probably shouldn't refuse) and their familial relationships. And Poitier shines here in the lead role, displaying an incredible range of emotions as masterfully as anyone could. And as if to prove that the latent racism this film attempts to comment on was alive and well, Raisin in the Sun failed to land even one Oscar nomination. I'm sure all the pictures and performances of 1961 that did get a nod were incredible, but how a movie like this could be completely ignored by the acamdey is unfathomable.
Godspell: A Musical Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew (1973)
Jesus Christ this is Good!
We watched this movie yesterday while making Easter dinner. I've seen it produced on stage everywhere from Broadway to local theaters but I think I'd only ever seen the film adaptation once before. I'd completely forgotten that they shot it in and around New York City in the early 70s so besides the awesome music and retelling of Jesus' life from the Book of Matthew, it was a travelogue of my beloved city from my childhood. IMDb has an almost complete list of where all the scenes were shot so even the few I didn't recognize I was able to identify.
I posed the question last night of which people prefer: this or Jesus Christ Superstar. I'm going to split the baby and say I prefer the first act of Godspell and the second of JCS. Godspell is better at the happy, fun part of Jesus' life (his parables and teachings) while JCS captures the horrors of the trial and crucifixion more passionately.
8 out of 10 for me on this one. Highly recommended.
The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976)
Brings Back Memories
I saw this when it first aired as a Movie of the Week on ABC in 1976. I already knew John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino from Welcome Back Kotter but little did I know he was about to star in two of my all time favorite films. Nor did I know anything about his strange and tragic on-set romance with Diana Hyland (who played his mother in the film). I just remember enjoying the movie.
As I did this week.
The movie itself is pretty good, especially if you judge it on a made-for-TV scale. The cast is superb, including Mike Brady (Robert Reed) as the ever-caring father (he knew his strength) and Glynnis O'Connor who I also just saw in Ode to Billy Joe. And the story line is emotional if a little forced at times.
Time Bomb Y2K (2023)
A Fun Look Back
This was a fun documentary about the hysteria during the run up to the year 2000. Like all apocalyptic scares, this one turned out to be much ado about nothing (they have to be correct at some point though right?) but as 1999 came to a close it did have us all a bit worried.
Like many documentaries, this was simply a montage of newscasts from the time cobbled together to tell the story of a millennium coming to an end. The footage was interesting, specifically all the shots of "cutting edge" computers that, 25 years later, are simply comical in their outdatedness.
As it turned out (spoiler alert!) the millennium came and went with nary a computer glitch and the Y2K scare was forgotten within days. Be that as it may, this documentary was a nice reminder of how the media and conspiracy theorists can gin us all up to hysteria when they combine forces. Something to remember the next time you feel like "the sky is falling!!!"
Night Shift (1982)
Meh
I might have seen this back in the day in the theaters ('82) but if I did I forgot all about it. And I understand why. For a supposed comedy it only had a coupla chuckles. It's one of those movies where the premise (coupla guys start a brothel during their "night shift" at a city morgue) was better than the execution.
The best part for me was seeing street shots of New York City from the early 80s. And also watching Henry Winkler and Shelley Long play completely opposite characters than their most famous television personas. The only one who's "on brand" is Michael Keaton, who plays the carefree, goofy guy. The cameo from Richard Belzer was interesting too.
All in all, I could have skipped this one. And maybe you should too.
Metropolis (1927)
Incredible for its Time
My thoughts on this 97 year old movie.
1- I don't know much about the special effects for movies but I know in 1927 the technology was rudimentary at best. So it's incredible watching this film and seeing some pretty amazing scenes.
2- It's a silent movie so expect overacting. It's just how it is.
3- That said, the dancing scene is comical (and I don't think it was intented to be)
4- there are religious inferences in the plot (the son going down to the underworld to save the workers, the underworld destroyed by a flood, etc) but I'm not sure what the messages are. Other than the blatant one at the end that "the mediator between the head and hands must be the heart."
5- it's scary that Hitler liked this movie so much he offered to make director Fritz Lang (who was Jewish) and "honorary Arian (whatever the hell that means). To his credit, Lang fled to Paris soon after.
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Such a Classic!
This was my second time watching this and I loved it again. It's such a classic.
Typical film noir, a little over-acted and dramatic at times. But the dialogue is so good. And Bogart is at his tough-guy peak.
Lines like, "We didn't exactly believe your story, Miss Wonderly. We believed your 200 dollars." and "Don't be too sure I'm as crooked as I'm supposed to be." and what could be Bogart's epitaph, "I don't mind a reasonable amount of trouble." are so perfect with Bogart's delivery and trademark twitch. And the cast around him is superb as well.
Overly 80 years old and this one still entertains.
A Ghost Story (2017)
Haunting (Literally)
Not sure what I like so much about this movie. There's absolutely no action. And much of the limited dialogue is mumbled and inaudible. But like a plotless book that is so well written I can't put it down, this film moves me with its message of longing and loss. And there's something weird that happens with the cliche ghost in a white sheet. As disconcerting as it is to see Casey Affleck's character rise from the hospital gurney after being pronounced dead, you quickly get used to him haunting his home. Even when he sees the neighbor ghost from out of the window, it's no longer a surprise. You accept it - all homes are haunted by a ghost who just can't leave.
This is a slow moving film so if you need action and drama and tension skip it (well, there's a bit of tension). But if you're ok with a character study (even if that character is ghost most of the movie) you might like this one.
Platoon (1986)
Just Another War Is Hell Movie
Other than the interest of seeing so many of these actors in one of their earlier films, I didn't like this movie. It's a pretty formulaic "war is hell" movie, with moments of tense battle interspersed with bonding scenes among the soldiers (since it's Vietnam insert copious drug use and psychedelic 60s rock.) Tom Berenger plays Sgt Barnes, the obligatory military man that war has corrupted to the point of insanity. And Charlie Sheen is the new recruit trying to make sense of the madness.
Sheen's narration, in the form of letters home to his grandmother, ties the whole movie together. But again, for me, there is as nothing new here. Hollywood has churned out movies like this as long as it's been in the film making business (and we've been involved in senseless wars). And my biggest issue here is that there isn't one big mission to provide a story arc to this movie. There's no Private Ryan to save or Colonel Kurtz to assassinate. Maybe that makes this movie more realistic but for me it's the missing piece that separates it from just being two hours of mud and violence.