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Reviews
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)
A bit inferior to the predecessor thanks to a major annoyance
I didn't loved FREE WILLY but still like it very much and consider it a childhood classic thanks to the many times it was overplayed on channel 6 during my childhood. The sequels were aired often during my childhood but strictly in that period because in fact I didn't remembered them that much and last March I finally re-watched the first of these sequels. After 15 years (saw it the first time in 2009) I found it slightly inferior to the original but still not that bad as some of the reviewers say.
After Willy jumped for freedom at the end of the first one the Greenwoods (Michael Madsen and Jayne Atkinson) are planning a vacation in San Juan for camping and visiting Randolph (August Schellenberg) but before that Dwight Mercer (Mykelti Williamson) arrives with the news that Jesse's mom was found dead in New York and left another son. Jesse's step-brother Elvis (Francis Capra) is very loquacios and troublesome and grates on Jesse's nerves. Once in San Juan, Jesse reunites with Randolph and go to see Willy and his orca family.
Soon after oil tanker Dakar has an accident and loses oil thanks to a malfunction in the engine trapping Willy and his family in the process. Luna ends on the beach and the Greenwoods manage to return her to water and the Benbrook Oil CEO John Milner (Jon Tenney) promise to help the whales go in another zone. Elvis, that escaped because Annie didn't respected her promise, in a bar hears from afar a conversation between Milner and Bill Wilcox (M. Emmet Walsh) that their real plan is to sell the whales to zoos and so he rushes to the camp for warning Jesse and Glen. After throwing Milner and Wilcox in the water they manage to save the whales after also surviving a fire caused by the oil, and in this occasion Willy will take Jesse on the ground so that the parents can retrieve him. Some time later, Elvis makes amends to Jesse saying that his mum talked well about him and she was sorry for everything, and this convinces Jesse to have Elvis as his step-brother. Soon before the end credits, we see the orca family of Willy, Luna and Catspaw swimming together.
The plot doesn't look bad and I loved the settings. But what prevented me to give a higher score was the major annoyance of Elvis. He was so loquacious, so annoying and so whiny that I really couldn't stand him and if it wasn't for the other actors' performances and the happy ending I would have given this a 3 because of him. I would have preferred that when Elvis accidentally fell in the water Willy should have left him there, he was THAT annoying! I would say more but IMDB won't allow it.
As for the rest of the cast, they were all good (Madsen, Williamson, Schellenberg, Tenney, Al Sapienza and John Considine and the late Walsh) with the material given. And the moments before the end with the helicopter trying to rescue the kids looked like something picked straight from the DIE-HARDs and considering that this is a family movie, it's fitting since the first DIE-HARD is considered an unintentional Christmas movie.
Overall, not a terrible sequel nor family movie (and trust me, I have seen much MUCH worse) but one that could have been much better if it wasn't for the major annoyance of the step-brother. But if you like or love the first one, this would please you in a similar manner.
More American Graffiti (1979)
Not exactly a sequel, and still good as a stand alone movie
Before going into the review I have to warn you that I have never seen the original AMERICAN GRAFFITI despite is considered some sort of cult movie. Then why did I saw the sequel without having seen the predecessor. Two reasons: first, it has a low score and many average reviews so I expected to hate and bash it but instead I ended up liking it more than I expected. Second it's among Scott Glenn's first movies tho he was just one of the many supporting characters and as usual he was good.
Unlike the first (I read the plot) this is set during the course of four New Year's day from 1964 to 1967 and the sequences have each their own style for avoiding confusion for the viewer. For example, the 1966 sequence referenced the Woodstock movie with a screen split in various angles and the 1965 sequence is shot on grainy 16 mm film for resembling the war reporters' footage since is set in Vietnam.
1964: John Milner is a racer that falls for Eva, an attractive young woman from Iceland and despite he survives the Vietnam war and wins the race of 1964's final season after a while he is found killed by a drunk driver.
1965: Terry Fields is in Vietnam and wants to escape from the war and return to the US, and succedds in doing so after faking his death and fleeing in Europe, and also the characters of the predecessor assume Terry is dead.
1966: Debbie Dunham has switched from whisky to marijuana and ends up in a hippie comune because she misses Terry since he kinda died in Vietnam. Debbie dates hippie rock and roll musician Lance Harris and as they drive at the beginning they are pulled by Bob Falfa (Harrison Ford) who from the drag racer of the predecessor he became a police officer and arrests Lance for possession of heroin. After Lance behaves much more distant towards Debbie she joins the band Electric Haze led by guitarist Newt (Glenn) with which she starts a relationship. This story, probably the best ends with Debbie that while dancing with Newt notices Lance dancing with another woman and after a bar fight breaks Debbie joins the Electric Haze band and after some time she becames the lead singer of it.
1967: Steve Bolander (Ron Howard) and Laurie Henderson are now married with twins and live in the suburbs but their relationship is strained because Laurie wants to start her own career. After the straw that broke the camel's back Laurie leaves and goes to stay with Steve's brother Andy that along with his girlfriend Vicki is participating in an anti-war protest. After they are arrested, it ends with all the stories connecting before their endings previously shown at us.
Having described nearly all the stories what should I say now? Well, it's an ok to follow sequel for those who haven't seen the predecessor because there are some brief clips shown before the stories and also that it's one of those feel good movies from the 1970s that you can watch without thinking too much or for seeking some comfort from the worries of the outside world, and sometimes that's what movies are for uh? Well worth seeing and if you haven't seen the predecessor like me, don't worry. It's more of a standalone film.
She Came to the Valley (1979)
The dullest western (if you can even classify it under the genre) I have ever seen
SHE CAME TO THE VALLEY has certainly a bad pedigree. It's Scott Glenn's lowest rated movie (4,3), it was filmed in 1976 but wasn't released until 1979, on Wikipedia it's not even clear the genre which this belongs and nearly all the other reviews give 1s and 2s. Last November I finally saw it and it's even worse than MAN OF THE CURSED VALLEY with Ty Hardin which is.hard to do!
Pat and Willy Westall (played by Dean Stockwell and Ronee Blakey) are poor and decide to move their family from Oklahoma to Texas. However along the way they meet drifter Bill Lester (Glenn) that persuades them to move to the valley: after a while we find out that this drifter is a supporter of the Pancho Villa revolution, and also a gun runner for Villa. Soon after the family gets involved in a dispute between the government soldiers and Pancho Villa's men and when Bill ends captured it's up to Willy to convince Villa to free him but at this point who cares?
To say that this movie it would just be the tip of the iceberg. It's glacially slow, with the plots that drags on and on and on only to make the viewer enraged at the screen. Second, at the beginning Pat is hit on the head by a wooden box and still can walk on his crutches: with a blow caused by a wooden box, he should have at least died in a matter of days for consequences of the hit on the brain region. Third, despite is set during the Pancho Villa revolution it's incredibly uninvolving with characters that mostly talk, talk and talk and cinematography so cheap that is almost always dark. Fourth, the acting is incredibly lazy by all except by Glenn who perhaps tried but then after a while he adjusted to the movie's awfulness.
Fifth, and it's probably worst than the aforementioned problems, it doesn't even know what genre it tries to be. First it looks like a drama, then it looks like a western, then it looks like a movie set during the revolution. I found this incredibly confusing and sloppy.
Overall, probably one of the dullest movies I ever saw recently (including also THE BROKEN KEY and THE PASSENGER). I won't even recommend it to bad movie fans because it's not even worth making fun of, it's so tiring and uninvolving that it nearly gave me a migraine.
Fighting Mad (1976)
Nice 'one-man war against a group' story
I knew about FIGHTING MAD only because it's one of Scott Glenn's movies I hadn't seen until last Autumn and because it's one of Jonathan Demme's first movies (and coincidentally Demme would direct Glenn again in his masterpiece THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS). Last October I finally saw it and I liked it more than what I expected since the low score and mostly mediocre reviews.
Tom Hunter (Peter Fonda) is a farmer that just returned home with his son for paying a visit to his dad Jeff; Pierce Crabtree (Philip Carey, a familiar face of the 1950s) is a land developer that wants to handle with his greedy hands some properties including Hunter's lands. Pierce soon employs various thugs for making people sell their lands for having coal, and among the first victims is Tom's brother Charlie (Scott Glenn) and his girlfriend while they're having a good time at home. After some other casualties Tom snaps and stars a private war against Crabtree and his henchmen using only his bow and arrow... I won't spoil how, but he'll win.
While it looks like one of those many drive-in movies from the 1970s (when videocassettes weren't even made) it's still good. Mostly because of the acting by all (Fonda, Glenn, Carey, John Doucette and a pre-WALKER TEXAS RANGER Noble Willingham) and also because of the idea. While it has already been used in other movies (and in a matter of years the RAMBO movies were made) here in a different contest it's still exciting.
Overall, not a must-see but still highly recommended if you are curious to see where some directors started or if you love the theme of a one-man fighting against an army.
The Evening Star (1996)
Picking up the pieces before it's too late
I liked TERMS OF ENDEARMENT despite its depressing nature. After all, it's a classic from the 1980s and deservingly so and it made Jack Nicholson win his second Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor tho he won for Best Actor for ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST and would win for AS GOOD AS IT GETS). I had a bit of fear for THE EVENING STAR because it's a sequel for the original made 13 years after the original and only two of the original cast returned. Yet, when I saw it last October I ended up liking it very much.
At the end of TERMS OF ENDEARMENT Emma Horton (Debra Winger) died and her mother Aurora (Shirley MacLaine) had to deal with it. When THE EVENING STAR begins we find out that Aurora raised Emma's kids and despite her efforts, the kids are a mess: Tommy is in jail for a drug charge, Melanie (Juliette Lewis) wants to move now that she reached the age of consent and Teddy (Mackenzie Astin, Sean's brother) has a girlfriend and a son of which Melanie doesn't approve both.
After Melanie finally moves to Los Angeles with the hopes of becoming an actress and start a new life, Aurora is advised by Emma's former friend Rosie to go to counselor Jerry Bruckner (Bill Paxton) since she is still seeking the love of her life. Jerry and Aurora have a relationship but they cut it when Aurora discovers Jerry used for resolving his Oedipus complex issues (not surprisingly MacLaine was 22 years older than Paxton). Some days later Aurora his writing on her diary when Garrett Breedlove (Nicholson) comes and surprises her: Garrett drives her to the beach like in the predecessor and scatter Rosie's ashes in the sea. Tommy is finally released from jail, starts both a new job as a computer programmer and a family. Some days later Aurora has an heart attack that bedrids her and before passing on Christmas day she calls Emma one last time, then Henry plays on the piano the theme of the predecessor as the family mourns Aurora.
The plot, while depressing like that of the predecessor, still works because of the great acting by everyone (MacLaine, Lewis, Paxton, Astin, Ben Johnson, Marion Ross, Donald Moffat and Nicholson especially) and also because of how it unfolds before the end. Worth seeing if you liked the predecessor and you are not depressed on your own.
BTW... when I saw this movie last October it finally took me to 62 out of 62 with Jack Nicholson (the first actor with which it ever happened)! Not only it was the last movie I ever saw with him but despite he appeared very little (8 minutes give or take) he played his role in a magic and remarkable way. A fitting conclusion isn't it?
Man Trouble (1992)
A bit uneven but funny for what it is
MAN TROUBLE has some sort of bad pedigree. It's among Jack Nicholson's lowest rated movies and according to the IMDB trivia it went in theaters and left them after only three days which is quite surprising since Nicholson at the time was an A-list actor. So I had extremely low expectations for it but when I saw it last October I found myself kinda enjoying it for what it was. Not that I loved it but still I didn't hated like most of the other users here.
Classical singer Joan Spruance (Ellen Barkin) is divorced from the conductor and one day she finds her apartment ransacked and receives threatening phone calls by a maniac. The next day she calls guard dog trainer Harry Bliss (Nicholson) that gives her a German Shepherd and after a while Harry and Joan start to feel attracted to each other only to have Redmond Layls' (Harry Dean Stanton) lawyer offer Harry some money for retrieving a manuscript where Andy Ellerman wrote a biography of the boss. Later that night Joan is assaulted by the masked maniac tho she manages to escape. After some misunderstandings between Harry and Joan she'll be saved by Harry after Eddie Revere (who was the masked maniac all the time) wanted to dump her from a hill.
I agree with the other reviewers that in some points it was dumb but still there was a lot to like. The acting by all (Nicholson, Barkin, Stanton, Saul Rubinek and Raymond Cruz) was good and I loved the first minutes where the dog was introduced. Some of the situations made me also chuckle in some points so, based on this a movie can't be that bad.
Overall, one of the lesser movies of the stars probably because it was easy for the audience bash this movie instead of seeing it for what it is. If you manage to lower your expectations you'll end up getting a kick out of it.
Elephant's Child (1987)
Off-beat version of the story with the most unusual narrator
Before going into the review I have to warn you eventual readers that I never read the Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling but I seeked this short out because I was nearly over with the Jack Nicholson movies tho here he only narrates. It was a pleasant surprise since in the previous two days I saw two of Nicholson's slowest movies despite the star-studded casts (THE LAST TYCOON and REDS).
ELEPHANT'S CHILD is about how the elephant passed from a stubby nose to the trunk for which they are widely recognised to this day. It focuses about a baby elephant that is too curious to the point that ends kicked by all the other animals (ostrich, giraffe, hippopotamus and baboon) and also beaten by the other elephants of his herd. He then goes to the crocodile and he bites his nose up to the point of transforming it in the trunk we know today. Now with a trunk the baby elephant has his revenge on the animals that mocked him and also on the other elephants.
The narration by Nicholson is certainly a surprise. After all, you would never imagine him reading a children's story but he is flawless nonetheless. The music by Bobby McFerrin was also a nice add and it helped make this telling of the story very 1980s.
Overall, a nice short mostly recommended to all animal lovers. That's all.
Reds (1981)
Great cast and interesting topic but still boring and dull
REDS intrigued me since some years because it's considered a kolossal from the 1980s and considering the cast it looked like one of those must-see movies so last October, when I was already to 60 out of 62 with Jack Nicholson (who was once again nominated for Best Supporting actor for this without winning), I bit the bullet tho for the viewing it was a kinda tiresome experience as in the evening it made me fall asleep and I had to watch it fully the next afternoon tho in the second half I had to force my eyes open.
The story starts in 1915 when Louise Bryant (Diane Keaton) meets journalist Jack Reed (Warren Beatty) and she is intrigued by his idealism to the point that they move to Greenwhich Village meeting some of the activists and artists such as Emma Goldman (Maureen Stapleton) and Eugene O'Neil (Nicholson) with which some time later Bryant will have an affair tho Reed will still love her and eventually marry, only to feel depressed and then have the passion rekindled after the 1917 Russian revolution. During the revolution Reed ends prisoner in Petrograd and when he'll manage to return in the US he'll die of typhus with Louise at his side.
The cast, just like in THE LAST TYCOON (the movie I saw the previous day) is star-studded. I mean, Warren Beatty who also directed, Diane Keaton, Edward Herrmann, Jack Nicholson, Paul Sorvino, Maureen Stapleton, Ian Wolfe, M. Emmet Walsh and Gene Hackman... where do you find a movie that managed to reunite all of them? It will never happen, and it was the reason why I gave it a higher score than I was led to.
Yet despite this the movie is incredibly slow with moments that could have been filmed in two minutes and here instead they are filmed in nearly ten minutes, and it made the acting look stilted. Now please understand I can tollerate very long movies and praise them (such as THE LONGEST DAY, THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA and the first two AVATARs) but because they are also exciting and managed to keep me on the edge of my seat. Here instead, too long and excitement close to zero... I guess the blame must rest to Beatty's shoulders.
Second, while the concept was great here we come to the other problem of the movie. The lead is seen like a loser since he can't manage to satisfy his wife, when he ends in Russia he manages to end captured and made prisoner in Petrograd and can't manage to make his ideals go forth. Now you certainly can't root for such a character, I didn't.
Overall, a must see for fans of movies of the 1980s or of the cast members. But for the rest I won't recommend it because it's too long and dull, and that is the most important reason for avoid it in case you can't stand very long movies.
The Last Tycoon (1976)
Great cast but somehow very dull and forgettable
I longed for quite some time about THE LAST TYCOON because it's the last movie directed by Elia Kazan (who gave us the magnificent ON THE WATERFRONT), it's based on a Francis Fitzgerald novel and the star studded cast. Last October I finally saw it but it left me cold.
Monroe Stahr (Robert De Niro) is the brilliant production chief and executive of the most famous movie studio of the 1930s known for making critically acclaimed and financially profitable movies. One day Pat Brady (Robert Mitchum), an older movie producer meets with attorney Fleishacker (Ray Milland) and tells him that if Stahr has success is because of Brady. After an earthquake that bursts in the studio and some banter there is a threat by David Brimmer (Jack Nicholson), the communist leader of the writers' union.
Some days later he has a meeting with Boxley (Donald Pleasence), a writer that thinks that movies are beneath him and for his next book Stahr inspires him with a story. When Stahr finally meets with Brimmer they have a game of ping pong only to result in Brimmer beating Stahr. When Stahr arrives at the studio with a bruised eye Brady tells him to go for a long vacation. In the end, Stahr visits his office for one last time, then walks around some sound stages and walks into darkness after entering a cavernous sound stage.
The only reason I would recommend this is the cast. After all, how many times you happen to find Robert De Niro, Robert Mitchum, Donald Pleasence, Jack Nicholson, Anjelica Huston, John Carradine, Tony Curtis, Ray Milland and Dana Andrews all in the same movie? Only once, and yet despite this the movie fails to deliver. It fails because despite it lasts two hours it's too slow to the point that it looked like it had to last an ulterior hour. And this makes also some of the performances forgettable because you can't wait that the movie ends.
Overall, good for the cast and the director (hence my 5) but for the rest forgettable and a chore to sit through. Just like going at a banquet and eating nothing but appetizers... and I think I made myself clear saying this.
The Fortune (1975)
An ok attempt of screwball comedy from the 1970s
While I didn't saw lots of ancient movies I know them and back in the 1930s-1940s there was the trend of the screwball comedies alas comedies where a woman is torn between two men or where a man causes trouble not only to him but to all those around him. And THE FORTUNE kinda blends both actually. If you wanna know why read the following text.
Nicky Wilson and Oscar Sullivan (Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson) are two scam artists that see some gold-egged chicken in heiress Fredericka Quintessa Bigard (Stockard Channing). Quintessa loves Nicky but since a law prohibits him to take her outside state lines Nicky proposes Quintessa to marry Oscar and then love who she wants: Oscar agrees, because he is wanted for embezzlement and sees this as a chance for going out of town. Once in Los Angeles Nicky and Oscar do their best for separating Quintessa from her inheritance without success and murder her, only for the two of them end in jail up until, big shocking twist... Quintessa is still alive because she passed out and she was oblivious of the murder! After Nicky and Oscar are released they manage to go out of town with Quintessa, finally stealing her inheritance.
This film left me divided. I liked the acting by Nicholson, Beatty and Channing of course and also the various humorous situations. But in some points I found it dumb and thought the leads could have checked if Quintessa was still alive or not, tho the ending saved it. As it is, it's still a decent comedy that can make you snicker in some points.
Tommy (1975)
A tiring musical... now that's something different!
I am not exactly a fan of musicals but I saw few of them for the cast members and since this was among my few movies left with Jack Nicholson back when I saw it last October that was reason enough to watch it tho he had just a supporting role. I say reason enough because despite the music was good it kinda tired.
Tommy Walker assisted when he was a child to the murder of his dad (who was a RAF pilot) killed by his god-father. This traumatic event makes him suffer from autism. For making Tommy return to normal his parents (Ann Margret and Oliver Reed) try to cure him with the help of some characters that reveal themselves to be all but useful. Despite his autism one day Tommy becomes a flipper champion managing to beat the Pinball Wizard and making his family rich. Soon the flipper star starts to preach and founds his cult, after some banter Tommy will finally climb the highest mountain where, once at the top, he reaches freedom and spiritual highness.
The plot isn't that bad but what ruined this movie for me was that the dialogue was mostly sang and the gags were mostly boring. Some moments even defied common sense, such as the one of Ann Margret bathing in beans coming out of the TV set or the part before Tommy climbs the mountain... I mean, you have to see them to believe them!
Overall, do yourself a favour and if you aren't into whimsical musicals (the genre this tries to be), please avoid it. It made me feel asleep as soon as it finished, and thankfully I didn't left it half-way tho I was kinda tempted.
Professione: reporter (1975)
Dreadful and migraine inducing... don't say I didn't warn you!
Last October I decided to finally finish all the movies with Jack Nicholson that I still hadn't seen. After all, this is one of his most famous for two reasons probably: it's directed by an Italian director acclaimed by many and Nicholson did this in the same year of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. But this revealed to be one of the worst viewing experience I had in some time (and that includes when I saw THE BROKEN KEY who was even worse than this which is hard to do)!
David Locke (Nicholson) is a disilussioned journalist that goes to northern Chad for interviewing rebel fighters that are involved in the civil war. However, not only David doesn't find people to interview but his car gets stuck in a sand dune and a man he met in the hotel dies of a heart attack after few hours. David sees this as a chance to restart his life taking the dead man's identity and things. However trouble soon follows because the dead man was an arms dealer that was useful for the Chad civil war. Once in Barcelona David meets a woman known as Girl in the Park Guell and after tons of banter and dullness, David will be found in a hotel in Osuna and killed by the dead man's hitmen.
To say that this movie is dull would be an understatement because I had a horrible experience with the viewing... I had to watch it in three sittings! First, when I began it I felt asleep after the first 30 minutes; then I slept five hours and I saw an hour of it while struggling to keep my eyes open and was about to give it a 2; then, I slept other three hours and when I arrived to the last thirty minutes things didn't went much better!
It's duller than dust, and according to the reviews for other Michelangelo Antonioni movies he has an habit of telling stories much longer than the time required: in other words, something that can be told in 30 minutes in a movie of his is prolonged to an hour of absolute nothing. Here is no exception, and for giving a quick example I would mention be the scene before the end: here, David wants to rest in his room and Girl goes out wandering about in the square in front of the window and we only hear footsteps of the hitmen that went after David while our eyes are treated to see the square. It was making me feel nearly dizzy!
It was also artsy just for the sake of boring the viewer to death, with lots of scenes like the aforementioned one that drag and drag and they made me force my eyes to keep open and as if that wasn't enough they were very confusing. As for the acting, Nicholson did his best with the poor material given and I think he knew he was in a mess of an artsy movie even worse than A SAFE PLACE but couldn't get out of it (same goes for Maria Schneider, the only known cast member aside from Nicholson)
Third, it's also very worthless because David is sent to photograph a war and meet some fighters of the civil war but he doesn't meet the war nor the fighters, and it was kinda baffling considering what we are shown and thrown in our faces. It's also very disrepcetful for the viewer but I assume the director didn't cared.
Overall, one of the most painful movies I ever saw that I won't recommend to anyone. Dull, dreadful, worthless, sleep inducing and stale... the three sittings for which I had to watch it weren't worth it and thank God I didn't left it before the end! Obviously it has a high score and many praise it... I don't care tho I assume two options for this are possible: 1) they must be in love with the director to the point of accepting blindly that all his movies are great (2) they love artsy movies.
The Last Detail (1973)
Not your usual road trip, that's for sure
I was curious about THE LAST DETAIL for years because it's among the first Jack Nicholson movies where he is the lead and it's directed by Hal Ashby (one of the most prominent movie directors of the 1970s). Last October I finally saw it and while in some points it was a bit slow it was still worth seeing.
Signalman Billy Buddusky (Nicholson) and gunner's mate Richard Mulhall (Otis Young) are assigned to escort seaman Larry Meadows (Randy Quaid) to prison in Maine since Larry has to spend eight years there for stealing 40 $ dollars from a charity donation. After some divergences Buddusky and Mulhall start to like Larry and they plan on making him have some fine adventures in the week before he is sent to jail. In Boston the three have various adventures including brawling with sailors and make Larry lose his virginity. After an escape attempt gone bad Larry is finally sent to prison, but trouble is not over for Buddusky and Mulhall thanks to an arrogant warrant officer.
As I said in the beginning it was slow and a bit overlong but it was worth seeing for the funny moments (when the trio goes in a bar and the waiter refuses to serve them, when the trio go to a buddhist refuge, when Buddusky and Mulhall make Larry go to a prostitute and she ends up having some feelings for him and the fight in the park 20 minutes for the end). The acting by the trio was good and same goes for the direction. And in the end it was some sort of relief seeing Buddusky and Mulhall leaving the arrogant officer.
Overall, mostly recommended to fans of the 1970s or of the leads.
A Safe Place (1971)
Confusing and able to grate on the viewer's nerves
A SAFE PLACE has certainly a bad reputation. It has a score of 4,9 that places it among Jack Nicholson's lowest rated movies, nearly all negative reviews and according to IMDB when it was shown at a film festival the audience became hostile and fights almost broke out because some loved it and some hated it. But not deterred, last October I finally saw it for seeing for myself if it was that bad and sadly I had to agree with nearly everyone.
Noah (Tuesday Weld) is a young woman that lives in her New York apartment. She is a flower child that retreats herself in her childhood memories in the search of a safe place while at the same time she dates two men: Fred who is practical but dull and Mitch (Nicholson) who is more dynamic and fit for her tho none of them can fulfill her passion, but at this point who cares?
To say that A SAFE PLACE is bad is just the tip of the iceberg. First, it's very disconnected and annoying at his worst because of the various jump cuts from a moment to the other. To get a sample of this we are shown moments of Noah in a hippie comune with snippets of a man only known as The Magician (Orson Welles) doing some magic tricks and even visiting a zoo.
Second, the acting is probably the laziest and when I say it, I mean that Megan Fox and Kristen Stewart are light years better than the cast in this movie. Tuesday Weld gives probably a prime example of sleepwalking acting as she is perpetually bored which seems difficult to do considering she is playing an immature girl. Only Nicholson was ok but his immense talent was wasted, same goes for Welles since we don't know what his motivations are or what was his purpose for appearing in this. Supporting cast? Forgettable on a whole.
Third, the pacing was so slow that the more time passes the more you'll end up asking yourself when the movie finally finishes. And as the movie ends you'll end up asking yourselves: What did I just saw? Did I missed something in the viewing? But in the end, these questions go by unanswered.
Overall, probably one of the worst art movies ever because of how much it's grating. My 2 would be only for Nicholson's performance and for the animals that appeared in the zoo scenes but for the rest, it's best to avoid as it would confuse most of you if you seek in a movie excitement and characters that look like real people.
Carnal Knowledge (1971)
Another product strictly of its time but satisfying in the end
I heard for years about CARNAL KNOWLEDGE because of the subject, that it stars Art Garfunkel (a singer of which my mom is a fan) and also because it was made in a period of time where the topic of sexual frustration was finally discussed in movies and novels, and this is probably one of the best movies about the subject.
The story begins in the 1940s when Sandy (Garfunkel) meets co-ed Susan (Candice Bergen), they start dating but she is reluctant to start a relationship and at the same time she is pursued by Sandy's womanizing roommate Jonathan Fuerst (Jack Nicholson) and she ends in bed with Jonathan, only to end up doing it with Sandy and she breaks with Jonathan.
The story then shifts after college: Sandy and Susan are married but Jonathan is still searching for the woman of his life. He stars a relationship with shallow Bobbie (Ann Margret) but after a while he becomes tired of her and makes her leave her job only to make her feel depressed while he rants about the fact that while he is at work she doesn't even do the cleaning needed. After a while Jonathan suggests to Sandy of trading partners, but they end all splitting and Bobbie nearly attempts suicide only to be saved just in time.
After some other time Jonathan has success in his job but is alone. He goes to a prostitute named Louise (Rita Moreno) and she recites a monologue about relationships between men and women praising his prowess, and this is the only way that now Jonathan can have an e******n (can't say the full word for IMDB standards but I bet you got it).
While the plot might look a bit depressing and the movie was a bit tough watching in some points it's still worth watching because of the performances by all (Garfunkel, Bergen, Nicholson, Margret and Moreno who has always been lovely) and also because the ending makes for some very satisfying viewing.
If you are curious to know more about the subject of sexual frustration or if you want to mentally travel back in time to the 1970s, then this movie is perfect for you.
The Rebel Rousers (1970)
Decent if you accept it for what it is
THE REBEL ROUSERS kinda intrigued me because it's Jack Nicholson's lowest rated movie and since last October I decided to finish all his movies because he used to look a lot like me and in most of his first movies he was already a great actor tho in lesser movies than the ones he made after EASY RIDER (according to IMDB this was filmed in 1966 but wasn't released until 1970 after the success of that one), I knew I had to watch it and to my surprise, I ended up being the odd man out that liked it.
Paul Collier (Cameron Mitchell) is searching for his girlfriend that is pregnant but ran away from him when he proposed marriage. Soon trouble arrives as the Rebel Rousers comes to town and their leader J J Weston (Bruce Dern) went to school with Paul but instead of catching up with him he and his gang decide to go in a diner and after they start a brawl the Sheriff makes them go out of town. As the gang meets Paul and Karen, Paul is beaten to a pulp and the Rousers decide who will make out first with Karen (Diane Ladd), only to have J J organize a race where who wins will have a chance to make out with Karen but the plan will turn upside down when Paul meets a gang of Mexicans willing to fight against the Rousers, and Karen will be finally safe.
The acting was good by all (Dern, Mitchell, Ladd, Nicholson and Harry Dean Stanton), the soundtrack was nice, there were some funny moments in between and the ending was uplifting. Overall I have to agree with most of the negative reviews including the one from planktonrules about the confusing interwining scenes without continuity because honestly, if the scenes would have been put in a continuos manner it would have been better. As it is, nothing exceptional but still a decent biker movie.
Psych-Out (1968)
Certainly a product of its time
I have been curious for quite some time about PSYCH-OUT because it's one of those movies about the hippie community and when I saw it last October it kinda grew on me - in a good sense.
When the film begins Jenny Davis (Susan Strasberg) arrives in San Francisco's Haight Asbury searching for her brother Steve (Bruce Dern) but she ends up meeting Stoney (Jack Nicholson) and his hippie band performing in a coffee shop. At Stoney's crowded house everyday life from an hippie's point of view is a mess because they make love every day but there is little hygiene. On top of this Jenny tries to clean the dishes but notices that the plumbing is broken. Steve returns to the art gallery but he's a mess because he's on drugs: later we see Steve starting a fire and ends being engulfed by the flames, and this causes Jenny to hallucinate and find herself in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge amidst the ongoing traffic causing the death of Dave (Dean Stockwell) and before the movie ends she embraces Stoney and cries.
The acting was good by all and the hippie life scenes were sometimes funny, sometimes flat and sometimes in between. It's certainly one of those movies that could have been made only in that period of time and this is among the better ones. If you want to see some slice of this period of time, this is for you.
Hells Angels on Wheels (1967)
Probably one of the best bikers' movies from the 1960s
While I am not a huge fan of bikers' movies I saw some of them for the cast members and since this is one of Jack Nicholson's first movies I knew I had to watch it and to my surprise I liked it very much.
When the film begins Poet (Nicholson) is fired from his job after having assaulted a costumer and is noticed by the Angels' gang, who take him under their wing and organize a robbery in a convenience store: in the meanwhile one of the Angels break one of the lights of Poet's motorcycle and when Poet notices this, he wants to beat the Angel that broke his light but suddenly the leader arrives and lets Poet join their rides. In fact, when four sailors beat Poet the Angels go to the sailors for beating them and sadly one of them will lose its life. Most of the movie then consists of the Angels causing the death of an older man, make two cops go off the road and causing mahyem in a bar where they are not welcome, all this until the showdown between Poet and the leader Buddy where Poet will win.
What makes this so special among the many bikers' movies are Nicholson's performance very reminiscent of the characters he would play next, the various scenes of gang activities and the great showdown scene towards the end. Not to be missed for Nicholson fans or bikers' movies fans alike.
Back Door to Hell (1964)
A different movie for Jack Nicholson that's for sure
While I am a big fan of war movies I don't watch a steady diet of them but watch them mostly for the cast members. And since this is among the early Jack Nicholson movies I knew I had to watch it, and I even liked it more than what I expected.
Lieutenant Craig, Burnett (Nicholson) and Jersey land in the Philippines and when they find some guerrilla groups they ask them help to fight against the Japanese since the Japanese police keeps some children hostage but the Americans and guerrilla groups find the children and defeat the policemen after a battle. Soon after bandit leader Ramundo comes and for exchange of the Americans' radio he gives informations about the Japanese but since the Americans have to use the radio Ramundo shots at it and leaves. Up until the American troops arrive the three Americans do their best for sending a message but Craig and Jersey in the meanwhile they'll have to bury Burnett.
What I liked about this war movie is that it focuses on the fact that sometimes the soldiers can't always play by the rules and also that Nicholson here gives one of his most different performances... I mean, can you imagine him playing a soldier? Not in the least... but in this movie yes.
Mostly recommended to fans of war movies or if you want to see actors giving performances different than the ones for which they are known.
Flight to Fury (1964)
Exciting and tense... but beware of the last 15 minutes
FLIGHT TO FURY looks like a very cheap movie. After all it has a score of 5,3 and only eight reviews with mostly mediocre scores especially 5s. And on top of that the leads Dewey Martin and Fay Spain weren't exactly box-office draws. Then why I saw it? Well, last October I decided to finish all of Jack Nicholson's movies and since this is among his early movies, I bit the bullet.
When the movie begins Joe Gaines (Martin) is in Asia and on his way to a casino meets Jay Wickham (Nicholson) who identifies himself as a tourist: soon we see Wickham taking Lei Ling in her room and searching without results some diamonds that were supposed to be in her room. On a flight to the Philippines the passengers are Gaines, Wickham, Ling, Al Ross (who carries Ling's diamonds), Lorgren and his mistress Destiny Cooper (Spain). Unfortunately there is some turbulence and the plane is forced to a crash landing.
After some hours (it was probably filmed day for night) natives arrive and they are ready to kill the survivors and take their possessions, only to be fooled by the survivors. After some banter Wickham finds the jewels, kills Lorgren, shoots Destiny but just when he's about to flee is shot by Gaines: before dying Wickham throws the diamonds in a river and Gaines awaits his fate because probably the natives are not that far...
Through most of the first part it was very exciting and was about to giving it at least a 7. Nicholson looked like he had lot of fun and there were lots of tense moments especially when they end in the jungle. But in the last 15 minutes (as I said in the summary) the situation became confusing since all hell broke loose and I kinda hated that Wickham had to die without fruiting of the finally found jewels.
Overall a mediocre thriller only of interest for fans of movies of the 1960s or folks curious to know where Jack Nicholson started.
The Terror (1963)
Like planktonrules said... it fails to deliver
The main reason why I saw THE TERROR is because it's one of Jack Nicholson's first movies and when I arrived to this I was already at a huge chunk seen of his filmography. While this is one of his early movies, it's also one of his most mediocre.
Andre Duvalier (Nicholson) is a young French cavalry officer that ended separated from his regiment and it's riding his horse on the seashore. Soon he meets a woman that gives him water, shows off a little bit and then disappears. Then is saved by an old woman that recommends him to go to the castle of Baron Victor Von Leppe (Boris Karloff). Once there Andre recognizes the beach girl in the painting of Baron Von Leppe, tho she died years earlier.
Andre then finds out the truth: it's the ghost of Victor's wife Ilsa that after a while convinces the Baron to kill himself so that they can be together again. When everyone tries to save the Baron from killing himself they all end up dead except Andre that will take Ilsa with him. And now we come to the horrible shocking twist: Ilsa melts! It was thanks to a curse, but frankly it grossed me out.
The concept looked interesting and given the acting talents of Nicholson and Karloff it looked promising. But it was the last 40 minutes or so that were the ruin because it became all messy, and the ending shot of the melting girl... eww!!!
So if you are into horrors of the 1960s or fans of the leads try it, but if you end up hating it or feeling grossed out don't say I didn't warned you first.
The Broken Land (1962)
Pretty much like other 1000 movies of the genre but still entertaining
While I don't watch a steady diet of westerns I watch them from time to time for the cast members and since THE BROKEN LAND has also a score of 5,0 I expected it to be bad but instead it was worth the view.
When the story begins Dave Dunson rides in a small town ruled with an iron fist by a corrupt Sheriff (Kent Taylor) that uses law for controlling everyone, including locking up Will Brocious (Jack Nicholson) only because his father was a crook, insisting that a feeble-minded guy was trying to shoot him and locking up Dunson because he wanted to stop his reign of terror. How it will unfold it's best if you see it for yourselves.
While the plot looked like that of so many other westerns it was still very entertaining and the acting by all no names except Nicholson was decent. Still, if you are a huge fan of westerns or you don't have nothing else to do and you already saw a lot of stuff this is for you.
Studs Lonigan (1960)
More recommended for younger viewers
Before seeing STUDS LONIGAN I looked the reviews for it and they are nearly all negative with the highest rated one that gives it a 6 (same thing it happened a month before with SHELTER ISLAND). But when I saw it last October I couldn't believe that I liked this movie more than any of the other seven reviewers. If you wanna know why, read the following text.
Studs Lonigan (Christopher Knight) is a young Irish-born youngster that tries to escape from the condition caused by the Great Depression along with his best friends Kenny Killarney (Frank Gorshin), Weary Reilly (Jack Nicholson) and Paulie Haggerty while also dating pretty Lucy Scanlon (the late Venetia Stevenson).
I guess that the reason why I liked it much more than the others it's probably because there are so many young men in the same condition of Studs, and I personally know some in real life. While personally I know that someday my life will change for good (I was still 24 when I saw this and now as I am writing this review well into my 25), at the moment I live in the same situation of Studs. Not that there is anything wrong with it.
The other reasons for which I'd recommend it are that it's one of Nicholson's early movies (and he made four in 1960 including his first leading role in THE WILD RIDE which was a dud) and the acting by all the others (Gorshin, Stevenson, Dick Foran, Jay C. Flippen and Jack Kruschen).
Overall, one of those movies maligned by many that found some dissenting voice that praises it. Who knows, maybe one day another one will have my same view on it.
The Wild Ride (1960)
A dull race movie
While in 1960 Jack Nicholson was still relatively unknown here he gives his first leading man performance tho the movie was a quickly forgotten misfire. And that was reason enough for me for watching it last October.
Johnny Varron (Nicholson) is a larger than life punk that spends his nights organizing wild parties and his days racing on a dirt track and ending in trouble to the point of killing a policeman, kidnap the girlfriend of one of his friends and seeing another of his friends ending in tragedy.
The reason why this is a dud it's because in the first half was decent with Nicholson giving a decent leading man performance but in the last 20 minutes it became dull because of all the trouble his character caused. Besides, the race scenes weren't that exciting to watch as those seen in better race movies such as DAYS OF THUNDER.
Overall, a very limp film of interest probably only for three types of viewers: 1) Nicholson completists (2) fans of old movies (3) fans of bad movies because they can get a kick out of it.
Too Soon to Love (1960)
Actually a bit reminiscent of the French new wave
TOO SOON TO LOVE isn't exactly something that should end up in the Masterpiece theater category. After all it has a score of 5,0 and only two reviews with one scored a 4 and another without rating so it would look like a terrible movie. Last October I finally saw it and I kinda liked it more than what I was lead to believe.
The plot focuses on high school students Jim Mills and Kathy Taylor that fall in love and get frisky (all implied of course since it's 1960) and as you'd expect the girl becomes pregnant but then the couple don't know what to do next, and Jim ends up involved in a drug dealing scheme. At the same time Buddy (Jack Nicholson) is a young guy that tries to steal Kathy from Jim without success.
My summary refers to the fact that the French new wave were always shot in black and white and had a soothing atmosphere, and this had both. The acting was decent by all no-names except Nicholson that went on to greater things and considering most of the trials and tribulations the lead has after his drug dealing scheme goes awry, the ending can't be nothing but uplifting for the viewer.
If you are into movies of the 1960s don't miss if you have a chance, and if you are more into the old French movies than me you'll likely compare this to those.