Archive for 'Films'

A BIG QUESTION FOR YOU

January 17, 2012 by Ronn Ives, under Films, FILMS - 2006+, Films 2012.

 

 

What films have you seen at least THIRTY times, and, WHY?

 

Leave your answers here!  (Many were originally posted on Facebook):

 

 

• Dave JoachimBlues Brothers……….. good movie, great music.

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  Stu BechtelNemo…. love the grandbabies & seen it plenty of times.

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  Sonya HarmonJaws. I know, I know … but it’s not about the shark. The cinematography is gorgeous, and I love the relationship between Brody and his wife, as well as his camaraderie with Quint and Hooper. Go ahead. Judge away. LOLAlso? The Color Purple. No explanation necessary.

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  Pat Schoff GraggThe Wizard Of Oz. Brings back childhood memories from when we couldn’t watch it whenever we wanted, it was on once a year (signaling the start of the Christmas season). My sister, brother, and I would get soooo excited! Freshly bathed, in our pj’s, laying on the floor in front of the tv. My family was fond of Brach’s Malted Milk Balls (not the imposter, Whoppers), and as the music started we would hear mom dividing the bag into 5 bowls. Plink, plink, plink, plink, plink, pause, repeat. Goosebumps!

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  Eric HauseI’m with Sonya. Best adventure flick ever made.

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  Nancy Noll KolinskiThe Fifth Element: great writing + acting, so creative, amazing design – so much to look at!

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  FUTURES AntiquesI am LOVING this!! Go go go!!! Now I’ll add one of mine: “Eraserhead” by David Lynch.

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  FUTURES AntiquesOkay, Pat is right about “The Wizard of Oz”, and yes, I’m right there with the malted milk balls, too!

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  FUTURES AntiquesLet me think… a THIRD would be… “Metropolis” by Fritz Lang.

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  FUTURES AntiquesA FOURTH would be “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

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  FUTURES AntiquesA FIFTH would be… “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”.

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  FUTURES AntiquesSixth, and in NO particular order by the way, “A Christmas Story”.

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  FUTURES Antiques‎”Little Fugitive”.

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  FUTURES AntiquesI’m working my way towards 3-0 with “Napolean Dynamite” I think…

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  FUTURES Antiques‎”Lolita” – second version, 1997.

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  FUTURES Antiques‎”The Last Picture Show”.

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  FUTURES Antiques‎”Hud”.

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  FUTURES Antiques‎”Harold and Maude”.

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  Andrew RobertsGood movies are like great comfort food, evocative of time, place and memories of friends and family.

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  Lisa MerninAnimal House, pure stupid fun!

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  Lisa MerninAlso, It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Wizard of Oz

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  Lisa MerninGroundhog Day – duh!

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  Lisa MerninThe Sound of Music – yeah, a musical

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  Lisa MerninThe Shawshank Redemption

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  Lisa MerninPlatoon

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 Ronn:

Oh yes!  “Animal House”!

Yes!  “Groundhog Day”!

And, “The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser”.

And, “The Long, Long Trailer”.

And, “Fistful of Dollars”.

And, “Annie Hall”.

And, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”,

And, “The Bridge on the River Kwai”,

And, “Lord of the Flies” (1963),

And, “Fail Safe”,

And, “Aguirre, the Wrath of God”,

And, “Waiting for Guffman”,

And, “Come Back Little Sheba”,

And, “The Grapes of Wrath”,

And, “Avalon”,

And, “Blow Up”,

And, “The Elephant Man”,

And, “The Life of Brian”,

And, “Anchoress”,

And, “Shane”,

And, “To Kill a Mockingbird”,

And, “Platoon”,

And, “On the Waterfront”,

And, “The Thin Red Line” (1998),

And, “Midnight Cowboy”,

And, “Anchorman – the Legend of Ron Burgandy”,

And, “Apocalypse Now”,

And, “The Miracle Worker” (1962),

And, “Dr. Strangelove”,

And, “Exotica”,

And, “The Secret of Roan Inish”,

And, “Tender Mercies”,

And, “Manhattan”,

And, “Schindler’s List”,

And, “The Last Temptation of Christ”,

And, “Lawrence of Arabia”,

And, “Edward Scissorhands”,

And, “Big Fish”,

And, “Flirting with Disaster”,

And, “Taxi Driver”,

And, “High Fidelity”,

And, “2001: A Space Odyssey”,

And, “Summer of ’42″,

And, …

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  Pat Schoff GraggCool Hand Luke. Cuz Paul Newman was HOT!!!

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5 Comments

Films I saw in 2012

January 9, 2012 by Ronn Ives, under Films, Films 2012.

 

 

Films I Saw in 2012

 (New reviews are added each evening)

Watching Films is our way of fulfilling a deep-seated need

to nestle ’round the campfire listening to our Story Tellers. 

This is when and where we express our fears of the Unknown,

debate the Mystical, and find support for our assumptions about

the Sunlit World.

CODES: “again” = I’ve seen it before, “WOTO” = We Own This One, “IMDB” = my opinions also found on The Internet Movie Data Base site

Below are the majority of the films I’ve seen to date this year.  Those most recently viewed are placed at the top of each selected category.

Last updated: 2-21-12

===================================================

2012  MOVING PICTURES    *    NEVER enough time, SO many films ====================         =========================

 

 

1.
“FILMS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE”

 

“Andersonville” (again, 1996):  – This is an historical re-creation of our own, true American tragedy – a P.O.W. camp during the Civil War – and what THAT experience demanded of those interned.  “Andersonville” is certainly an anti-war film and a true story, but it takes the time (168 minutes) to look within individuals for the complexity of dealing with horror… offering slivers of consolation when it can be found.  Although there are a few tiny problems with continuity, and compromises with its night lighting, the sets, costuming, makeup, and acting are ASTOUNDING and heart-rending.  This huge effort adds up to a major statement about the depths we humans can sink and heights we can reach when pushed far beyond that which our upbringings prepared us.  Its elegant ending brought me to one of the tearful moments I experienced in with fine work.  WOTO

“The Endurance” (again, 2000):  Documentary.  “In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set sail on the Expedition with 27 men aboard, aiming to cross Antarctica. But when the vessel became stranded in frigid, deep waters (and crushing ice), the crew began a battle of the human spirit, testing the limits of endurance as they strove to overcome the debilitating setback.”  Miraculously, they succeeded in capturing the experience in journals and on film.  What is MOST profound about this story is what you learn from the mouths and diaries of survivors & their families, which leaves you gasping for air and feeling you can NEVER EVER AGAIN WHINE ABOUT A SINGLE THING in your cushy, little, safe, easy, pampered life.  This is one of the most difficult, torturous trials of life of all time.  These men were the toughest, bravest, most steadfast, determined humans to walk the Earth.  It BOGGLES my mind to think of what they faced and what they did in their attempts to survive.  Wow.  See this!  Get some perspective.  Find yourself without words.  WOTO IMDB

 

 

“Facing Windows” (Italian, 2003):  A young, working class couple encounters an older man who has lost his memory.  He ends up in their home.  Here discoveries are slowly made through splinters of his memories, scraps of paper, and the woman’s attempts at sleuthing.  Everyone has their secrets, everyone has their talents, everyone has their weaknesses.  This is an interesting, passionate, sad, and fulfilling story.  WOTO

“Kinsey” (again, 2004):  Liam Neeson and Laura Linney star as the awkward but intellectually curious couple who stumble into the long-needed idea of sex research – an investigation which continues to this day.  The process of their reaching the concepts, beginning the surveys, expanding the research, gathering “followers”, and fighting for funding is an interesting story.  Completely woven into this set of linear events is a second one: that of Professor Kinsey’s character – his childhood, sexual orientation, his Obsessive/Compulsive disorder, his inability to leaving his topics for the mundane niceties of dinner chat… which made him less and less someone to “invite”, and always present – the effects of his domineering and demeaning father, played brilliantly by John Lithgow.  Laura Linney is one of my favorite actresses, and she does not disappoint.  This is a truly great character study driving an interesting historical cultural shift.  WOTO

“Christ Stopped at Eboli” (Italian, again, 1979):  Directed by Francesco Rosi.  This is an interesting, quiet film about being imprisoned in a place no one would willingly go – in this case, the poorest, least productive and educated, most diseased, remote regions of southern Italy.  Set in Mussolini’s 1930’s Fascist environment, a political prisoner – an artist – urbane and educated – is banished to and must remain in such a place within his own country.  Here, his former cosmopolitan life is of little use.  He struggles with and learns from the local people who seldom have contact with the outside else except an occasional letter from relatives who escaped to America.  “Christ Stopped at Eboli” is worth your consideration on numerous levels – photography, acting, dialog, scoring, subtlety, and political implications.  My one constant problem with 70’s color films, especially Italian, is their quality of production.  Perhaps it was the growing use of video tape recording.  Plus, the dvd I viewed this time was a digitized copy of what I believe was a vhs copy of a vhs copy of the film, which had colors and lights and darks shifting, admirable but flawed translations, and an odd echo to some of the studio sound effects added later.  IF there IS a restored version, make sure it is your choice.  WOTO

“Half Nelson” (again, 2006):  Starring a very effective Ryan Gosling, and talented young actress, Shareeka Epps.  Gosling is a middle school teacher and a girl’s basketball coach.  Epps is his student and a loner, even on his b-ball team.  She seems to need him, and he responds by caring for her.  Then she makes a discovery about her teacher – her favorite teacher – someone almost like a friend.  She also has a mother who works double shifts as an EMT, and a “father” who is far from a good influence.  She has what she has.  THESE are the three adults in her life.  THESE are the adults who matter in her life.  Exactly WHO IS caught in this “half nelson” grip?  This is a low-key, nicely scored, grittily photographed, slow-to-reveal, slow-to-change story full of set-backs, little insights, sadness, and glimmers of decency and hope.  It is a very fulfilling experience.   WOTO IMDB

“Devil’s Playground” (documentary, 2002):  The title refers to the world OUTSIDE the Amish community – according to the Amish.  This is a look at much of Amish culture / religion in America, but focuses on the youth – especially those age 16 and above who are allowed to visit or join “the world” beyond their community, and experience as much of the Devil’s Playground as they choose.  This is the period (“Rumspringa”) in which they decide if they want to join the Amish church, and if so, make final preparations to forsake ALL outside life.  As you can imagine, it is both frightening and exotic for all of them, with terrible, predictable, and interesting results.

“Tsotsi” (again, South African, 2005):  Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film 2005, enter it knowing you’ll be slammed with stress… but don’t run away.  “Tsotsi” is totally worth your effort.  You will follow one teenager and his feral buddies, all existing (and nothing more) in the deepest squalor of shanty town Johannesburg, South Africa.  These “children” are worse than vultures, and for them life has no meaning, no value.  By pure, violent, chance, Tsotsi finds himself on a new road without a map.  His careening along MAY or may NOT lead towards a flawed version of Redemption.  I was absolutely riveted to this film, and amazed at the unique power offered by some of the scenes.  The acting by all, and especially by the young lead Presley Chweneyagae, was all-consuming.  I may put this film in my top category after another viewing or two.  WOTO IMDB

“Eames – The Architect and The Painter” (again, 2011):  This is a documentary, and a very good one.  It describes the complex career of designers Charles and Ray Eames, the brilliance of their ideas and products, their roles in these collaborations, the power and notoriety they gained, and the seldom-mentioned dark clouds in their relationship.  The film also contains LOTS of interviews with other designers who worked UNDER them.  Yes, you’ll meet a shish kabob of valid egos with their points of view – all intelligent people.  There is NO doubt that the Eames’ helped make Modernism a truly practical and reachable philosophy through their total involvement with Design, not mere decorating.  Immersed in everything from materials and prototypes to production and marketing, they DEFINE a True Design team.  See this and understand more.

“Micmacs” (French, 2009):  By the same director who did “Amelie” and “City of Lost Children”, Jean-Pierre Jeumet.  The man has a vision, that’s for sure.  Full of absolutely unique sets, costuming, scenarios, and character stories, “Micmacs” could be said to have its roots in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” mixed with “Mission Impossible” mixed with “Mystery Men” and an appreciation for Tim Burton and steam punk… BUT unmistakably Jeumet.  This is a comedic suspense crime drama running on revenge and overflowing with fantastically grimy detail… but always funny.  Weird.  WOTO

“Bob Roberts” (again, 1992):  This is a wonderfully sarcastic and dark mockumentary of a political campaign in Pennsylvania, between the arch-conservative, faux-Dylanesque newcomer Bob Roberts (Tim Robbins), and the tired, seen-it-all incumbent, Senator Paiste (Gore Vidal).  Also cast are Allen Rickman, Helen Hunt, Susan Sarandon, Jack Black, John Cusack, and many other talents that make this a totally satisfying, snide look at politics, spin-meisters, and event coverage.  I was especially impressed with Giancarlo Esposito as the very intense Left wing investigator conspiratorialist.  In an ironic, possibly accidental manner, the film’s attempts to skewer the Right (well deserved) make it equally easy to analyze the Left for the same thematic flaws such as greed, power, hypocrisy, media manipulation, spotlight hunger, etc..  WOTO

“Racing with the Moon” (again, 1984):  Richard Benjamin directed Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage, Elizabeth McGovern (all still in their teens?!) (and in minor roles: Crispen Glover, Carol Kane, Michael Madsen, and Dana Carvey)… in this “showcase” film, where lots of talent got a major boost.  Set in 1942 in a small seaside village, and only weeks before two best friends ship out to the Marines and the fury of WWII, we share intimate, funny, pathetic, sad, frightening, and ambivalent moments with flawed but decent people we come to believe we know and deep down just have to like.  This is a bittersweet story – not sugary nor hopeless.  It’s rich with mixed emotions and that confusing, frozen summer between children and adults.  Scoring is appropriate and nicely demure, photography is somewhat contrived in spots, but that was 1980’s.  The “truth” of the simple story, sets, décor, costumes, dialog and the talented actors are why you will appreciate “Racing with the Moon”.  Think of it as a unique film with relationships to “Stand by Me” and “Summer of ‘42”.  WOTO IMDB

“The Nutty Professor” (again, 1963):  Jerry Lewis was funny…and then he went out of fashion and was no longer funny.  The world changed right under him.  I’ve never been a big fan of his, but one film stands far above the rest, and THIS is the one.  In case you’ve seen only the Eddie Murphy take-off, do DO NOT think one replaces the other.  They do NOT.  ALL films are “period pieces” – since they cannot escape the era from which they were born – but “The Nutty Professor” captures not only the best of Lewis’ sense of humor, but, by pure chance, a time soon doomed.  Begun in late 1962, and completed in early/mid 1963, “The Nutty Professor” arrived during the last few moments of what I consider the “1950′s”.  Within a couple of months of its release, our President would be assassinated – and America would change SO dramatically, we continue to feel it today.  (And, by the next year, the Beatles would arrive.)  The 1960′s began.  So, this film of Jerry Lewis’, depicting an isolated, cloistered nerd of a professor; properly dressed conservative students; and, a greasy-headed cigarette-sucking Hugh Hefner rat-pack style sexist, were images that died alongside John F. Kennedy.  This is a FUNNY film, I laugh a lot, and stare even more at the astoundingly cute Stella Stevens, but underlying the characterizations come a queasy feeling – which, by my personal experiences, were relatively accurate – and deserve little nostalgia.  WOTO

“Winter’s Bone” (again, 2010):  With a very talented cast of actors, strong scoring, great photography, sensitive audio, sets that may have not been sets, costuming and makeup that is dead-on perfect, and… well, you know how something can feel so real that you can’t imagine someone created it?  This is everything in “Winter’s Bone”.  Set in the far-back country of Appalachia amongst people who have never been nowheres and figure they’s all family somehow or another, this is an evenly paced, ever-intensifying story of poverty, desperation, and trying to hang onto it because that’s all you got.  Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, and others star.  This film rightly won the “Grand Jury Prize” at Sundance Film Festival.  WOTO

“You Don’t Know Jack – the Life and Times of Jack Kevorkian” (2010):  Doctor Death.  Murderer.  Human Rights.  The Mercy Machine.  Dr. Kevorkian.  Assisted suicide.  I went into this film with three biases: 1) I always thought Kevorkian was right, but; 2) I thought he was THE worst person to represent him(self) to the public and courts; and 3) I knew Al Pacino would be GREAT.  I saw nothing to change my mind on any of those points.  Directed by Barry Levinson, also starring Brenda Vaccaro, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, and Danny Huston, and with Pacino as good as he was in “Serpico”, this was a totally rich, occasionally funny (!), but mainly very serious and often sad look the suffering of people and one man who tried to find a solution.  This is a totally significant experience.  WOTO

 

3.
“Hey, relax and ride the sofa”

 

“Dressed to Kill” (British, 1946):  Adapted from a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle book, this is another witty, above average whodunit starring  Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce – in where else but foggy London, with a slinky femme fatale and missing printing plates for the British five pound note!  Intrigue!  Murder!  Cat and Mouse moves!!  That’s all I need to say.  WOTO

“Witness” (again, 1985):  Sure, there are all the action/drama clichés, along with the patented Harrison Ford Pair-O-Facial Expressions.  Of course there’s a beautiful woman who gets naked, and bad guys with all kinds of guns.  Given this, don’t expect a truly unique experience, and yet, the SETTING – in an Amish community – DOES separate it enough from other films with otherwise same components.  Directed by Peter Weir.  Kelley Lynch, Lucas Haas, and if you watch closely, other eventual stars are in this entertaining story.  Just for fun, watch for a very young Viggo Mortensen.  Watch Kelly (the Amish love interest) Lynch’s makeup do flip-flops: if it’s a scene about the Amish, no make up; if it’s a scene about romance or sex, make up!  The Amish must be a bunch of hypocrites!  The scoring is, as my wife put it, “overbearing”.  It has that Eighties electronic sound, and is used in nearly identical fashion whether it is a pastoral, violent, thoughtful, or sexual scenario.  One size fits all.  Maurice Jarre did the score.  He’s usually better than that.  Danny Glover plays an evil man.  That’s a nice switch.  There are continuity problems, which are always fun to score when the film gets boring or predictable. There are a few extremely memorable scenes.   WOTO

“Public Enemies” (2009):  This is a fairly accurate recreation of the criminal life of John Dillinger.  Set in 1920’s and 30’s mid-America during the Great Depression, we watch Dillinger – one of the last surviving “romantic” bank robber / killers play cat-n-mouse with J. Edgar Hoover, Melvin Purvis, and the newly forming F.B.I..  Toss in the Love Interest, of course.  Fine.  Should be plenty.  Johnny Depp, Christian Bale (!), Marion Cotillard (!), Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, Giovanni Ribisi… what could go wrong?  Well, very little, but… despite some great actors, Michael Mann did not extract their best; despite great sets, Michael Mann had continuity flaws (including the Classic “instant-ON” tube radio); despite wonderful photography (but a very poor special effect), fine scoring, effective costuming, etc., Michael Mann’s effort left me… not cold, but cool.  Everything added up to about a 75% effort.  Something was always missing, that last, most important level: depth, soul, connectedness, fully expressed insight.  Missing.  You leave the film feeling “dramatized” but empty.  “Bonnie and Clyde” gets closer to the goal.  See that one (again).  WOTO

“The Debt” (2010):  Solid acting, strong and complex plot, dramatic scoring, good photography, sets and lighting… hey… what’s not to like?  Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, Ciaran Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson bring the story to a highly believable level.  But, if you know just a little about Israel’s policies and shadowy death squads that hunt escaped Nazis (to this day), you’d have to roll your eyes at the procedures used (in the plot) to successfully kidnap, maintain (!), and safely move an enemy until courtroom justice can be fairly administered.  Huh uh.  That’s way too much trouble.  Slip in, kill, slip out, never mention it.  Enemy: dead.   Next one on the list…

“Scarlet Street” (again, 1945):  Depending upon how you feel about Film Noir, you’ll either enjoy this one a lot, or want to put it in the category below.  Imagine Edward G. Robinson as a meek, mild, hen-pecked husband.  Difficult to do?  It was for me… for the first few minutes… and then his ability to create this character makes you forget his gangster roles.  Imagine Dan Duyrea as a sleaze ball.  Yes, he does a good job of THAT.  And finally, what about Joan Bennett as a VERY hot, beautiful, manipulative Noir broad?  No problem there.  None.  “Scarlet Street” is directed by Fritz Lang, who was my initial reason for seeing this film.  As it turned out, the story – albeit a tad longer than necessary? – is a dandy.  We have dark revenge, twisted irony, plot surprises, moral lessons, more darkness, and blinding, harsh glare all in the same steamy story.  WOTO

“Topper Returns” (1941):  This is a wacky farce whodunit starring Roland Young, Joan Blondell, “Rochester”, MM mm Carole Landis, and a couple of very cool cars.  The plot drags in spots and could’ve used someone with sharp scissors to trim it down, but it’s still fun.  WOTO

“Beaufort” (Israeli, 2007):  Oscar-nominated, a film about men in war… and yet it’s in THIS mediocre category of mine?  ‘Fraid so.  The film is divided into two emotional rivers – each draining strength off the other.  One: a reasonable look at a brotherhood of men caught in the bleak world of war – hours and days of mind-numbing boredom with occasional moments of absolute terror and devastation.  The other: a major desire to retell a recent (1999-2000) Israeli story to Israelis, with the built-in assumption the audience will be affected by not just what they see in the film, but what they know from the real and personal experiences.  Had THIS aspect been downplayed or kept absent, we’d have a better film along the line of (but not equal to) “Das Boot” and other claustrophobic, wall-climbing battle stories.  However, as it is, we – an international audience – are presented with a default one-sided story (you never even SEE an “enemy” soldier) missing a wiser look the broader understandings undistracted by the specifics which will not matter to the LARGER, “outside” audience.

“Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (2008):  Last night, my wife and I watched Woody Allen’s latest (?) film – improperly billed as a comedy.  It’s not funny.  Nor is it much of a drama.  It’s just sort of hangs there in the middle.  I viewed a group of people flounder along and fail to find resolutions for those things they claimed were banes of their existences.  After it was over, my wife said “Well, that was a one-time view”.  I tend to agree.  Nothing was bad, nothing was especially good (interesting), and nothing seemed to be learned or put into action by any of these characters.  I need to ponder it more, but I suspect I’ve already learned enough about this condition from people I’ve known in real life.  One way or another, I at least want to LEARN from an experience.  WOTO

 

 4.

Not Quite So-sofa but not quite Crap

 

“Seven Doors to Death” (1944):  Late WWII whodunit mystery with some snappy patter and characters set in what must have been considered the precursor to a shopping mall.  Lots of shots fired in the dark, women screaming, bodies hitting the floors, and plenty of doors cracking open and quietly closing.  Unfortunately, the story seemed muddled and not worth trying to “figure out”.  WOTO

“Music Within” (again, 2007):  This movie is based on the true story of the man who eventually came to lead the Americans Disability Act.  Here’s the good news:  some of the acting is pretty good.  Michael Sheen as “Art” is great.  GREAT.  Unfortunately, everyone else is mediocre, the “period” sets, cars, costumes, music, etc. are off as much as 10 years from the year claimed, other continuity problems exist, the story as told is shallow, too fast, and lacking in detail, the music score does the “let’s use hit tunes from that year” shtick, the vehicles have “Clean Car Syndrome”, and there’s a general made-for-tv, “edu-info” feeling to the “lessons” being crammed into this story.  All in all, this is an amateurish effort, and the only two reasons I have it in THIS category (not lower) is you may want to learn how the Disabilities Act came about, and watching Sheen is a tremendous joy.  WOTO

“The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming” (1965):  After a somewhat mysterious opener, the film takes off as a decent farcical comedy (with Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Alan Arkin, Brian Keith, Theodore Bikel and Jonathan Winters) but slowly morphs into an unabashed and obvious socially conscious drama.  Prepare to be slapped in the face with a mid-60’s “The Youth of the World is Our Only Hope” message.  I like this film for two reasons: the better comedic moments, and, its being a true Period piece implying our struggle out of the Cold War and into the Peace Movement…for all its naiveté.  WOTO

“Howl” (2010):  Using only audio records and transcripts of Allen Ginsberg and others, this is a highly “artistic” look at his creation and publishing of the poem “Howl”, and its ensuing court battle against censorship.  It is, in other words, a star-filled documentary of sorts, but filled with animation purporting to “illustrate” passages of the poem.  And there is the problem.  The animation is colorful, active, and flashy – demanding – which steals audience energy and focus from the Art it was obligated to support.  My wife ended up closing her eyes so she could focus on the content of the words.  I watched, but knew I was viewing animation made by an artist who did NOT (?) understand his/her role as an illustrator, and attempted to use “Howl” as an opportunity to prove THEIR own worth.  If any artist wants to show their personal best, they create their own work.  They do not ride on the famous backs of others and cast a shadow upon their clients.

 

 

It just hit the fan !!! 

 

 

“Ma and Pa Kettle go to Town” (1949):  Let me get the one “plus” out of the way… I bought this AND watched it to see location film of New York City in 1949, and Hollywood’s studio version of same.  If THAT is enough for you, then see this moovie.  If not, run like a McCoy with a Hatfield on your tail.  For those who DON’T know who Ma and Pa Kettle were, think precursors to The Beverly Hillbillies yet less animated and just as stupid and without the slightest concept of birth control.  The film quality is really nice.  (That’s sort of like saying your ugly brother is a very nice person…)  Continuity, on the other hand, is, well… what in the Sam Hill is that there whachacalltit ? “canteen doohickey”?  They’re riding in a taxi, taking in the sights.  It’s raining on the right side of the street, dry and sunny on the left side.  Hey, you take what stock footage was on the table at the moment.  They walk out of a restaurant.  It’s day time.  They take two steps, and it is night time.  “The Big Apple – A Weird and Scary Place!”  In Ma and Pa’s defense, I must say they’re not nearly as IRRITATING as Granny and Jethro.  WOTO

“Chuck Berry – Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll” (1986):  If you like old Chuck Berry recordings from the 1950’s, and don’t want to damage your feelings about them, DO NOT view this 1986 documentary!!  It’s always sad to see someone still relying on successes from 30, 40, 50 years earlier, and whose ego depends entirely on convincing others of the ongoing, living value of endless re-presentations.  If that isn’t enough, he’s disagreeable, nasty, self-centered, demanding, pompous, angry, and can’t sing a note.  (He’s always yelled / spoken his lyrics, if you think about it.)  His entire focus is on money and getting the show done so he can leave.  He can’t recall the date of the wedding anniversary with his wife, but can tell you what he made at a gig in 1952.  He’s mad people won’t pay him more for his pimped-up Caddies and Lincolns, he’s mad the world isn’t fair, he’s mad when someone else expresses an opinion, he’ll slug you if you say hi at the “wrong” time, and he’ll bore you to death with the same old shtick show after show after show after show….

 

6.

“Uh… Say WHAT?”

 

 

 

7.

“Guilty Pleasures”

(Okay, you caught me!)

 

“Blonde Savage” (1947):  THIS one is almost “Hit the Fan” category, but there are a few things to lovehate about it: The Blonde isn’t a savage, first of all.  In fact, she’s  a very cute 40’s big band vamp if anything.  And, the “jungle natives” are a sad lot of black extras picking up some easy but stupid work, the special effects are laughable, the “logic” of the story keeps falling to pieces, you can “see” the script lines as they are “read” by all the actors, the characters are flatter than the Sunday Comics, and, well, this is a White Man’s World over there in the African jungle, let’s put it that way.  WOTO

“Hot Rod Girl” (1956):  This has it all:  Swingin’ Chicks and Chickens, Way Out Daddy-Os, juke boxes, hang outs, hot rods, dead youngsters, law breaking, drag strips, Chicago box cars and Ducktails and Elvis jelly rolls, a small town with concerned adults, more hot rods, southern California convertible life, and plenty of phony scenes with fake backgrounds, slow cars supposedly speeding, fast cutaways to create “action”, actors with stand-ins that don’t look a thing like the “stars”, fist fights without one connection, the Understanding Girlfriend, The Ditzy Broad, The Brooding Hero, The Trouble Making Punk, The Comic Relief (Frank Gorshin!), The Supportive Cop (Chuck Connors!)… man, this is one Way Out Scene, Baby.  And DIG that Hot Rod Girl in the brand new T-Bird!  See this one for the cars (the REAL hot rods of old), the concerns of 1956, and the wonderfully stagy environment in which these (mostly) wayward-but-good-hearted teens supposedly roam.  WOTO

“The Lost World” (silent, 1925):  The FIRST object animation film.  It’s pretty good too, considering.  I’ll bet it ASTOUNDED the 1925 audience!!  This story (by Arthur Conan Doyle) set the stage for all others – from King Kong (8 years later!) up to today.  THAT’S saying something.  Though full of laughable moments – only some of which were intentional – there are also scenes where you might just say “Dang!  That’s pretty good for nearly a hundred years ago!!”  WOTO

“The Giant Gila Monster” (1959):  Classic bad 50’s sci-fi drive-in movie fodder intended to provide an excuse for girl to slide over into the protective arms of her boyfriend behind the wheel.  Vanishing teenagers, the desert at night full of weird buzzing sounds, hot rods, monsters, hip talk, cool rods (the REAL thing!), and adults who do or don’t understand “kids nowadays”.  If you’re a hot rod fan, this one is a must.  WOTO

 

 

8.

“This isn’t a “Film”, but I don’t know where else to put it”

 

 

 

9.

“Your Suggestions”

 

 

 

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FILMS 2011

October 26, 2011 by Ronn Ives, under Films.

 

 

Some of the Films I’ve seen

so far in 2011

Watching Films is our way of fulfilling the deep-seated

human need to huddle around the campfire and

listen to our Story Tellers. This is when and

where we express our fears of the

Unknown, debate the Mystical,

and find support for

our assumptions

about the Sunlit World.

 

(CODES: “again” = I’ve seen it before, “WOTO” = We Own This One, “IMDB” = my opinions also found on The Internet Movie Data Base site.)

(Below are the majority of the films I’ve seen to date this year.  Those most recently viewed are placed at the top of each category.)

======================          ======================

2011 MOVING PICTURES

NEVER enough time, SO many films

January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011

======================          ======================

1.

“THESE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE”

 

 

“The Endurance” (again, 2000):  Documentary.  “In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set sail on the Expedition with 27 men aboard, aiming to cross Antarctica. But when the vessel became stranded in frigid, deep waters (and crushing ice), the crew began a battle of the human spirit, testing the limits of endurance as they strove to overcome the debilitating setback.”  Miraculously, they succeeded in capturing the experience in journals and on film.  What is MOST profound about this story is what you learn from the mouths and diaries of survivors & their families, which leaves you gasping for air and feeling you can NEVER EVER AGAIN WHINE ABOUT A SINGLE THING in your cushy, little, safe, easy, pampered life.  This is one of the most difficult, torturous trials of life of all time.  These men were the toughest, bravest, most steadfast, determined humans to walk the Earth.  It BOGGLES my mind to think of what they faced and what they did in their attempts to survive.  Wow.  See this!  Get some perspective.  Find yourself without words.  WOTO IMDB

“Annie Hall” (again, 1977):  Simply one of the most innovative, interesting, insightful films you will ever experience – again and again.  THIS work announced Woody Allen would never again return to slapstick comedy, and would instead draw from deeply personal sources in the manner of other serious artists.  It’s innovative for his use of static camera shots allowing characters to leave (or never enter) a scene (yet you hear their conversation), subtitling of thoughts vs spoken words, movies within movies, the use of animation within a “normal” film, giving the dialog to other actors on a stage, characters who leave their bodies and still carry on conversations, characters who break from the film and talk to us the audience, split screen depictions of different times or places with the characters speaking to one another across the splits, flashbacks of characters who describe their futures… a superb break from what was expected.  It’s interesting on more than artistic levels, as Allen delves into references far beyond the mundane, and presents them with wit, humor, and awkward honesty.  It’s insightful for his honest and thoughtful look at how humans behave under different realities.  “Annie Hall” is a masterpiece.  (And watch for many lucky young actors (such as Jeff Goldblume, Christopher Walken, Shelley Duval, etc.) who, thirty years ago, could only dream that “Annie Hall” would help kickstart their hopeful careers.  WOTO  IMDB

“Come and See” (Russian, 1985): This is my first and far from my last viewing of a war/anti-war drama by Elem Klimov. Set in 1943, and both horrifyingly realistic and upsettingly surreal, we follow a 13 year old Belorussian boy who decides he wants the glory and adventure he imagines will be offered by War. True to the facts, this mid-WWII epic depicts both the exterior and interior lives of common people caught in violence they alone cannot stop and into which they can only press deeper and deeper – with the hope their losses will make a difference for the future. Being a student of WWII, I can assure you these events on Russian soil were commonplace. (Klimov would not have created inaccurate depictions – NOT for a public who lost 27 million fellow Russians. For comparison, we Americans lost about ½ of one million.) This is not only a great film for its honest content, but its truly creative use of characters, symbols, acting, scoring, sound, photography, lighting…. It is both History AND Art. Think of “Come and See” as though “The Red Badge of Courage” was written and directed by Federico Fellini and Werner Herzog reborn as Russians telling the emotional story of their families and countrymen during the largest single war disaster the world has ever known.

A Trio of Documentaries [I watch each year on September 11^th]:

“9/11” (again, 2001/02):  This is the French documentary that followed a few rookie fire fighters through training and their early weeks on the job in New York City.  It was THIS camera duo who, by pure ugly “luck”, filmed the planes hitting the World Trade Center buildings (which you have probably seen).  It was also these two men, the Naudet brothers, especially the one assigned to follow the departmental Chief, who entered the Center and kept filming while the top floors burned.  They would capture the last images of many frightened (knowingly doomed), brave fire fighters.  My heart aches when I see these shots, my anger does not dissipate, and I, again – with a renewed sense of awe – keep these people in mind as THE DEFINITION OF HEROISM.  These men KNEW there was little chance they’d return once they began climbing up those stairwells – in full gear and an extra 60 pounds each on their backs – with thousands of people rushing down the stairs in a panic, none of the 80 elevators working (in fact, those shafts became the conduit for explosive, ignited fuel to shoot all the way to the basements, making each floor explode from the pressure) – these men KNEW.  You can see it on their faces.  It would take them a full minute per floor to go up, and they had 78 floors to climb before they hit full fire and complete devastation… or at least that’s how it looked at the moment.  It didn’t go that “well”, as we know.  Meanwhile, paper, glass, metal, fire, and body parts rained over the streets and rooftops of N.Y.C. for blocks.  People were suffocating in the smoke and fine dust.  With the camera crew in the lobby of one building, there was a slow, constant rhythm of HUGE, explosive bangs that could be heard just outside… people who, having chosen this over burning, jumped to their deaths and smashed on the pavement or canopies or cars.  In fact, the bodies were soon falling at such a fast rate, firefighters and others who were told to “MAY DAY MAY DAY!!  EVACUATE!!!!” had to wait for police, standing on the outside, to signal WHEN they could run out of the building, so THEY weren’t killed by those who were jumping.  This is 120 minutes of frightening and inspiring behaviors and personal sadness – all brought about by the Evil of those killers.  WE Shall Never Forget.  WOTO IMDB

 

+

 

“In Memoriam (9-11-01)” (again, 2002):  This document is quite different than the one above.  “In Memoriam” is composed of images shot by hundreds of people with video cameras, still cameras, phone cameras… And because it was shot from so many locations, with so many points of view, you are privy to most terrible, the most horrific last moments of many lives, and the enduring pain of those left to live.  There are very touching interviews with extremely thoughtful people, along with those who were angry, confused, frightened, hurt, AND brought together through tragedy.  Mayor Guiliani did an exceptional job during this time, and I have now learned that when he finally went home that first night to rest, he picked up a book on Winston Churchill, finding help and inspiration from someone who had already been down a very similar, but even more horrific road.

 

+

 

“America Remembers 9-11-01” (again, 2002):  This document, assembled by CNN, is different than the other two.  Its focus is on the events, but as they channeled them through their newsroom and its reporters.  In this sense, it is a tad self-centered, but there exists plenty of valuable information, and gives more attention to Washington D.C. & Pennsylvania, the aftermath of scares such as Anthrax, and the first attacks on Afghanistan.

“In a Better World” (Danish, 2010): Very seldom do I consider putting a first-time-view film in my top category, and I’m not sure I’ve ever done it… until now.  Created by a very talented director, Susanne Bier, with great photographers and scorers, and an exceptional group of actors, this extremely emotional, tense, sad film will take everything you have… and then give back to you a hundredfold.  The story is a complex look at a few people, their feelings, thoughts, and actions caused by violation, distrust, anger, fear, and violence.  (It is also a perfectly symbolic look at Denmark’s relation to Sweden during World War II, which helps explain the character’s prejudices.)  “In a Better World” travels between Africa and Denmark, the past and the present, young and old, men and women, good and evil, pacifism and retribution, emptiness and faith, hopelessness and enlightenment.  I MUST own this film.

“Monster’s Ball” (again, 2001):   Life happens.  Redemption may come in many forms and at any time, in small, unnoticed pieces at unexpected intersections.  There is not one unnecessary scene, nor one word that should be trimmed from this film.  It is as superb a drama as any I could list.  The photography and lighting are expressive, and major devices are used to keep US in a “voyeuristic” relationship throughout the story.  We are only invited to observe… we are excluded from participating in this long string of very personal moments.  (I would re-edit the sex scenes for sequence and length, but that is all.)  The dialog is probably the most natural and straight forward I have experienced since “Tender Mercies”.  The acting by Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, Peter Boyle, Heath Ledger (and others) can’t get better.  You’ll find yourself holding your breath until some scenes are played out.  The scoring is elegant, very sad, foreboding, and supportive.  This is one potent, understated, never dull, Work of Art.  WOTO

“Big Fish” (again, 2003):  You MIGHT need some previous experience with Tim Burton’s films – at least some of them – or you MIGHT end up feeling baffled and unfulfilled by this one.  When Burton is at his best, his films are like no one else’s.  If you like his film “Edward Scissorhands,” you’ll like “Big Fish” – its closest relative.  The idea of “Big Fish” takes on a number of meanings throughout the story, is very entertaining, has some strong emotions, lots of unique laughs, people, sets, and circumstances, and ends up making its point – with enough room left for your personal vision to join in.  God Bless the story tellers in our lives.  What would we be without them?  Albert Finney, Jessica Lange, Danny DeVito, Steve Buscemi, Alison Lohman, Ewan McGregor, Helena Bonham Carter, Billy Crudup… wonderful actors (and there ARE more).  Don’t let some of the scenes fool you.  This film has all the components of a PROFOUND, elegant, touching work of Art despite its disguises – if you allow them their own character.  WOTO IMDB

“Romeo & Juliet” (again, 1968):  There are only two Shakespeare productions that have ever grabbed me and never let go:  The film version of “Henry V” by Kenneth Branaugh, and this “Romeo & Juliet” by Franco Zeffirelli (which received four Academy Award nominations).  Zeffirelli, his crew, and all of his actors made flat pages of script come alive with the humor, agony, and sadness that is this story.  Olivia Hussey is luminous, Leonard Whiting charming, Michael York pretentious and dangerous.  There are characters of buffoonery, ribald humor, delicate subservience, punks, pretenders, and pompous short-sighted fools with wealth.  I saw it first-run in 1968, I see it every few years (but never often enough), and I am ALWAYS astounded by it.  For those of you who believe you have “seen” Romeo & Juliet”, or have nothing further to learn, it’s time for this – THE BEST – version to have ever been documented and saved for us.  It is GLORIOUS.  WOTO

“Places in the Heart” (again, 1984):  This IS ABOUT “Heart” – Home, Love, Hardship, Strength, Honesty, Understanding, and what makes a “Family”.  It is powerful, tender, frightening, sad, full of grace, and very elegant – in a simple, crickets-singing-in-the-field sort of way.  I have one doubt about it: the last scene departs from its very established, thorough, grounded world, and (if you’re paying attention) presents another world.  I think another solution could have been found.  Other than that, Sally Fields, Danny Glover, John Malkovich, Ed Harris, Lindsay Crouse, Amy Madigan and many more talented people – including the children – work brilliantly within a film that never feels dishonest.  The set decorators, costumers, makeup, sound recorders… everyone did superb jobs.  It’s been nine years since I last watched “Places in the Heart”… which was much too long.  WOTO

“The Last Voices of WWI – A Generation Lost” (British, 3 hrs. 41 min., 2008):  You needn’t be an historian, hawk, or dove to find very good reasons to listen to older people tell you about their lives under horrific circumstances you will PRAY remain their experiences ONLY.  World War One was a four year war – which will sound like a very SHORT war to many of us now.  However, unlike now when a daily death toll is normally in single digits or even zero, the war of 1914-1918 had daily death tolls of five digits – 20,000 to 40,000.  So let’s get some perspective.  This documentary set out to use original film footage and interviews with the last surviving participants of that war: soldiers, litter bearers, doctors, nurses, factory workers, and families.  Why did they see this war as necessary?  What made them join, knowing most of them would die?  What did they see and feel?  Who made it back, and in what condition?  After 90 years of consideration over an experience that lives in them everyday, what have they concluded?  Most of these people were age 98 to 113 in 2008.  (Do NOT assume they were in any way feeble of mind.)  This is a superbly crafted look at what humans can create and destroy for a variety of reasons.  Tell me that’s not important.  Tell me you don’t need further insight into what makes us US.  WOTO

“Personal Velocity” (again, 2003):  Parker Posey, Fairuza Balk, and Kyra Sedgwick star in this powerful, three-part film about unrelated women struggling to find not so much with WHOM they belong, but WHERE and HOW they belong – within the larger worlds of work, family, conventions, success, failure, and the inheritance of their upbringings.  All three women are spectacular in their roles, the photography continually supports their believability, as does the dialog and narrative.  Rebecca Miller wrote the book and the screenplay, plus directed this film version.  There is talent all around… in a film with enough important thoughts for everyone to take some home with them.  WOTO

“Exotica” (again, 1994):  This film only gets more interesting – and indeed profound – with each viewing.  I told my wife if I were to draw a “map” of the relationships in this story, I suspected it would be as precise and geometric as a snowflake… and just as fragile.  There is a powerful and relentless undercurrent of history and sadness in this film.  Atom Egoyan created a masterpiece of patient story telling, visual rendering, and uniquely insightful psychological states.  Watch for the various references to “exotic”, and allow yourself to be manipulated.  Its intelligence is in the way it creates shifting certainties within you.  This is NOT a film for children.  WOTO

 ”Breaking the Waves” (again, 1996):  Just the opportunity to see Emily Watson perform as “Bess” is enough reason to seek out this film!  She is AMAZING to watch.  However, this entire work of Art, directed by Lars van Tier, is no less impressive – for its story, the “documentary” here-and-now appearance, the other actors (Katrin Cartlidge and Stellan Skarsgard co-star), and a patiently increased study of mysticism, faith, culture, love, and truth.  It is not a film for those convinced they understand All (and you know who you are).  “Breaking the Waves” should be reserved for open-minded viewing by strong adults.  WOTO

“On the Waterfront” (again, 1954):  One of the ultimate films about corruption and redemption.  THIS is why Marlon Brando became BRANDO.  Gorgeous b/w photography, strong scoring, strong script, history making improvisation, gritty cityscapes, delicate moments, violent encounters, and moral decisions are to be made.  It is pure, memorable power mixed with sad fragility – one I would want older children to see… but with discussion afterwards.  Film making gets no better than this.  Also starring Rod Steiger, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Pat Henning… and watch for a very young Fred Gywnn.  WOTO

 

2.

“THESE ARE EASILY WORTH TWO HOURS OF YOUR LIFE TIME”

 

 

“Marwencol” (2010):  If this documentary were made in a more aesthetic manner but kept the same content, I would put it in my top category.  Now, moving past that concern: this story is AMAZING, sad and strange.  A man, Mark Hogencamp, was attacked outside a bar, nearly killed, and ended up with brain damage.  Once he could again walk and talk, for some reason he decided to start building a tiny town on the lawn next to his home – populating it with small dolls, many made to look like people he knew, but “living” in a fictional Belgian town during World War II.  He began photographing their daily, changing lives while pursuing a highly realistic scenario.  THEN, long into his “self-therapy”, he is “discovered” by people who see this as an Art effort worthy of an exhibition… and, at the same time, we slowly learn additional secrets Mark has held close.  You will be left processing his coping mechanisms for a long time to come… and looking in the mirror wondering what you would have done differently, if anything.  See this documentary.

“Pretty as a Picture – The Art of David Lynch” (again, 1997):  This is a rough-hewn documentary made during the production of his film “Lost Highway”.  Interviews include Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Robert Blake, Robert Loggia, Balthazar Getty, and Natasha Wagner.  Also in the documentary are Angelo Badalamenti, Mel Brooks (did you know HE funded “The Elephant Man”!?), Lynch’s children, and many of the people who began their careers at the same time and along with Lynch.  This film looks at Lynch as a director, but also as a painter, sculptor, photographer, collaborator, writer, and all-around Idea Man.  If you’re unfamiliar with his films, this may jump in too deep too fast.  If you ARE familiar with them, this can only add insight into his work process.  DO NOT expect him to “explain” his films to you.  The point to be made is “be Creative” on your terms.  Many of us can use that reminder.  WOTO

“Soul Kitchen” (German, 2009):  A young man owns a down-n-dirty diner in an area of Hamburg’s industrial wasteland.  He has a slow but steady following of eaters who ask nothing of him and he that’s exactly what he gives them.  It’s a marriage made in food hell.  Then things get worse.  This is a wonderful, funny, hip story about finding The Love – of career, family, lover – of Destiny… with all its blemishes.  Very “fulfilling”.

“The Ballad of Narayama” (Japanese, 1983):  Set in an isolated mountain village of 19^th century Japan, we observe extremely Existential conditions caused from necessity but given that especially ornate Japanese treatment of myths, excuses, camouflage, and rules, and, adding “duty” and “honor” as enticement and threat to obey.  This is an increasingly intense film broken only by occasional scenes of the mundane, funny, and sexual lives of common folks who cannot even imagine an alternative to their condition.  It WILL ask you to ponder your own culture, I assure you.

“A Christmas Story” (once a year, every year, since 1983):  We watch this one every year near Christmas.  We know it by heart, and continue to love it.  (Let’s see – I think this means I’ve seen it about 28 times!)  For me, it’s unavoidable since it tells the EXACT story of MY childhood!  No, REALLY!  From the coat Slick wears to the coal furnace, the school design, the heavy winters, the coon skin cap, the toys, yes, even to the tongue on the flag pole incident… except I never got the chance to shoot my eye out with a BB gun – the absence of which I’ve always regretted …. UNTIL LAST YEAR!  I NOW OWN A RED RYDER BB RIFLE!!!!  The story is set exactly 10 years earlier than when my experiences begin, but in Indiana THAT means little.  (It was written by Jean Sheppard, who grew up in northern Indiana.)  The period sets, costumes, cars, etc. are near flawless (even if there IS some of that “Clean Car Syndrome”).  Believe me, I’ve studied it… but, there is ONE LINE of dialog precisely BACKWARDS, a real mistake.  One day you might catch it, might not.  Good luck!  There are a few continuity slip-ups that’ve taken me decades to notice.  The cop car that pulls up to the flag pole is a LATE 1940’s Chevy.  Oops!  Mistake!!  While you’re at it, try to determine EXACTLY in what year “A Christmas Story” IS set!  It CAN be discovered.  FYI: the original family home has been restored and made to look EXACTLY like it did in the film!  You can take tours.  Also, the “leg lamp” is being reproduced.  You can now have your very own though miniature!  This is a film of simple humor, tenderness, nostalgia, and joy through the eyes of both children AND adults.  We adore it.  WOTO IMDB

“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (once a year, every year, since 1991):  This is one of three Xmas movies my wife and I really DO watch EVERY year within two weeks of the holiday.  It’s nothin’ but stoopid, slapstick, dry, hilarious fun… or… we be rill dum, but we no care!  Chevy Chase created a niche with the character Clark Griswold, a highly mediocre, frustrated but well-intentioned suburban Everyman, married to his lovely & loving wife (Beverly D’Angelo – with the only sexy overbite in movie history).  This film is FULL of people who would soon become stars:  Randy Quaid, Juliette Lewis, Brian Doyle Murray, Doris Roberts, etc.  Expect nothing but laughs.  Roll with it.  It’s a no-brainer night… and worth every danged no-brain cell.  While you’re at it, watch for references to “It’s a Wonderful Life” and a few continuity slip-ups.  Consider it sport.  It’s time to relax and just have fun.  WOTO

“Toy Story 3” (2009):  I’ve said it many times: Pixar remains the modern High Bar for everything animated.  And, the “Toy Story” trilogy is the High Bar of sequels – it never lost strength through each installment.  Despite the masterful visuals and audio, strong scripts and rich characterizations, the Pixar team never became lax or rested on their laurels.  In other words, they never produced something that screamed “CASH IN NOW – AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!!!” (which, I suspect, means defying their overlords at Disney).  I love this series.  It is gorgeous, funny, moving, and smart.  Disney: Leave them alone… no matter what your commercial sticky fingers would like to control.  WOTO

“Metropolis” (Moroder version, 1926/1984):  Finally.  After all these years of loving “Metropolis”, I FINALLY have a copy of the first, seriously restored version which excited me in 1984 and caused me to follow its long and fascinating history ever since.  Created by Fritz Lang in 1926 (and premiering in 1927), this epic German silent sci-fi (written by his wife Thea von Harbou) was, due to the Nazis, banned then destroyed wherever found.  Fortunately, versions were quickly taken out of the country, hidden or stored away for the next half-century, and waited (while decomposing) for Giorgio Moroder to perform his gargantuan labor of love.  In the 1970’s, an earlier copy was found – I have a vhs example.  It is a faded, scratched assemblage of snippets barely resembling a film at all, but it allowed for the start of the first serious restoration in the 1980’s.  Since the release of Moroder’s 1984 version, additional versions have been released as more film has been discovered around the world, restoration techniques have further improved, and the original score sheets were discovered.  Now, “Metropolis” exists in nearly the exact state it was originally seen.  It is glorious.

 

I now own every version that has ever been commercially available.

 

These are past writings about “Metropolis”:

 

“Metropolis” (again and again but always new, 1926/2010):  I have little to add to what I’ve said below, but the spectacular efforts of people all over the world for 84 years to collect and save bits and pieces of this socio-political sci-fi masterpiece have made every foot of this newly assembled (NOW 148 minutes!) and additionally restored version an eagerly awaited event!!!  The new version (KINO International, The Complete METROPOLIS, double cd, 2010), is the now near-perfect version to own.  Sure, someone will come along one day with programs that can, if they choose, polish up this additional 25 minutes of film, but it can now be said in the opinion of many dedicated experts, this IS again – AFTER 84 years – a solid, complete film… a film that changed how films were made.  Read past thoughts on “Metropolis” (they are older as they go down):

 

“Metropolis” (again yet for the first time, 1927):  If you want to read reviews about the re-discovered, restored “METROPOLIS”, they’re out there, and pretty accurate. Main points are 1) the missing 25 minutes clarifies a lot of sub-plots, and the story now flows very nicely, 2) there is no doubt which is the new old footage – it is in relatively poor condition (and thus I expect at least one more eventual restoration), and 3) as long as you keep reminding yourself this film is nearly 100 years old, the subjects, frankness, symbolism, drama, and amazing sets with special effects are unparalleled.  I must own this new old version.

 

At our local art film theater, and prior to the showing of the film, a professor of German was there to present background info on Germany during those years.  If you were uninformed about those times, and you were willing to concentrate beyond normal requirements to decipher his distracted, barely organized thoughts and tangents, he had a few bits of general insight.

My big surprise:  The audience was as close to decent as I’ve ever experienced.  This was SO unexpected,  Movie audiences have become pigs!  I’ve asked myself “Why was tonight different?!”  It couldn’t be pure chance.

1) Having a live “lecture” beforehand (complete with lectern) set a tone quite different than flicking on a big screen tee-vee at home to play a moovie.  They were now in a “classroom”, they were not alone, and they were told what they were about to see was special and rare.

2)  It is a silent film presented with the orchestral score and its text (which required reading), so the blatant opportunity to react to and talk over moovie-fluff did not exist in its normal form.

3)  This film is SO foreign – not just because it is German and from 1927, but due to its serious ideas about politics, social structure, labor unions, class division, economic disparity, etc., it continually re-demands your thoughts even when the imagery has an almost kitschy look.  I saw a few people walk out on this lengthy film by the half-way point.  No doubt they were tired of having to intellectually participate or were unwilling to make the effort.

If I owned a theater, I would start EVERY film with a lecture by someone in a related field.  This would add to the entire experience, and, I believe, establish a respectful atmosphere.

 

     PAST THOUGHTS ON “METROPOLIS”:

 

“Metropolis” (again & again & again, German, 1927, by Fritz Lang, 87 minutes, restored 1984 by Giorgio Moroder):    First of all, you need to LET GO of your 2006 A.D. “film-think”, because this was made 80 YEARS ago.  Acting, even when done well, was related more to stage than camera – which shows in the exaggerated gestures meant to be seen & understood from the back row of a theater.  Plus, this IS a German Expressionist/Cubist/Art Deco film, so an edgy, frantic, and shattered look ARE its artistic means to the end.  With that said, this film was lovingly restored – pieced back together where ever possible, filled, and altered by Giorgio Moroder over a number of years.  A TRUE Labor of Love.  Bless him.  I tend to be a Purist – and yet his contemporary soundtrack is surprisingly enjoyable and effective.  The story is of class division 100 years in the future (2026 A.D.) (though everything looks 1927 Modern, which I love), when the few wealthy people (“Brains”) with power run the hoards of faceless, blue collar workers (“Hands”).  Sound like you could relate?  Sure, this film is an essay on German society in psychological and financial ruin from World War I, with its increasing need for a “savior” to come along and UNITE & SAVE the People (in this case by forming Labor Unions).  Socialist?  Yes.  Politics aside, “Metropolis” is one of the most beautifully lighted and creative sets of all time.  Each shot is composed with great care, each movement and spot of light placed with precision, and the architecture/decor is stunning early Art Deco.  The male lead, “Freder”, will not fill your contemporary definition of “hero”… being a tad heavy on the pancake makeup and rouge.  On the other hand, I’ve had a long-running, VERY heated, major crush on the female lead, Maria – the good-hearted heroine – the gentle woman who holds the hands of children, AND…(in a dual role) – the evil “false Maria” robot/temptress who dances wildly at the “Yoshiwara” house of ill-repute, driving tuxedoed men wild with animal lust.  Yes, it’s true – if I could get in a time machine and go anywhere in the 20th century, it would be to the Metropolis movie set, 1925-26, just to cozy up with Brigitte Helm (“Maria”).  (My wife knows this, so don’t bother trying to rat on me.)  I have “Metropolis” in this category NOT because of all the lessons it will teach on how to lead your Life, but due to its artistic beauty, historical interest, imaginative decor, and enjoyable naiveté.  (Remember to rent the restored Moroder version (!!!) or the later, even longer & further restored version (2002) with its original orchestral score, and NOT the old one – a patchwork quilt attempt, which is barely legible.)

 

And:

 

“Metropolis” (1927, again? YES! – twice this year – and also No):  I say “yes, and no” because THIS is the new (2002), FURTHER restored (124 minutes!), silent (no dubbing) version of the once-lost masterpiece by Fritz Lang, and my first viewing.  There have been TWO major restorations: the Giorgio Moroder version (listed above), which I really enjoy, including its 80′s rock-n-roll (!) music tracks and “hand” dyeing, and, this NEW one which extends the movie length (although approximately 25% is still missing from Lang’s original work).  NOW the missing parts, due to script discoveries, are indicated in black-frame text descriptions, and, since the original orchestral score is now known, it has been recreated, recorded, and fit to the film as well.  Fritz MUST HAVE belonged to either the Socialist or Communist Party at the time.  The film is a hardly disguised propaganda piece for the Heads (wealthy bosses), and Hands (anonymous workers), to come together with the aid of the Hearts (union mediators).  You MUST approach this film with an attitude different than that which you use for contemporary films: the acting is way over the top, as silent films took their queues from the theater; the music is heavy and dramatic (Germanic); the symbolism straight from the Bible, ultra-Moderne fashions, and political thinking of 1920′s Europe; not to mention you’ll see bits and pieces of “Frankenstein” (pun intended), “Nosferatu”, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”, a harbinger of “King Kong”, plus many influences by German Expressionist visual art of the period.  The more you know about German history of that time, the more you see how significant “Metropolis” would have been to that viewing public (not to mention sexy, cutting edge, and prophetic).  Hitler was still a small time crook in 1926, but the old German empire was crumbling under its own weight, and Fate awaited Adolph.  The Time was Ripe, indeed.  I ADORE Brigitte Helm, the actress who plays both a Madonna-like, inspirational spokeswoman for the masses, AND the evil temptress robot programmed to infiltrate the masses for the purpose of destabilizing the union movement.  Her body and facial movements are SO enjoyable in their exaggerated, Art Deco/Expressionist way, and, at least for ME, somehow V V VEEERRRRY seductive…  She also loves to grab her breasts during emotional moments.  Fine with me!  Watch her one eyelid drop, when she’s the robot woman.  I nearly faint.  Watch her Madonna-eyes become like Bambi’s Mom.  The sets are so modern, so hip and stylish, I can barely stand it.  Within the context of ITS time, perhaps only “2001: A Space Odyssey” matches its vast inspiration for depicting the future.  Remember:  “Metropolis” was made BEFORE the “skyscrapers” – and that includes the Chrysler and Empire State buildings in N.Y.C..  There were NO multi-layered overpasses, air transports within cities, etc..  Are the characters simplistic?  Yes.  Is the story fairly obvious?  I think so.  Does that detract?  No!  It IS a Masterpiece, and WILL impress unless you have no sense of historical perspective… THAT you probably need or you might think the entire film just “hokey”.  Your loss.  WOTO  IMDB

“Entr’acte” (French, 22 minutes, 1924): by Rene Clair, Francis Picabia, and Eric Satie, and including Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray.  THAT should tell you this is a Surrealist project.  When a new medium enters the world and is discovered by enthusiastic artists, you are quickly given a wide variety of brilliant AND stupid experiments – reminding all of us that “play” is a big part of “discovery”.  “Entr’Acte” is a very mixed bag of Surrealist images and technical experiments.  I find Surrealism often pretentious, but this film has humor and visual treats worth consuming while you TRY to remember “Entr’acte” was made in 1924 (!), and considered shockingly original for its content and “look”.

“A Nous la Liberte” (French, 1931):  Exquisite photography, part silent, part “talkie”, part dub, part musical, part this, part that, and with mildly inventive camera and editing work make this VERY French, slightly surreal comedy about The Machine Age, Consumerism, and Greed worth the view.  By Rene Clair, we follow the lives of two men who met in prison and slowly gain very divergent experiences.  Often funny, sometimes creepy in that early 20^th century French culture way, and loaded with GREAT early Modernist architecture, décor, fashions, cars, and ideas, it does not follow or create many stereotypes, although when Chaplin’s “Modern Times” came out some years later, a huge law suit was brought against him for plagiarism.  See the Criterion dvd extra features for this.

“The Family Man” (again, 2000):  If it wasn’t that this story is basically a contemporary spin from “It’s a Wonderful Life (Version 2000), it might be in the category above.  It’s witty, funny, emotional, sad, and loaded with reminders of what Life really IS about.  Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni are perfect for this.  It’s what they call a “feel-good” movie.  WOTO

“My Left Foot” (again, 1989):  Although Daniel Day-Lewis’ acting is blindingly brilliant in this amazing, TRUE story, the entire cast did nothing less than a fabulous job of helping us understand and empathize with this era, neighborhood, family, and malady.  Lewis plays Christy Brown, an Irish lad born with Cerebral Palsy, in a time when the ignorant labeled them as “half wits”.  He FORCED people to see the real person STUCK inside an uncooperative body.  Brown was luckier than some, however.  His family did not shun him or pander to any feelings of “poor me”.  “My Left Foot” is an inspiring story, a great film, and one for the collection.  WOTO

“The French Connection” (again, 1971):  GREAT, gritty character study set in the great, gritty city of 1971 New York.  In those daze, it was still the really nasty, grimy, dirty, rotten-to-the-core Big Apple.  Gene Hackman plays a piggish, uncouth, intuitive undercover cop, who begins spotting “signs” his gut tells him he should follow – and follow – and follow.  Roy Scheider is his partner, and together they begin unpeeling a complex, international drug deal about to go down.  Based on a true story (?), this is a superb work that holds up very well in concert with the era’s blatant, funky look, strong photography, and a spectacular score.  A patient and interesting drama turns to exciting and dangerous as they begin to piece together the French Connection puzzle.  It is one of the best “cop” films of all time.  WOTO

“Winsor McCay – The Master Edition” (2003):  If you want to see superbly drawn cartoons now over 100 years old, you must go to Winsor McCay.  HE IS The Man.  There is such JOY in his invention of this new technique called “moving ink pen animation”, you cannot resist this “simple” but elegant work.  Although I prefer his sequential-frame still-cartoons one would have seen in magazines and newspapers of the time (they are, of course, much richer and more complex), the fact he was willing to make 25,000 individual pen & ink drawings for a short animated film is amazing.  You will also see he was The Source of inspiration for ALL animation to follow – from Disney and the Fleischer brothers and Robert Crumb to scenes later used in early object animation such as “King Kong”.

“The Upside of Anger” (2005):  Starring a very good cast lead by Joan Allen (and Kevin Costner, Evan Rachel Wood, Erika Christensen, Keri Russell, and Alicia Witt), this film has both the usual components of a family drama with an occasional touch of comedy, but also an amazing revelation that completely re-spins everyone’s (including your own) understanding of events and people.  THIS is what adds the extra power, and takes an average film story into a place worthy of your time and personal reflection.

“Sarah’s Key” (2010):  First of all, know that in conceptual terms what “Sarah’s Key” depicts about France is true.  This ugly part of their history is not something they like to discuss, and you’ll see why.  On the artistic side, its cinematography is wonderful, the acting solid, and the story is not only interesting but requires you have a clear head for one hour and fifty one minutes as it very often snaps between the 1940’s and now.  This is a detective / journalist drama with hidden emotions that get dug up – slowly – with doubt – and lots of pain.  If there is a next generation “Sophie’s Choice”, this is it.

“Rivers and Tides” (again, 2003):  This is a documentary on artist Andy Goldsworthy who manipulates materials found in nature at the original site, and he generally allows them to degrade naturally over time – which can mean minutes or years.  Although his narrative is often overly Romantic for my taste, his work is often a pleasure to see.  Think of him as the little brother to Robert Smithson and Christo – trying to separate himself but is clearly a member of the Family.  For me, his work is less profound and intellectual, and more poetic and prettier, but would none the less be a wonderful thing to happen upon in person.  WOTO

“Enemies: A Love Story” (again, 1989): Based on a short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, set in 1949 post-WWII New York amongst the Jewish survivors of the holocaust, we are taken on a topsy-turvy, game-playing, lie-filled, emotional ride with one man (Ron Silver), his three wives (Angelica Huston, Lena Olin, and Margaret Sophie Stein), and the world he has seemingly created for his own comfort.  Slowly we learn more about each person – their deep wounds, their methods of coping, and their breaking points.  This is a complex film about wounded spirits, and though occasionally funny, it is a generally serious and sad look at the lingering pain not even erased through family, abundance, passion, or love.  WOTO

“Diner” (again, 1982):  Directed by Barry Levinson, this is a nostalgic look (without the cotton candy) at a group of best friends as they struggle into adulthood in 1959 Baltimore.  Although “Avalon” is much stronger and “Liberty Heights” weak, this installment of a Baltimore trilogy has good sets, strong dialog, and great ensemble acting by very young, yet-to-be-famous actors such as Mickey Rourke, Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Kevin Bacon, Timothy Daly, Paul Reiser, and Ellen Barkin.  Think of it as a more serious “American Graffiti”, if you want.  WOTO

“Radio Days” (again, 1986):  Written, directed, and narrated by Woody Allen.  This is not one of his weighty films, nor is it an early slap stick.  It’s a wonderful period story set in Rockaway, New York, focusing in on the 1940’s, his family, neighborhood, and memories.  It’s funny, insightful, occasionally sad, and very rich in texture, music, sets, costuming, and attitude.  You’ll feel like you lived there, then, also.  Watch for many young actors who would years later become stars.  Kudos to Allen for helping give them the chance.  This film is PURE pleasure and nearly flawless in its presentation.  WOTO

“Bill Cunningham New York” (2010):  Bill Cunningham photographs New York City.  He’s an eighty year old man who rides a bike, uses a film camera, lives in a tiny, unadorned room, doesn’t cook, shares a bathroom with other residents of Carnegie Hall, and just so happens has, for half a century-plus, been The Man who documents the fashions, the rich and poor, known and unknown, the street, runway, and ballroom lives of small groups of eccentric people.  An eccentric himself, you’ll be both amused and disturbed by his obsessive drive to capture the fleeting images of what “we” consider “important” for a week – month – season – year – decade… .

“Danton” (Polish/French, 1982):  In case you’re somehow under the delusion politics and corruption are a fairly new phenomenon, see this film by Andrzej Wajda (another of my favorite directors) about the French Revolution (and an unspoken comparison to the Polish revolution of the 1980’s) after the Revolutionaries had won… and were now – ironically – infighting for their own dictatorships.  Although I did not appreciate the scoring, this is an otherwise great look at the high hopes and low actions of human throughout Time.  Starring Gerard Depardieu and Wojciech Pszoniak.

“Tape” (again, 2002):  Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Uma Thurman are GREAT in this story set entirely in one motel room, ten years after their friendships during high school senior year.  Unresolved issues, opinions, and fantasies are dragged kicking and screaming to the surface, slowly revealing them to be more than just ugly – they’re incredibly personal.  Although not up to the level and intensity of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf”, this is a top notch psychological drama directed by Richard Linklater.  Expect non-stop tension and dialog.  This is high-stress.  WOTO

“Motherland” (2009):  Documentary by Jennifer Steinman.  This film takes an intimate look at six American women who have lost children to early deaths.  They meet, go on a journey to South Africa, and experience a world in which everyone experiences loss.  This is a VERY sad, very emotional, and very uplifting experience.  WOTO

“Crumb” (again, 1994):  Documentary by Terry Zwigoff.  This film assumes you are already familiar with and perhaps admire the work of artist Robert Crumb.  Crumb began – and unwillingly lead – a revolution in social satire through cartooning and comic books.  Although he was raised high by the counter culture of the Sixties and Seventies, he had no interest or admiration for it, and instead preferred to base his style in the gritty look of 1930’s Fleischer brothers animation, but with a personal vision.  He also denied the liberal, politically correct movement when it was at its most fervent.  Crumb upset everyone.  This documentary will only support the fact he leads his own life, is hardly likable, often creepy, whiny, passive-aggressive, intelligent, and, due to interviews with other members of his family, the “survivor” of an upbringing no one would request.  He’s a brilliant, hardworking, focused, angry mess.  WOTO

“Tree of Life” (2011):  By a director I like very much – Terrence Malick – who created another great film, “The Thin Red Line” (1998).  Both have elements in common: breath taking photography with an eye for detail, amazing sound recordings and music scores, an ethereal philosophic narrative floating in and out of the scenes, serious questions begging for answers, a sense of awe and a belief in the profound, fragility, lush plant life, and a deep willingness to take its time.  If you like films that have a clear story, lots of action, good guys and bad guys, and allow you to leave your brain out in the car, “Tree of Life” is not for you.  You might want to approach this film in the spirit of “Koyaanisqatsi” or “Baraka” mixed with “The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio” or “This Boy’s Life”.

“Did he MEAN what he just said????!!!”  Yes, I DID.

“Cleo from 5 to 7” (French, 1962):  By one of my favorite directors, Agnes Varda.  The film appears to take place in real time – that is, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on one day in 1961 in Paris.  A popular and beautiful young woman is distressed by the thought she may be terminally ill.  We spend two hours with her as she wanders the city thinking about her body, ego, life, relationships, and career… and reaches a new vision.  This may sound slow-moving, dull, overly ponderous, or classically stereotypical of northern European films… but if you approach it with relaxed patience, it is a very rewarding, intelligent work of Art.

“Daddy and Them” (2001):  Written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton, starring himself, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Andy Griffith, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Affleck, Jim Varney, and t’others…. ALL PERFECTLY cast.  This is one funny film.  It’s not artistically innovative or a hugely engaging story.  What it is is it’s a danged hilarious set of characters who spit out the best backwoods red neck white trash pick ‘em up truck lines I done heard in a long time.  Talk about your DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES?  Lawdy!  And yet… there is a sweetness underlying the insanity.  Pure fun.

“Mystery Men” (again, 1999):  A silly comedy full of perfectly cast stars having lots of fun in a witty, totally dumb-funny movie about a group of LAME-O “super heroes” trying to make a name for themselves.  This is adolescent humor made for adults.  It cracks me up.  I admit it.  Ben Stiller, Paul Reubens, Janeane Garofalo, Hank Azaria, William Macy, Greg Kinnear, Geoffrey Rush, Tom Waits…  WOTO

“Rescue Dawn” (2006):  Written and directed by one of my favorite directors, Werner Herzog, about a man he admires very much, Dieter Dengler.  This is the second film he has done about Dieter, whose life is made of the horrifying and glorious moments reserved for the very few.  I suggest seeing Herzog’s documentary “Little Dieter Needs to Fly” first, then “Rescue Dawn”.  Set in 1965 Laos, a group of soldiers (whose existence is not acknowledged because America claimed no war involvement outside of Viet Nam) are faced with life in a prison camp in the middle of the jungle.  This is about the men, the camp, and an escape attempt.  Every actor in this film put themselves through a lot to get this done, as you will see for yourselves.  Major kudos go to Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies, and all the others.  The photography is great, the scoring – as always in Herzog films – interesting, the credibility (lack of CGI) is superb.  In this film every viewer will find a reason to emotionally “relate”.  WOTO

“Chang: A Drama in the Wilderness” (silent, British, 1927):  Shot in Siam, this docu-drama is a fascinating look at life and death in the Asian Jungle.  We follow an average family through their typical days.  What they must do to survive will astound you.  Every frame is interesting for one reason or another.  The injected scenes of humor and the style of language are very 1927 and British, which do provide relief from the gritty truth of kill or be killed.  I believe the deaths shown are actual.  This is NOT a 2011 politically correct film.  Get over it.  Its more recent scoring is very good.  I’ve never seen another film depicting “jungle life” that gets anywhere even distantly near this one.  It’s a stand out.

“Picasso – A Primitive Soul” (1999):  One thing becomes clear the deeper you look into Picasso’s life – he was as dark and cruel as he was light and charming.  If you had the very mixed “blessing” to be involved with him in any way at all, you could also expect to have your trust violated and your ego damaged – if you let him.  Yes, he was a hard working, intense, intelligent, competitive, innovative artist – and I admire some of his work very much.  Would I have wanted him as a “best” friend or father?  No thank you.  He would’ve made a better neighbor.  This biography looks closer at, of course, his artistic growth and his almost vampire-like effect on others, but his great fear and denial of his own mortality.  WOTO

“The Claim” (again, 2000):  Set in the 1860′s, high in the California Sierra mountains, a small gold rush town – built and overseen by its the founder, survives – almost thrives – in a minimalist way through the harshest of winters and pioneer attitudes striving for the trappings of “city”.  Not since “Unforgiven” have I seen such superbly realistic, unromantic sets and character behaviors.  Great acting (Milla Jovovich, Natassja Kinski, Peter Mullan, Sarah Polley) and amazingly gritty visuals are placed in front of the awesome spectacle of nature, which rightfully divert an acceptable storyline based on Thomas Hardy’s “Mayor of Casterbridge”.  WOTO

“Fried Green Tomatoes” (again, 1991) – This film, a favorite, has a great story, has some of the finest period and location sets of all time, solid depictions of the characters by the many talented actors, decent scoring and photography, and some VERY repeatable “film quotes”.  It has lots of tender, sad, dark, frightening, and funny moments.  My only complaint is in the make up (or lack of makeup) used to show the characters ages over time.  They do not age at the same rate.  Aside from some continuity issues, I let that take a backseat, and enjoy a wonderfully woven tale set in the past and present with characters slowly revealed and answers withheld until the last moments.  WOTO

“Forbidden Games” (French, 1952):  Set in the French countryside in the early years of WWII, this is the story of one little girl, “Paulette”, who is forced to try and understand what is happening around her (which IS how children define themselves).  She sees German planes, bombings, death, selfishness, pettiness, panic… and occasional acts of kindness.  Without damaging the plot, I’ll say it has a relationship to “Ponette” (1997) mixed with “Angela” (2002) – both very fine films.  I do fault “Forbidden Games” with weak lighting effects and a rough edit-blend of war footage with story footage.  I can also fault the occasional overacted moment (although “Paulette” has some AMAZING moments of emotion).  NONE THE LESS, this is a film about Meaning, not Art, and so intensely and thoroughly explored, I see no need to pick at the formal side.  This is a very strong STORY, made soon after the end of WWII when such memories were still VERY fresh in everyone’s minds.  Be grateful you are not in that position.  WOTO

“Sin Nombre” (Mexican, subtitled, 2009):  This is a powerful film about ghetto life in Central America.  It focuses on two groups of people defining themselves as “family”.  With their local situations being hopeless, some hop a train in hopes of reaching the United States via Mexico.  The film is not so much “set” as on-location in incredibly broken towns and villages overrun by feral humans and few glimmers of hope.  As the journey progresses, it picks up speed and danger.  This is one of the rougher films you’ll see, but, like so many dramas coming out of Mexico and that area, well worth the graphic depictions.  The photography, scoring, costuming, acting… is nearly flawless in keeping you in its reality.

“The Story of Adele H.” (again, French, 1975):  Those 1970’s production values – including director Francois Truffaut’s – are terrible.  The photography, lighting, sound, use of scoring, and much of the acting is poor.  HOWEVER, this is the TRUE story of Victor Hugo’s daughter, Adele, played by the beautiful and talented Isabel Adjani.  Throughout the film, you’ll watch a transformation seldom seen.  Adjani’s performance of a woman slowly consumed by mental disease (it might be called Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder now), is on par with Peter O’Toole in “Lawrence of Arabia” and Robert DeNiro in “Taxi Driver”.  I am completely mesmerized by her slow, subtle changes.  She is a frightening, sad, pathetic, fragile joy to watch.  See this film for the story and her acting.  They make it ALL worth while.  WOTO

“Luther” (again, 2003):  Starring Joseph Fiennes and Peter Ustinov, shot in many of the original, historical locations of Germany and Italy, with wonderful sets and costumes.  I can only hope that the facts were accurate (I am NOT a religious scholar), as this was a very interesting, intense, and powerful story of vision, politics, dedication, politics, pettiness, politics, fear, politics, courage, and all the other things we, as humans, find important.  Causing change is never pretty… even with the finest of intentions.  I will see this again.  Fiennes did as especially great job of acting.  He carried the weight, so to speak.  WOTO

“THX 1138” (again, 1970):  A film by George Lucas, produced by Francis Coppola, starring Robert Duvall and Donald Pleasence.  “THX 1138” is a gutsy visualization of the 21^st century (oops, here we ARE!), created with the faith an audience of forty+ years ago (unlike today) had the patience and imagination to allow for lots of silences, whispers, and unexplained objects, language, and events.  This is the future AFTER 1984, when everything seemed resolved, was coated in brilliant white, polished to a sheen, drugged numb, and under perpetual observation.  Here, there is NO paranoia.  It is fact.  Though some scenes, architecture, cars, and computers (the size of small towns, using tape and keypunch cards) are designed within the imaginative limits of 1970 Modernism, this really IS one of the finest visual, audio, plot, score, and dialog fantasies of The Future gone cold.  WOTO

“The Sci Fi Boys” (again, doc., 2006):  This is a loving, thankful look at the great original sci-fi animators (Lang, Harryhausen, etc.) and special effects people of movie making as described by a newer generation of the same genre (Lucas, Spielberg, Jackson, etc.).  What’s especially wonderful is the project is CHOCKED FULL of original models, 8 mm childhood attempts at special effects, and insider info.  Credit is given where credit is due, and the originators are not slighted by the now-powerful box office directors.  They LOVE their roots, they LOVE these early innovators, they are THANKFUL for the inspirations.  Lovely.  Funny.  Fun.  WOTO.

“Heaven and Earth” (again, 1993):  Starring Joan Chen and Tommy Lee Jones (though Jones doesn’t arrive until half way through the film).  Chen carries the story, and does a fine job.  Set in Viet Nam, the films’ arc is large, recalling a century of colonial invasions by foreigners, and a shorter period of time (American involvement) through the eyes of one girl-woman (Chen) – and of course the writers, and director (Oliver Stone).  This is a powerful film with a heavy slant of sympathy towards the Viet Namese, both North and South.  It is beautifully photographed, overly scored, and somewhat simplistic in its portrayal of both Viet Namese and American cultures (which I’m sure would be argued is due to being “seen” through the eyes of one rural child – but I also suspect a contemporary American sense of guilt and an attempted apology within the motives).  None the less, it has an undeniable emotional punch you will appreciate.  WOTO

“Rockin’ at the Red Dog” (again, 1996):  This is a documentary, with a caveat from me:  If you could care less about the 1960’s music scene, the Hippie and Peace Movements, and especially the originators of Psychedelic music and art, then this is not the film for you.  It’s NOT an artistic “documentary” – it is a Documentary with a ton of good and interesting information if you want it.  It made me feel like I was learning about it all over again, but this time with less rumor and media slant.  For example, I’d never thought about the youth cultures’ very quick, conscious, somewhat confused reaction AGAINST British Pop influences and TOWARDS American influences both in appearance and sound.  Excellent.  WOTO

“The War Within” (again, 2005):  An apparent innocent man is picked up, secreted away, and tortured for information about terrorist cells.  He admits knowing a couple of people, but may have had nothing to do with their activities.  The treatment he receives from the kidnappers – and a cell mate – changes his energies.  Maybe he’ll join after all.  This is the film you would expect in our post-9-11-01 environment.  It tries to show all the sides, hypocrisies, mistakes, ironies, causes, and results of such a world.  It is sad, maddening, and generally obvious, but, although not full of brilliant insights, it IS worth viewing to perhaps gain further perspectives.  The scoring was very impressive, the photography equally moody.  The acting was subtle and very good.  WOTO

“Drop Dead Gorgeous” (again, 1999):  This is one of the funniest films I’ve seen.  It’s a pseudo-documentary about the 50th anniversary of an insipid Teen Beauty Pageant held in small town Minnesota America.  Kirstie Alley plays the neurotic pageant organizer and former Teen Queen; Kirsten Dunst is the good-hearted glass-is-half-full teen who innocently benefits from disasters around her; and there is a wonderful group of women playing various levels of crazy involved in such an event.  Although not quite up to “Waiting For Guffman”, “A Mighty Wind” or “This Is Spinal Tap”, it’s close – VERY close – and that’s saying a lot.  WOTO

“Win Win” (2010):  Though not a MAJOR “easily worth two hours of your life time”film, it’s better than the next lower category… so here we are.  Paul Giamatti stars in a story of a harried man with a family, a failing business, a losing wrestling team, and enough stress to kill him.  Through a series of decisions and chance events, he finds his life – and those around him – improving despite a glitch in his decisions.  There comes an inevitable moment when everything must be put on the table… and all the good is put at risk.  Much of this film is comedic, but it changes as we learn more about the characters and their need for resolutions.  It may be somewhat predictable, but the journey is worth it.

“Ayn Rand – A Sense of Life” (2004):  This is a strong and thorough look at the life, activities, and philosophy of Ayn Rand (a name she designed for herself upon immigrating to America from the U.S.S.R.).  The roots and branches of her “Objectivism” are described – much by Rand herself – which were clearly her guiding ideas for many decades.  It’s also interesting to learn that she was “blackballed” – in THIS COUNTRY in the 30’s and 40’s – for her anti-Communist / pro-Capitalist / non-interference stance.  Go figure.  This is interesting stuff.  Take a break every so often and absorb what is being presented.  There are also plenty of special features.  WOTO

“Monster House” (again, 2006):  Well, it took a long time but someone finally got competitive with Pixar, at least in some visual terms.  This is an animated film about three kids who discover a haunted house and must DEAL with it.  It’s generally cute and funny, with occasional touches of seriousness and raunchy, and lots of kiddie-scary stuff.  The story and characters do not equal the depth created in Pixar works, but the sense of color and light / shadow is superb.  “Camera” movements are interesting, sound effects are good, texture is sometimes good, and that weird world of “realistic” visual techniques (depth of field, ambient light, etc.) clashes with the abstraction of animation distortion in a fascinating tension.  This is definitely a kid’s movie, with adults along for the ride.  Go for it.  WOTO

“Citizen Kane” (again, 1941):  The following is what I wrote in 2004:  “So many people hold this film so high, it’s hard to see it for what it might yet be.  None the less, I see: gorgeous, uniquely lit, well-composed shots and a simple story about a man who gains too much yet always has too little.  It is NOT, to my mind, one of the great character studies, nor built on astounding dialog, outstanding acting, or even an especially unique morality play.  It’s a formal, artistic leap… a great visual work.”  WOTO  Now for 2011:  I hold to those thoughts, but also add: much of the time I am distracted by the mediocre quality of painted and animated backgrounds, and the makeup used to “age” the characters.  I am equally impressed with the great look of the faux-documentary film footage, and the brilliant (and gutsy) use of lighting in almost every single scene.  What drives this film is the story, and what enhances (or distracts) the long journey are many of the visuals, but it lacks emotion at every turn.  This is an intellectual film, even when it’s trying to express emotion.  This is its weakness.  Ironically, the film is something like the character it criticizes.  WOTO

“The Battle over ‘Citizen Kane’” (1996):  Documentary.  Caveats: 1) It probably helps if you admire the film “Citizen Kane”, 2) and, it probably helps if film making interests you, 3) or, you should at least be interested in human greed, power, battle, and destruction – both by others and by the self.  This is a detailed look at William Randolph Hearst (the publishing billionaire about whom “Citizen Kane” was based) and Orson Welles (who created the film and became the enemy of Hearst).  This was a classic Clash of the Titans… BOTH famous, BOTH powerful, BOTH convinced of their righteousness, BOTH refusing to back down or lose.  It’s a fascinating look at creation and destruction.  WOTO

“Poetry” (Korean, 2010):  Melancholy is the driving emotion, and unfinished business is the driving plot vehicle.  A proper grandmother is trying to raise her ungrateful slob of a grandson while she faces a limited income and a diagnosis of the onset of Alzheimers’.  If that wasn’t enough, other issues are soon uncovered adding even more pressure to her world.  This is a meditative look at hidden sadness, denial, the passage of time, and the desire to make things “Right” before it is too late.

“Manhattan” (again, 1979):  Following “Annie Hall” – one of Allen’s masterpieces –“Manhattan” is an equally strong follow-up film in his much more sophisticated, mature manner.  Gone is the fun-but-dopey slapstick of his earlier movies, which required you to search for the deeper meanings (which he clearly wanted to express, but did not want to put up front… for some reason).  Manhattan’s photography is gorgeous, the scoring perfect, the dialog adult and insightful, and his look at relationships complex, funny, sad, tender, and surprisingly forgiving.  Despite Woody’s history of pairings with females and the central characters of “Manhattan”, this is a work of art that needs to make no apologies to anyone.  Diane Keaton and Mariel Hemmingway are exceptional.  Good supporting work comes from Michael Murphy, Anne Byrne, a young Meryl Streep, and Wallace Shawn.  WOTO

“Ghost World” (again, 2001):  Modern Teen Angst.  Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson star along with Steve Buscemi, Terri Garr, Brad Renfro and others in this nihilistic comedy-drama about best girl friends, who, upon graduating from their high school hell, try to establish the next phase of their lives… with varying degrees of… hmmm… not exactly success… but… something…  If you liked “Welcome to the Doll House”, “Crumb”, “Happiness”, “Rocket Science”, “Election”, or “Napolean Dynamite”, you’ll somehow like this one too.  It’s sarcastic, dark, loaded with alienation, funny, pathetic, and way too often true.  WOTO

“The Borrowers” (1997): Based on the novel by Mary Norton, this is the story of a “Bean” (Human Being) family and a “Borrower” (Tiny People) family who lives under the floor.  When an Evil Real Estate Tycoon (John Goodman) connives to take away the Home, the adventure begins.  This is an extremely witty, fun, action-packed movie for young and old.  Pure pleasure.  Let yourself go.

“Bloody Sunday” (2002): Directed by Paul Greengrass, this is a documentary style recreation of January 30, 1972 when the British military shot 27 Irish civilians on a Civil Rights march in the town of Derry, killing 14.  This incident caused the immediate and constant growth of the IRA for decades to come.  The British and Irish accents are sometimes difficult to understand, especially in this frantic, action camera style.  None the less, the points get made, and in a very effective manner.  The man who takes the role of Civil Rights leaders (sorry, I don’t have his name in front of me) was superb as a politician with heart.

“The Ice Storm” (again, 1997):  This is an outstanding and profound essay about alienation.  It does nothing but go up in my esteem every time I watch it.  The story is built on lost souls awkwardly trying to reach out beyond their limited lives, minds, and bodies in upper class New Canaan, Connecticut.  Watch for great 1970′s (non-kitsch though sometimes ugly as sin) sets and costuming, perfect scoring, often bleakly elegant photography and restrained acting reflecting the ice storm which reflects the psychic conditions of this group.  You will experience clear, cold layers over everything and everyone.  It is a chilly, lonely, sad, darkly funny, surreal, painful experience.  I began my film “relationship” with Ang Lee through this film.  I expected nothing but greatness from here on out.  Then he did “Hulk”.  What???  Then he did “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”!  Awful!!  Then he did “Brokeback Mountain”!  Ah, Ang is back.  Or IS he?  This guy’s either great or terrible.  Not an in-between man at all.  WOTO

“Crazy Heart” (2009):  Starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Colin Farrell, with a supporting role by Robert Duvall.  An old country singer is down on his self-induced, drunken, screwed-up luck.  I mean, he’s BAD.  Along comes a young woman who could inspire him to maybe do just a little better… and thus starts their journeys.  Great acting by Bridges and Gyllenhaal.  You can count on them.  This is a strong character study with potent scenes full of mixed, disgusting, frightening, sad, pathetic, and hopeful moments.  WOTO

“Quiz Show” (again, 1993):  This film by Robert Redford won an Academy Award.  I think that might have been stretching it a little, but it IS a good piece of work.  Set in the mid-1950’s, it looks at the factually based events surrounding T.V. game show corruption.  John Turturro does a great job as the average guy who desperately needs attention and money, along with Ralph Fiennes as the fragile psyche who never fully gets on board with the schemes, and Rob Morrow as the dogged investigator.  Sets and costuming are good, but WHO was responsible for those caterpillar eyebrows on Morrow?  They only serve as a constant distraction.  Since television did (and does) see itself as “mere entertainment and cash generators”, this film illustrates the easy rationalizations that take producers beyond fantasy and into delusion.  WOTO

“Cimarron” (1930):  This film received “Best Picture” and two other Academy Awards in 1930 – and deserved them.  It’s an interesting period piece – both for contemporary 1930 AND the earlier times it recreates (1880+ Kansas/Oklahoma America).  Keep in mind that many people in the theater audience personally experienced the expansion of this country in a covered wagon – its Manifest Destiny, the hardships, the Existential necessities, the human flaws, violence, and dreams of that time.  Some of the acting is still “stage based” (but not all – Irene Dunne understands the camera better than Richard Dix), and the sound recording sometimes misses a line.  However, overall, this film is NOT sappy or romanticized in a soap opera way – it’s quite gritty, actually, but IS sometimes romanticized in the “inconvenience” of the “red skins” and the remaining “dedication” of the “freed coloreds” to their “white” masters… etc..  What I found MOST interesting was the detailing of daily life in those places at the various periods represented (divided by story cards every few years).  Every effort was made to finesse each and every costume, building, and daily action in ways you will not see in any other “Western”.  This film was made for people who could judge its accuracy (though the manner in which guns were handled had me wondering).  PS: The story travels right up to the brand new disaster of the Great Depression in 1930.  WOTO

”Les Mistons” (French, 17 minutes, 1957):  by Francois Truffaut.  A charming, insightful, funny, and sad gem of a short story about a group of little boys infatuated with an older girl.  This is the famous little film with the “bicycle seat” scene.  The photography is rough in that “New Realism” style, voice-overs are very “studio”, but the quick skill with which Trauffaut moves us through emotions is amazing.

“Antoine & Colette” (French, 30 minutes, 1962): by Francois Truffaut, with still photography by Cartier-Bresson.  Unrequited love.  A young man falls deeply in love with a luminously beautiful girl who seems to never meet his hopes.  We’ve all been there one way or another.

“Downfall” (again, German, 2005):  This is a recreation of the last days down in Hitler’s bunker, as told by his secretary, who survived the war.  Bruno Ganz (of “Wings of Desire” fame) takes Hitler, and Alexandra Maria Lara takes Traudl Junge, the secretary.  I am a WWII history buff, so I watch for 1) accuracy in characters, events, etc., 2) the point of view that this film was made BY Germans FOR Germans, and 3) it’s a FILM – a work of Art.  Historically, it was recreated by Junge’s words.  She and few others survived the bunker and any attempts to escape Berlin.  We’ll have to accept her words (cross referenced with other sources) as what we know, but must also understand that she would have an agenda for putting her position in the most acceptable light… after all, she remained in Germany, dying only a few years ago.  None the less, it struck me as honest and thoughtful.  Characterizations were acceptable, and I liked Ganz as Hitler, but such HIGH profile people, such as Hitler, need almost miraculous casting and acting to suspend the disbelief, and this did not happen for me, historically picky.  The special effects – from bombs to executions – were average to weak – probably budget issues.  Things had a staged, slightly “dry” appearance.  I thought it was “brave” for this German film to state repeatedly (through the mouths of the characters) that the German people got who and what they wanted and deserved – they created their own fate – and to complain or blame others is an unacceptable position.  Overall, the film moved a little slow, and if you’re not interested in History, I think this one is too focused and German for most American viewers.  WOTO

“Flash of Genius” (2009):  Despite the fact an idiot “reviewer” (marketing liar) called this film a “remarkable, hugely entertaining, FEEL-GOOD journey” – which couldn’t be further from the TRUTH – this IS an amazing story.  With great acting by Greg Kinnear and strong support by Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney, and Alan Alda, “Flash of Genius” puts to film what has been known by the auto industry and car aficionados for decades: Dr. Robert Kearns invented the intermittent windshield wiper, and Ford Motor Company stole it from him.  Kearns decides to fight Ford for the Right to produce his invention himself… which takes his life, and the life of his family, down a stressful, ever-darkening, very damaging path of detective work, sleazy lawyers, and court room dramas.  This is NOT a happy film, you will NOT feel good by end.  You will feel drained and ready for The Big Sleep.  None the less, you will REMEMBER this film, the inventor, AND the thieves at Ford – EVERY time you turn on your windshield wipers.  WOTO

“A Mighty Wind” (again, 2003):  IF you loved “This is Spinal Tap”, “Waiting for Guffman”, and/or “Best in Show” (I especially love “Guffman”), you’ll also love this one about “the” reunion of the best of the (worst of the self-deluded, cliché) folk groups of the early 1960′s.  (They are based on the “New Christy Minstrels”, the “Kingston Trio”, and “Ian & Sylvia”.)  As usual, Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy assembled THE finest group of THE driest comedians of ALL time, and allowed them to improvise their characters.  Each actor had to LEARN to play an instrument for their role, and were given “perimeters” for their character… ane were then set loose to create most of the dialog right on the spot.  They also wrote the “folk” music you’ll see and hear.  Of course it’s perfectly terrible, which means it’s ACCURATE to the period.  Self-delusion is always Guest’s theme.  All of his characters and groups, no matter what the setting in his films, truly believe they are talented, know what they’re doing and saying yet see no irony or contradictions, and press on in the faith that others see them as they see themselves.  It’s a lovely, sad, hilarious, pathetic, mind-boggling, brilliant experience, as usual.  We see this film at least once a year.  WOTO  IMDB

“Miral” (2010):  Although I am not crazy-supportive of this film as a work of art, it is too good to put in the lesser category below, so here we are.  Julian Schnabel set his bar very high with the bold film “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”, and this one gets nowhere near it.  It is an interesting, semi-factual story about a woman (Hind Husseini) who, in 1948, started a school for refugee Palestinian girls in the newly established Israel.  This school still exists and has helped thousands of children.  What is most interesting is to see a film with an agenda that takes the “other side” of the Palestinian/Israeli wars.  If you want to learn more about that area’s problems, this will help balance your insight.  As for the making of Art, Schnabel’s artistic techniques were VERY effective in “Diving Bell…” but mere stylish gestures in “Miral”.  The narrative demanded more clarity and less flair.  Willem Dafoe is listed as the star of the film.  This was a marketing move.  He had a minor role and easily strolled through his role.

“Three Kings” (again, 1999):  The first time I saw “Three Kings” was in 2001.  This is what I wrote:  “Good action drama with a multi-dimensional, political base.  Reviewers gave it more credit than me.  I thought it was a decent, one-time film.”  Now it’s 2011, and I’ve seen it a third time.  I must’ve been distracted first time around.  The film is based on a true story of four soldiers who decide to go for the Fortune (Kuwaiti gold) while stationed in Iraq (after the “first” war), only to find themselves in a very complex set of situations offering insights which make for a much more dangerous journey.  This IS an action film with darkish-comedy but it slowly turns to the serious insights of its characters.  WOTO 

“Rambling Rose” (again) – Robert Duvall, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, and Lukas Haas are absolute perfection in this quirky, bittersweet look at a short period of the past of an upper class Southern family, as they deal with the arrival of “Rose” (played by Dern in perhaps the role of her life), their household helper.  She is a vulnerable, honest, earthy, somewhat naïve young woman who wears her feelings and desires on her filmy sleeve with very little self-restraint.  Be forewarned:  if you are bothered by stories of older men seducing female children, then you should be bothered by older women seducing male children.  Right?  RIGHT??  Duvall as a southern gentleman is a wonderful anachronism, Ladd as a liberal and somewhat “artistic” northern woman who ended up in the South due to her love of her husband is heroically funny and grandiose, Haas is a witty and devilish lad who finds desire, love, and sex a very attractive set of new ideas, and there are other fine peripheral characters who add detail to this story of a time now gone – full of golden and laughable memories, a few secrets, and rich lessons.  It’s hilarious, sexy, moving, insightful, tender, and entertaining.  WOTO

“Blood Diamond” (again, 2006):  I stand by what I said two years ago:  “Based on facts, this is the fictional representation of the contemporary illegal diamond trade between Africa, Europe, and America.  It has a certain “educational” angle to it, but for the MOST part successfully avoids lecturing.  Instead, you are shown relentless, graphic violence, and non-stop greed, torture, black marketeering, the kidnap slave trade, and everyone with agendas.  It’s a beautifully photographed film, with subtle yet powerful scoring, and great acting by the leads, including, but not limited to, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly.  You GET the points being made early on.  What carries you through this film is the story of the characters – THEIR journeys – THEIR changes – and the fact you care about them more and more.  DiCaprio is back to doing his best.  Re-watch “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” and “The Basketball Diaries” – and forgive him “Tit-and-Ick” as it sinks into the sunset of your recent, painful memories.  IMDB  WOTO

“Maya Lin – A Strong Clear Vision” (again, docum., 1995):  At age 20 and still a student, Lin entered a design competition for the Viet Nam Memorial.  Against ALL the typical odds, she won.  This caused a firestorm of accusations, complaints, insults, and worse.  She weathered them though NOT a public type person.  She went on to design other memorials, architecture, and art.  This is an intimate look at the processes of making art and how it relates (or doesn’t relate) to the public coffers and opinions.  She is one of the finest designers around, and I put her Viet Nam Memorial at the top of all memorials. 

“16 Blocks” (again, 2006): Starring Bruce Willis, David Morse, and Mos Def.  This is a very strong film in the spirit of “Serpico” and “Copland”.  There is burn-out and corruption at every turn.  One man is challenged to face not only these conditions, but his past and a very real present as he delivers a petty criminal to an investigation.  All three leads are excellent.  It is a high action, drama, morality play with more heart than you’d expect.  WOTO

”Big Bad Love” (2002):  Because of seeing the film “Billy Liar” (just below) only last night, my wife and I both noticed similarities in the story and structure, but equally as many differences.  Though also filled with shattered, abstract fantasies, THIS one is most easily read if approached as a POEM not a NOVEL, where imagery is fleeting and transmits more of a mood than a narrative.  There ARE a couple narrative threads, but they’re only noticeable towards the end, so enter this work as a collection of partial clues and devastated emotions.  Arliss Howard, Debra Winger, Paul Le Mat, Rosanna Arquette, and Angie Dickinson star.  Great sets, locations, and other decomposing Deep South sights.

”Billy Liar” (British, 1963):  Set in the very middle class row houses of contemporary England, this is the story of a young man who can’t seem to grasp reality or a need for truth.  Though the film perhaps takes a little too long to reach its inevitable point, it initially takes a comedic view upon which the sun slowly sets and Truth may – I say MAY – win out.  It is a fine piece of work announcing the “Swinging Sixties” and the accompanying dilemmas of a world-wide Baby Boom generation.

“Partner to Genius – A Biography of Olgivanna Lloyd Wright” (Documentary, 1996):  Frank had many failed relationships.  This one lasted, in spite of their both being married to others, their personalities, poverty, ambitions, external pressures, and personal disasters.  Though not of consistent quality, this look at “the woman behind/alongside” the man is another glimpse into that world we have come to appreciate for its brilliance.  I believe you should FIRST understand some of F. L. Wright before O. L. Wright.  The perspective will help.  WOTO 

“Quills” (2000):  Three Academy Award nominations, Best Actor Geoffrey Rush, also starring Kate Winslett, Joaquin Phoenix, and Michael Caine.  This is a somewhat-Period drama (with dark comedy, and lots of sexual innuendo and violence) about the Marquis de Sade, how he upset “proper” (hypocritical) society, and lived out the rest of his life locked away in an insane asylum while still trying to write and publish.  It’s a great story, but there are other stars as well:  the sets, costumes, “extra” actors, and everything else that went into this superb evocation of a time, place, and mentality.  It’s a painful joy from start to finish.  WOTO

“We Own the Night” (2007):  Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, and Robert Duvall.  This is a crime drama.  The story and characters are not ground-breaking new ideas, but because of the people who made this film, it is a high quality example of crime, corruption, and redemption.  Created in a very gritty, superbly detailed manner, its believability is nearly flawless.  Towards the end, the story may float above its otherwise Earthly groundings, instead becoming almost mythic (and forcing a couple of continuity issues to be, I believe, consciously side-stepped), but this is a small price for an otherwise solid presentation.  WOTO 

“Best Boy” (documentary, 1979):  By Ira Wohl, who received the 1980 Oscar for Best Documentary.  This is the story of a very young boy who has been alive for fifty some years and lives inside the body of an aging man.  “Philly”, Ira’s mentally retarded cousin, is the focus.  The subjects include tolerance, patience, acceptance, harsh realities, living in the moment yet planning ahead, love, and being grateful for every day and every person who adds to life.  Try to watch this and not be affected.

“Besieged” (1998):  By Bernardo Bertolucci – one of my favorite directors – and starring Thandie Newton and David Thewlis, this is both a political and an emotional story of adults slowly understanding and appreciating one another under difficult circumstances with no sense of where things will end up.  Bertolucci can be trusted to give you a sumptuous visual experience, and, in this case, a hyper-sensitive audio experience, while asking mature questions about privacy, intimacy, longing, and sacrifice.  Expect no neat solutions, but do expect a mysterious, emotional ride.

“Hideous Kinky” (1998):  Starring Kate Winslet, this is a biographical story of a young English mother with two little girls who decided to lead a more creative and spiritual life in Marrakech.  Rich in detail, full of early 1970’s “vibe”, and meandering in its story, this is a warm, fragile, sad, frightening, and unresolved tale equaling those times.  The photography is rich, the soundtrack a little heavy-handed with the counter-culture tunes (but admittedly helps create that “vibe”), and the acting of all primary characters quite good, including the two small girls.  This is a slice-of-unusual-life with very little start or emotional resolution but still quite a fulfilling experience.  WOTO

“The Philadelphia Story” (1940):  Starring Cary Grant (who insisted on top billing, but donated his salary to the British Relief War Fund – which was before we got in the war), Katherine Hepburn (who was considered a box office curse, starred in the stage play and owned half the rights to the script), Jimmy Stewart (was doing just fine, and received an Oscar for this role), and Ruth Hussey, John Howard, Roland Young… and others.  More and more of the World was at War, but you wouldn’t know it by this upper class, breezy, farce of a comedy.  Americans were still Isolationists, Pearl Harbor was still over a year away, and this film received awards – as a diversion, if nothing else.  It is fun, witty, fast paced, “snappy”, and takes-you-away.  Perhaps it could use a little trimming, but it’s witty, sometimes almost edgy, and pays off if you pay attention.  WOTO

“True Grit” (2010):  Count on the Coen brothers to give you interesting, quirky characters no matter what the setting.  Here they take an old “John Wayne” vehicle and make it their own: a young girl comes into a rough town asking for help to find the killer of her father.  She’s looking for a man with “true grit”.  She wants justice, yes, but she also wants vengeance.  Enter Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), a very disreputable lawman who is a slurring mess of a bum and nearly-random killer.  She decides he’s perfect, prods and bribes him into this hunt, and off goes the film.  Also starring Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and a sizable group who create wonderful odd, sleazy characters, this intimate but sweeping Western was photographed by the great Roger Deakins.  I was ready to watch it again the very next night.

“The Crime of Padre Amaro” (Mexican, 2003):  Mexican films seem to be in a Renaissance the last number of years, and one of the actors who helps point the way is Gael Garcia Bernal.  Add to that list a young woman named Ana Claudia Talancon.  This film, directed by Carlos Carrera, is a dissection of the Catholic church based on a novel written in 1875.  Expect hypocrisy, bribery, lust, sins galore, politicking, lying, insanity, crime… you name it, it’s got it.  Paced with a steady decline of all the characters, we watch one big, complex collapse of a gold-leafed house of cards.  WOTO

“The Big Red One” (1980/2004):  This film, by Sam Fuller, was recently restored and gained an additional 40 minutes of footage (originally cut for its theatrical release by Lorimar in 1979-80).  Now the question is:  “Was all this work worth it?”  It’s a War story, loosely based on Fuller’s experiences with the First Infantry of WWII (thus, a big red One on the patch on their uniforms), and somewhat quirky/unique in his story telling.  However, the stars (especially Lee Marvin, who set the tone), the scoring, the photography, the weak special effects, and the near BLOODLESS battles for 162 minutes, make this much closer to a 1950’s-60’s product than the realistic anti-war statement it is described to be.  However, it’s a good war/anti-war story with strong insights into life as a warrior on the ground.  If you like them, you’ll like this one too.  If you’re looking for more, there are plenty of great choices made before and after “The Big Red One”, such as “The Thin Red Line”.  None the less, I’ve watched “Big Red” twice, and find it generally satisfying on its own level.  WOTO

“Panic” (2000):  William Macy, Tracey Ullman, Neve Campbell, Donald Sutherland, Barbara Bain, and John Ritter star in this low-key drama about a hitman having a mid-life crisis and goes for therapy.  The story is simple and nearly fatalistic, but some nice turns occur while you watch solid acting, fleshed-out characters, good dialog, beautiful photography, and good [if not a little heavy-handed] scoring.

“Sunset Boulevard” (again, 1950):  This is a classic drama of egos, pettiness, and the, ahem, “glamour” of Hollywood.  “Sunset Boulevard” is witty, bitter, and hard-edged, starring William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, and Nancy Olson.  Much of the script is done in the Holden character narrative, as the down-and-out hopeful/hopeless screen writer, who, while escaping the repo man, lands in the surreal world of an aging, forgotten, deluded silent screen star.  It is sometimes funny (bizarre), often dark, and always pathetic.  This is a hard-boiled, hip-talking, pessimistic look at the desire for and effects of “Fame”.  Superb.  WOTO

“Winter’s Bone” (2010):  With a very talented cast of actors, strong scoring, great photography, sensitive audio, sets that may have not been sets, costuming and makeup that is dead-on perfect, and… well, you know how something can feel so real that you can’t imagine someone created it?  This is everything in “Winter’s Bone”.  Set in the far-back country of Appalachia amongst people who have never been nowheres and figure they’s all family somehow or another, this is an evenly paced, ever-intensifying story of poverty, desperation, and trying to hang onto it because that’s all you got.  Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, and others star.  This film rightly won the “Grand Jury Prize” at Sundance Film Festival.  WOTO

 “Inglorious Basterds” (again, 2009):  What I wrote last year: “Here’s where I stand:  I loved “Reservoir Dogs” and “Pulp Fiction” but have not loved, let alone liked, any of Tarantino’s work since, and I highly recommend you avoid seeing interviews with him.  It was with hesitation I rented his new film.  I felt he’d given what he had right up front, and not had the sense to then stop and reassess.  I was relieved to see he’s given up most of the caricatures he’d made of his career.  If not for some of the pop scoring, I’m not sure I would’ve spotted this film as one of his (for awhile).  The scenes were long, tense, and patient.  Evil arrives in a seemingly polite and casual form, with an underlying deadly cold logic.  Tarantino’s good at that.  Once the violence begins (which you can expect: a fictional story set during WWII, and a Tarantino film), it picks up speed and gore.  The reason to stick with it is its espionage story, the tension in many of the scenes (always resulting in an “orgasm” of blood), and, a few plots twists that play out nicely.   Fewer of his characters were quirky and detailed in this newest film, but the leads were solid, especially the “Jew hunter” German, and the leader of the Allied team of “nazi hunters”.  They are interesting, even funny at times, but no one is under the illusion this is going to be der strudel walken.  “Inglourious Basterds” was a stimulating one-time view.”  Now: Except I’ve seen it twice… and enjoyed it for all the reasons stated above, plus some of the other actors’ work, the incongruous scoring, and – I must say again – some of the most tense scenes in film history.  Be forewarned – this is a VIOLENT film.  Think of it as a much more graphic Sam Peckinpah film.  WOTO

“Welcome to the Rileys” (2010):  Prepare yourself for a slow, quiet, painful story of loss, alienation, silence, and desperate acts.  Expect superb acting by James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo, and Kristen Stewart, and, great sound and camera work.  Oftentimes, the glimmer of hope can be one small star in the blackest night sky.  Watch for it.  Keep watching for it.

“Temple Grandin” (2010):  I expect this film to end up in my TOP category after another viewing and more consideration.  For now, let me say this: Claire Danes is (and always has been) brilliant, and were this a film made for “screen”, she would OWN the Oscar for Best Actor.  She rose to the challenge.  This leads me to the story of Temple Grandin, a person born with Autism, who struggles every day with her uniqueness, but, despite the impediments shoved in front of her by many people, and with the glorious help of a few generous adults in her life, she not only coped, but has changed the world for millions of lives – most of whom are Cows.  No, this is not a comedy, and I’m not going to trough-feed you her life.  Danes spent time with the real Grandin (who is also a Professor at Colorado State University), and Danes (along with Julia Ormond, Catherine O’Hara, and David Strathairn) will keep you glued to this film, its characters, its story, its emotional highs and lows with such power you can scarcely breathe.  Added to that, notice the unique and effective use of photography, editing, and sound.  How do we “represent” Autism?  See “Temple Grandin”.  See it NOW.  WOTO

“The Buddy Holly Story” (again, 1978):  Whether or not you are a fan of early Rock and Roll, it certainly needs to be understood.  This isn’t a “fan” movie (although Gary Busey’s role as Holly might make you a fan of his!).  It’s a film about culture-shock.  Seemingly overnight, a loud, brash, creative, never-before-experienced music and its presentation was threatening a post-WWII status quo… causing the underlying racism, greed, fear of communism, atheism… you name it… to come belching up to the surface of Earth’s most powerful country.  Within the business, Buddy Holly broke the rules – he politely stood up for himself until he needed to be less polite, he was his own producer, he ran the show, he made the deals.  Buddy Holly and the Crickets offered an extremely stripped-down, straight-ahead sound unlike any other group.  His career was cut short, along with others, and was therefore frozen in history – never to grow further or shrivel into oblivion.  WOTO

“Shoeshine” (Italian, 1946):  This is by one of my favorite Italian directors, Vittorio de Sica.  Set in the present time of early post-World War II Italy, when many adults were missing or dead, children roamed feral in packs, the black market was the only way to survive, and the legal system was in shambles, this is the story of two friends – both shoeshine boys – who are slowly caught up in the tattered webs of an overwhelmed society.  De Sica was an early “neo-Realist” film maker who did not beat around the bush.  He had social agendas in mind, and set out to make powerful dramas he hoped would cause change.  Expect no comedies.  Expect gorgeous b/w photography, big scoring, plots that spiral down, and clear intentions.  Other must-see de Sica’s: “The Bicycle Thief”, “Umberto D.”, and “Two Women”.

“Falling Down” (again, 1992):  Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey in a story about one average man who has had ENOUGH and isn’t going to take it – or ANYTHING ELSE – anymore !!!  This isn’t a beautifully filmed work of art – it’s just a story (increasingly dark, bizarrely funny at times) – but what I like about it is the Period/Artifact quality about American culture, its falling apart, and the stresses put on average people every day.  What would it take for YOU to SNAP?  Watch this, and see if you [deep down and honestly] get any vicarious satisfaction from Douglas’ new, increasingly intense way of dealing with the world.  The characters are generally two-dimensional (though Douglas is really interesting, and Duvall stands out as always), and the plot may not surprise you… but it’s still an interesting, whacked-out trip.  WOTO

“Million Dollar Baby” (again, 2004):  What I wrote after the LAST viewing: “This is a Clint Eastwood product all the way.  If I remember correctly, it won a ton of awards at the Oscars.  When I heard “leaks” that it was a TRAGIC story, I thought “I’m THERE!”  When I heard the co-star was Hillary Swank, I was DETERMINED to see this film.  Fine….  Unfortunately, MY experience is that when a film becomes hugely popular, especially a “sad” one, it’s a shlocky, gooey, sugary story.  At first glance (boxing, face cuts, blood, sweat) you’re diverted from the standard appearance of sugar coating…then the story begins revealing itself.  EVERYONE is hurting, EVERYONE is wounded, EVERYONE is scarred and out to fix the cosmic imbalances of their devastated lives.  Even if that’s true to life (and it may be), this is SO condensed – in the spirit of “Love Story” or “Steel Magnolias” etc. – that I found myself backing further and further away from it.  The ONLY reason I kept pulling BACK in was Hillary Swank.  She is great.  GREAT.  You could even see that SHE was doing much of the boxing – which means she STUDIED, and SHE worked mighty hard.  Eastwood strolls through “his” patented role.  Morgan Freeman, also a co-star, is a wonderful foil to Eastwood, and although I enjoyed the dialog between the two men, Freeman was not challenged either.  Before seeing it, I’d managed to avoid all the plot details, so I could see “Million Dollar Baby” fresh.  Even then, many of the dramatic moments were easily predicted, as was the conclusion.  Watch this one for Swank, or don’t watch it.  While we’re here, go rent “Boys Don’t Cry” if you want her talent to blow the top of your head off.”  What I want to add after THIS viewing:  Now, I’m a little more forgiving, I suppose.  It was easy to ignore the sugar coating.  I also give Eastwood and Freeman more credit, along with some terrific supporting actors (“Danger” the skinny hopeful boxer, and the members of Swank’s sleazy trailer trash family).  I also appreciated the emotional roller coasters, which I willingly rode this time.  WOTO

“Georgy Girl” (1966):  I debated as to whether “Georgy Girl” should be in THIS category or the one lower.  I decided that that the characters and scenarios, especially Georgy, were complex enough to justify recommending it to others.  Made it 1966 – at the height of British Mod Power yet-to-be-crushed the following year by American Flower Power – this story will scream “Pop Cultural Period” at you, which, for the uninitiated, first appears light and silly.  It is not.  You will get to know some very confused people trying to slough off the frantic demands of a world changing so quickly their heads are spinning.  Boundaries seem to have vanished.  Everyone seems entirely self-centered.  Rules of behavior are crumbling on a daily basis.  The pressures are showing on everyone.  Desperate decisions are made for the moment that will last a life time.  DO NOT let the “Pop” fool you.  This film still offers insights into the modern world.  Starring VERY young up-and-coming stars James Mason, Alan Bates, Charlotte Rampling, and of course, Lynn Redgrave.  WOTO

“The King’s Speech” (2010):  This is the fascinating, painful, hilarious, and inspiring story of the reluctant King (George VI) of England before and during WWII.  A serious stutter in his speech was a true crisis in British and world morale.  If not for Lionel Logue – self-proclaimed speech therapist – the problem certainly would have increased, not found solutions.  The acting (my god, the acting!), photography, scoring, and the fact this is a true story, add up to a very powerful experience – not only about those people in that time, but for all of us facing our own perceived limits.  Wonderful.  Must see.   Please do.

“Beetlejuice” (again, 1988):  Sometimes you come home and you don’t need to see the NEWS on t.v., “Schindler’s List” on video, or the BILLS waiting on your desk.  “Beetlejuice”, with all the great people involved in its making, is funny and witty from start to finish.  It’s a Tim Burton film, with a shiny faced Alec Baldwin, youthful Geena Davis, hilarious, edgy Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, young, Goth Winona Ryder, and a wonderful, insane Michael Keaton!  Special effects are both intentionally cheezie and limited by contemporary terms.  There are scenes you’ll suddenly remember as you’re driving along, and you’ll laugh out loud.  You’ll never again think of Harry Belafonte in the same way.  WOTO

“My Flesh and Blood” (documentary, 2003):  By Jonathan Karsh.  How does a single woman living on welfare raise two bio children and eleven adopted “special needs” children?  It’s beyond difficult – it is as close to impossible as it gets.  Susan Tom says “No one is perfect.  Everyone has their disabilities…” and she’s right… but she – with her own personal problems – takes on kids with huge problems that will make your heart ache.  This is the daily life of one family – a family SO complex, so medically and physically demanding, so emotionally scattered and diverse, so full of pain, sadness, and joy, they will become a point of revelation for you.  To paraphrase one of the girls born with no legs: “I wouldn’t want legs.  I can do things other people can’t!”  … and she’s right.  WOTO

“Waste Land” (documentary, 2010):  Artist Vik Muniz makes images from unusual materials, and decides to branch out into a huge project that becomes much more complex than even he could envision or was prepared to understand.  Involving many people who work in the garbage dumps of Rio de Janeiro (pulling recyclable materials), he learns what Antoine de St. Exupery’s Fox already knew and told the Little Prince: “You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.”  This is an interesting and emotional journey where ALL lives are affected in ways no one could foresee.

“The Life of Brian” (again and again, British, 1979):  Over the last thirty two years, I’ve noticed that this film vs their earlier film (“The Holy Grail”) is debated like Woody Allen’s earlier films vs “Annie Hall”.  It’s ye Olde silly/slapstick vs the cerebral debate.  Holy Grail is fun, and has a ton of wonderful commentaries on culture, history, multiple-realities, AND debunks everything humans create…yet it somehow comes off as sillier than Life of Brian.  They are BOTH worth seeing.  Let the nitpicking come to an end!  The Monty Python Flying Circus television show, which was broadcast via PBS here (1969-74), must have kept them exhausted, and “Grail” came at the end of this era.  Certainly, the production values are better in “Brian”, and the Python gang was motivated enough to come BACK together to make it… which could only mean they were older, wiser, and perhaps more focused than before.  I refuse to choose.  I own them both, and I laugh with amazement at the both of them each and every time.  However, “The Life of Brian” is SO dead-on accurate, and SO equality minded when pointing out the foolishness of religions, bureaucracy, politics, social norms, political correctness, activists, and society in general, it leaves no one unscathed, unbattered, or able to restrain themselves from gut busting laughter while admiring the insights of these talented, witty men.  WOTO IMDB

“Please Give” (2010):  Oliver Platt, Catherine Keener, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Amanda Peet, Rebecca Hall, and Lois Smith star in the Indie film written and directed by Nicole Holofcener.  Expect a group of neurotic characters with fragile egos and confusions about Life to trip across one another, bumping and smashing their ways through each day.  This is a funny, pathetic, sarcastic, sad, edgy film full of ambivalence and maybe a sliver of a hint of a whisper of possible growth.  You just want to slap each and every one of them.

“The Meaning of Life/Monty Python” (again, British, 1996):  Though not equal to “The Life of Brian” or “The Holy Grail”, I somehow forget this one is available, and am pleasantly surprised when I re-watch it!  It does not have strong threads of continuity – it’s more a grouping of separate routines – but is very witty and typically sarcastic about social habits, rules, and beliefs.  VERY sarcastic.  WOTO

“Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father” (2008):  This is an extremely complex, increasingly painful yet hopeful, sad yet joyous story about Evil vs Good.  It is about Love and Hate, and the Law vs Vengeance.  It is about the deepest of sadness and all of our attempts to make sense of its cause.  I don’t want to discuss the details.  See this documentary.

“Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (again, 1977):  It was great suspense, drama, comedy, and sci-fi THEN, and it still is.  Thirty four years ago, no one else was anywhere near the film and story quality of Spielberg’s UFO masterpiece.  “Star Wars” was a cartoon.  “E.T.” was full of sugar and spice.  But “Close Encounters” had edge, true drama, some seriously painful moments, and extravagant special effects.  Richard Dreyfuss, Terri Garr, Melinda Dillon, etc. were wonderful in their roles.  The music/sound tracks were equally big.  Yes, it was 1977, and it shows in the clothing and hair styles, Dillon’s perpetual bralessness, kids riding in cars in the front seats without seat belts, people smoking any damned place they wanted, and classic suburban stereotypes as a post-60’s criticism.  Personally, I find these “period” signals interesting.  THIS time I noticed Spielberg’s odd “extras” choreography – masses of people running places for – when you actually think about it – absolutely no reason, often in lines reminiscent of Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” and Busby Berkeley movies of the 1930’s.  His patented backlighting-with-smoke is heavily represented, as well.  After all that, what’s left is a great, slowly unfolding suspense film that never lets you look away.  Not for a minute.  However, you might not want to ask too many questions about Dreyfuss’s relationship to his family who gets left behind…  WOTO

“This is Spinal Tap” (again, 1984):  Every time I see one of Christopher Guest’s films, I think “No, I’ve changed my mind.  THIS is my favorite!” … and then I see another one.  Check out “Waiting for Guffman”, “A Mighty Wind”, and “Best in Show”.  His ability (along with Michael McKean, Rob Reiner, and Harry Shearer) to not only come up with a scenario, but choose the other actors to create the roles with their improvised responses, amazes me.  It’s also fun to watch for all the disguised cameo roles by well known people.  He does have one main theme:  small, mediocre people with incredibly & irrepressibly deluded, optimistic views of themselves, their abilities, and their impact on the larger (but very small) world.  If it wasn’t so funny, it would be depressing as hell.  Sure, we all know someone like this, and chances are there was a month or two when WE were one of these characters.  Come on.  Admit it. WOTO

“Mary and Max” (2008):  This is a WONDERFUL stop-motion Claymation feature for adults about Mary (an eight year old girl in Australia) who becomes pen pals with Max (a middle aged man in New York).  They correspond (but do not meet) for twenty years.  In that time they discuss – the film illustrates – what they discuss, which is all over the map in subjects and emotions.  Written and directed by Adam Elliot, voices by Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman.  Expect it to be charming, gross, witty, hilarious, dark, sad, and accepting.

“Revolutionary Road” (2008):  Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett.  DiCaprio’s career is a mixed bag of results, but this is one of his top notch successes.  Winslett is always good.  You can trust her choices.  Set in mid-1950’s suburban America, this story is one of the mid-life crises, social-constriction dramas we know pretty well by now, but it’s an excellent example of the genre.  Here, there is an arch of emotions and psyches that is truly fascinating as we watch a young middle-aged couple try to define or redefine who they are and what they want.  Pressures and temptations from the outside muddy the water of crystalline dreams.  The multiple conclusions they reach are exhilarating and crushing.  Sets, costuming, cars, and décor are flawlessly flawed.  Scoring is emotional but unobtrusive.  Photography is by master Roger Deakins.  “Revolutionary Road” is up there with “The Ice Storm”, “Safe”, and “Normal”.  WOTO

“The Kennel Murder Case” (1933):  Starring the suave and witty William Powell as Detective Philo Vance, this wonderful, stylish, Art Deco classic whodunit crime investigation is fun from start to finish.  Loaded with fake leads and dead ends, this one will keep you guessing – and you WILL fail to get ahead of it.  I’ll bet you money right now…

“Casino Jack and the United States of Money” (2010):  Documentary.  Jack Abramoff’s career of manipulating politicians and other greedy people for his benefit are followed in great detail.  Names are named.  We have a corrupt government in Washington, D.C.., in case you didn’t know.  Lobbyists put politicians together with money using interested parties who want to make more money.  See how our “system” works.  See how it goes all the way to the top and sinks all the way to the bottom.  Fascinating, depressing, disgusting.

“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (2007):  I bought this used dvd on a hunch.  The story sounded potentially interesting, but the cast spoke volumes about its potential quality:  Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Mary-Louise Parker, Paul Schneider, Jeremy Renner, Zooey Deschanel, Sam Rockwell, Nick Cave, and ? James Carvill?  It is a fascinating story, apparently all true, beautifully photographed (by the great Roger Deakins), scored appropriately, well-acted, with sets, costumes, and locations that are perfect… you name it.  Quality everywhere.  This is a slow, evenly paced psychological study of late 1800’s “pop” culture centered on the then-rumored exploits of Jesse and Frank James, their occasional gang members, and a public who couldn’t get enough of their crimes.  Really.  This was a fascinating, moody, often tense drama full of foreboding and paranoia.  WOTO

“I’ll Cry Tomorrow” (1955):  Susan Hayward won Best Actress at Cannes, and an Oscar nomination for her role as Lillian Roth – a rising star who discovered booze.  She’s on a one-way slide downhill for much of this story, with glimmers of delusional alcoholic faith, earnest attempts to go straight, frightening bottoming-outs, and a stumble into AA.  Hayward and the supporting cast deserved all the attention they received.  This is the real stuff.

“P.S.” (2004):  Starring one of my favorites, Laura Linney, plus Topher Grace, Paul Rudd, Marcia Gay Harden, and Gabriel Byrne.  Everyone’s having a crisis, and no one will take ownership.  Everyone looks elsewhere, and everyone else takes the heat.  Then along comes a person who makes status quo more difficult… until finally everyone starts spitting up deeper and deeper hidden personal Truths… and they aren’t handling it very well… Growing up so hard to do.  Production values are never demanding of your attention – they merely support the characters and the story.  Clean, neat narrative story telling that takes its time.  Excellent.  WOTO

“Open Hearts” (Danish, 2002):  This is one of the Dogma 95 films, which means it will be a technically stripped down and emotionally raw work.  Many of the same Danish actors show up in the Dogma films, and, considering how good they are, I am glad.  They include: Sonja Richter, Nikolaj Kaas, Mads Mikkelsen, and Paprika Steen.  To describe the plot is diversionary.  “Open Hearts” is about emotions, LOTS of emotions, unresolved and ambivalent emotions that ask EVERYTHING from EVERYONE.  I have yet to see a Dogma 95 film that is intended for children or those adults who always prefer special effects, constant action, and things that blow up.

“Rachel Getting Married” (2008):  I have one negative and one partially negative thing to say about this film, but first all the positive.  The actors are amazing.  Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Debra Winger, and others were subtle, intense, pathetic… you name it, they nailed it.  The dialog was razor sharp and painful.  This alone makes the film worth seeing.  The Bull in the China Shop, The 800 Pound Gorilla in the Room, and the Skeleton in the Closet all apply here.  This is rough, insightful stuff.  However… I thought the staging of the wedding – the overly abundant shish kabob of international representation – from the clothing to food to music to you-name-it, was often highly distractive to the real points of the film.  Also, there is “reality” video – the Documentary or Home Movie Style – and there is the camera that swirls and drops and jitters like it’s duct-taped to a monkey on caffeine, which also became distracting to the real points of the film.  Someone (director Jonathon Demme?) needed to reel in a few assistants who desperately wanted to “show their stuff”.  It was such a “pleasure” to watch each actor create his/her character’s set of neurosis.  Is there a monitor that has a gyroscopic image stabilizer and a music reducer in it?  WOTO

“Terminator II – Judgment Day” (again, 1991):  Seven years earlier, the first “Terminator” came out, and for its time it wowed the audience with the story, touches of humor, high pitched action & violence, and special effects.  Looking back, it’s one funky movie, full of VERY period stuff.  By “II ”, computer power increased dramatically, allowing artists more and better control.  But, a good movie is never about equipment… it’s about story, details, pacing, scoring, acting, dialog, and on and on and on.  Whereas the first of this series is down in my “Guilty Pleasures” category (and you SHOULD see it first), THIS is the real thing.  It’s still full of tongue in cheek wit, insider jokes, and hyper-violent action, but it’s also “mature” sci-fi, with strong comic book heart.  WOTO

“The Celebration” (Danish, 1998):  I feel like I’ve been through five car wrecks.  THIS one will wring you out.  Think of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf” but set in a Danish mansion with rooms full of relatives.  Winner at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, this is an increasingly tense, layered, sad, pathetic, frantic, explosive story about a family reunion to celebrate the father’s 60^th birthday following the funeral of one of his children.  Using nothing but very talented Danish and German actors, director Thomas Vinterberg grabs you by the throat and does not let go.  At times, the faux-documentary photography becomes a little too artsy for its own good, but kudos for the lack of scoring and polished appearance for this rough and raw presentation.  It may very well go into my top category upon another viewing, which, so far this year, holds only the GREAT “On the Waterfront”.  Watch for any film calling itself part of the “Dogma 95” movement, of which “The Celebration” is part.  WOTO

“The Social Network” (2010):  Facesmash.  The Face Book. Facebook.  Who designed it, who was taken for a ride, who was taken for granted?  Why is this of any importance?  Pretend you don’t know anything about Facebook, or, it’s 100 years from now and Facebook isn’t even a vague memory for your most studious great grandchildren.  This is a film about how Ideas arise, which ones are recognized for their potential, the ways in which they are grown, and their many costs to all those involved.  It’s as old a story as humans and slingshots.  Creed, deed, speed, and greed.  So, is this a good FILM?  Yes.  The frantic pace of creation and competition is well expressed in the dialog, photography, scoring, and the acting of all involved.  Even if you are familiar with the story and all the debates about who “really” did what, this is a good film at the higher levels of consideration.

“Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer” (Documentary, 2010):  Although (sadly) there is nothing unusual about the downfall of politicians caught diddling outside their marriage, this one has unusual clarity.  Spitzer was up in New York, and kicking white collar crime’s ass.  He made a lot of enemies.  Powerful enemies.  He was not a glad-handing kiss-up, and did not take bribes.  It was only when his successes (and crime’s convictions) reached the boiling point that his newly-earned enemies set out to find whatever they could to ruin him so they could get back to business-as-usual.  It’s a story of sleaze and retribution and more sleaze… and everyone is willing to tell their side of it… even if they’re lying or delusional.  You’ll want to take a long, hot shower after this documentary.

“Bandits” (2001):  Witty, quirky, crime-caper, bank-robbers road movie starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett.  They each are spot-on perfect for their phobic, manic-depressive, stoic, nutty characters who create problem after problem for themselves and those around them.  A very funny film with scenarios you’ve never imagined, and resolutions you could not foresee even if a gun was pointed at you… you know, like in a bank robbery.

“Fallen Angel” (1945):  This is a great Film Noir, starring Dana Andrews, Alice Faye, Linda Darnell, Charles Bickford, and lots of character actors from the time.  The photography is strong, the scoring moody, the sets appropriate, and the dialog full of tough guy talk and hot dame repartee.  Crime, passion, sleazy motivations, innocent girls, booze, rooms full of smoke, and a few twists and turns.  Truly a top notch example of the genre.  WOTO

“The Art of the Steal” (2009):  Think you understand how politics, big money, high society, the courts, and “fund raiser” charities operate?  Ever heard of the Annenberg Foundation, or the Pew Charitable Trust?  Ever heard of Picasso, Matisse, Renoir, Van Gogh?  Want to learn how white collar thieves operate right under your noses?  See this documentary.  Don’t think it affects YOUR life?  If not, you haven’t read the above and understood – which makes seeing this film even more crucial.  Imagine YOU had something everyone in power wanted, and THEY knew how to manipulate the System to make sure they got it from you.  Or, let me put it in your daily life:  ever listen to NPR, ever watch PBS?  Ever gone to Philadelphia?  DON’T write this off because you just-this-moment said to yourself “Well, I don’t have anything they would want!”  It’s way bigger than that, and it DOES reach into your life.  This is MUST SEE stuff.

“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” (2009):  If you want to understand A LOT about the trauma of the 1960’s and 70’s related to the government, its corruption, the media, the military (especially in Viet Nam, of course), and social movements, this is a good 1.5 hour start.  Sure, EVERYONE has their “take” – it’s Ellsberg’s film for the most part – but he is generally fair in assessing himself, those around him, and the times in general.  Ironically, he seems to not quite see himself and his associates AS self-centered and AS self-righteous as his enemies – Nixon, etc.  This is typical, and you go in understanding we’re all humans.  You’ll cringe at some of the things Ellsberg did “for the greater good” (like involving his children – something he never addresses as a mistake).  None the less, seeing the papers, hearing the tapes, seeing the photos, getting it first hand from so many who were there and are yet alive is powerful stuff.  If there is still anyone for some reason wishing they’d lived this era – that they “missed the opportunity” – see this film, AND “Hearts and Minds” (1974), and “Winter Soldier” (1972).  THEN see how you feel about it.

“Katyn” (Polish, 2007):  Based on the novel “Post Mortem” by Andrzej Mularczyk, and directed by one of my favorites – Andrzej Wajda, this is the true story of the Soviet slaughter of 22,000 Polish officers removed to the Katyn Forest in 1940.  At the beginning of WWII, the USSR and Germany were Allies and had secretly agreed to attack and split Poland.  This was the “official” start of WWII.  To make certain Poland lost its organizational capabilities to fight back, a quiet, thorough plan was designed to collect, transport out, and “liquidate” all Polish military leaders.  Years passed before the mass graves were found.  The atrocity was then used as propaganda by both Germans and Russians against each other, who, by that time, were no longer “allies” in the war.  Wajda is a very talented man.  I admire his work.  “Katyn” uses archival footage, superb reenactment locations, sets, and amazing actors (who are fictionalized for a number of reasons) to bring an event into the awareness of a wider population.  It also shows you how ANY system can manage to do such a thing and keep it unknown, quiet, or at best, centered on rumors well past the event.  It wasn’t until the fall of Communism in 1989 that people had access to any hard evidence it was the USSR / Stalin behind the Katyn slaughter… over FIFTY years later.  WOTO

“Moon” (again, 2009):  Starring a very talented Sam Rockwell, this is the story of a maintenance man isolated for three years at an energy-harvesting plant on our Moon.  He and a computer are the only “lives” there.  His “enlistment” time is almost up, and the effects of loneliness are now showing.  But something is not right…  This is a quiet, evenly paced, yet always interesting drama that owes a tip-of-the-helmet to Kubrick’s “2001…” and other more intelligent sci-fi films, but unfolds its own unique story.  I also find it perhaps the saddest story ever set within the futuristic science fiction genre.  I’ll let the geeks argue over that one.  WOTO

“Restrepo” (documentary, 2010):  Follow the 2^nd Platoon into Afghanistan and live with them as they fight, build, patrol, die, and cry.  This is powerful stuff – not because they are unusual American men, but because they are typical American men who show their strengths, weaknesses, feelings, professionalism, and comeraderie.  Be sure to also watch the “extended interview”, which are equally potent as they are given time to sort out what they learned in those fifteen months.

“4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days” (Romanian, 2007):  I like a film that is written, visualized, and directed essentially by one person with a clear goal.  This is one.  Set in a 24 hour period of 1970’s Communist Romania, this is a simple story of two college roommates – women – who set out to do something that is illegal and dangerous.  “Action” is minimal, tension increases, dialog (subtitles) move fast.  At the same time, the camera seldom moves and the scenes are long and unblinking.  Its purity of purpose reminds me of “One Hour Photo” (mentioned below, oddly enough), where every aspect is kept stripped down to meet a single goal.  Wonderful.  In this case, dark and hesitant.  Intelligent.  It won the Palme D’Or at Cannes in 2007.  Many have called it the best film of 2007.  Whatever the case, it IS a fine example of a non-pretentious, powerful Art film that will leave you looking forward to YOUR daily life.  WOTO

“The Night Listener” (    ):  Starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette.  Before you jerk your knee about Robin Williams, let me remind you he also did the really creepy films “One Hour Photo” and “Insomnia”.  There’s not one moment of shtick in any of these.  Toni Collette?  Guaranteed quality.  As for the story: it is written from actual events experienced by the man who then wrote the book and later wrote the screenplay who was also present on the set for film advisement.  Now imagine you are this man, and you think you know who is saying what to you about numerous subjects from supposed locations with certain motivations and consistent stories with reported histories, and this goes on for months and years, and… then… something happens causing the entire experience to come into question… so you go investigating.  This is one dark trip down a rabbit hole, folks.  The photography, lighting, scoring, acting, all of it is well done and supportive in creating a very interesting, foreboding, ominous story – a true story – that leaves you prepared to reevaluate what you know – assume – about YOUR life.  And, it’s only MORE pertinent with the rise of Facebook and other social “constructs”.   WOTO

“Bad Lieutenant – Port of Call New Orleans” (2009):  Directed by Werner Herzog.  I went into this film thinking it was ENTIRELY a Herzog project (like most of his), but the script seemed too traditional.  My suspicions were correct – the screenplay is by someone else.  So, if you’re looking for a classically unique Herzog experience, this won’t be one of them.  None the less, this drugged-up, corrupted cop & crime drama is interesting, dark, funny, and existentially ironic.  Nicholas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Brad Douriff, and others make up this post-Katrina New Orleans underbelly story.  WOTO

“Adoration” (2009):  Is another interesting film by writer/producer/director Atom Egoyan.  I’m not prepared to say much.  This was a first view.  Egoyan doesn’t make easy films.  I need time to think, and then watch it again.  You will meet a young man.  He begins to tell a story.  You meet five people – through time, through the eyes of one another, through rumors, fantasies, through slowly revealing truths.  What IS true and what is not… and why should that matter?  WOTO

“The Recruit” (again, 2002):  Al Pacino, Colin Farrell and other talented actors star in this suspense/drama whodunit about the CIA, “moles”, traitors, and other paranoids.  It’s an interesting story right from the start, and the surprises don’t stop until the last seconds.  Effective but slightly overused scoring, and strong but not distracting camera work help push the tension along.  Of course there’s a “love interest”…or IS there?  Lots of suspense fun.  WOTO

“The 39 Steps” (again, 1935):  FINALLY !  A Hitchcock filmed I enjoyed start to finish !!  This is a man-on-the-lam spy thriller that keeps your interest all along the way through England into Scotland during the pre-war years when everyone was tense about Germany.  Of course the special effects (luckily, few) are crude by today’s standards, but the photography is lovely, the scoring decent enough, the acting fair… but this one is all about the story, and it’s a good one.  I also enjoyed “The Vanishing”, and, to a lesser degree, “Notorious”.  You’ll also get to see some suave interior décor sets in “The 39 Steps”… well, as suave as the British could manage… WOTO

“Fargo” (again, 1996):  A “true” crime story (of no real importance) by the Coen brothers, this film is great due to its stars – playing quirky characters to which you can’t stop watching and listening.  Frances McDormand, Bill Macy, Steve Buscemi lead the “action” through North Dakota…where things like this just don’t normally happen, doncha know.  Yah.  Geez.  The script (by the Coens), the photography (Roger Deakins), and all the other talents make this funny yet dark and violent film deserving of all the attention it has received.  WOTO

“Get Low” (2009):  Starring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray, Lucas Black.  Set in the Southern backwoods of Depression era America, an old hermit slowly lets go of a dark secret he’s held most of his life.  “Get Low” is a mystery with humor, sadness, and tenderness.  Stay with it.  It’s classic “peeling of the onion”, and the acting, scoring, and photography are wonderful.  One small complaint: what I call “Clean Car Syndrome”.

“The Tillman Story” (2010):  Documentary about the life, death, and lies built around Pat Tillman, football player-turned soldier in Afghanistan.  Through excruciating research, his family discovers the truth about his being killing while in the service, and who all – leading right to the top – was behind the abusive concoctions deemed useful by our government.  If you are still naïve about the mindset of governments, this will be an eye-opener for you.  YOU mean nothing until you are USEFUL to those in power, and, once you are no longer useful, you are sent back to nothingness… or at least they will try.

“Gladiator” (again, 2000):  Russell Crowe and Joachim Phoenix are superb in this epic story of honor, greed, lust, deceit, duty, and righteousness.  It has all the grand elements of a Greek or Shakespearian tragedy, with the added gritty realism of a Ridley Scott project (“Black Hawk Down” was another, and has a similar visual look to it).  The score is powerful and appropriately huge.  The special effects are used only as necessary to construct battles, and the Rome of old.  Costuming, sets, dialog – everything that went into this drama – was the given proper treatment, making for a very satisfying – and violent – experience.  WOTO

“Great Guy” (1936):  Starring James Cagney.  This is a sometimes humorous but generally serious crime drama set in New York.  “Johnny Dave” (Cagney), an ex-boxer, is the new Chief of Weights and Measures (we get good lessons in how customers are cheated), who sets out to correct the corrupt.  Lots of tough guys, knuckle sandwiches, cute gals, and some of the best Art Deco sets and décor I’ve ever seen in a film.  This is an “expose” film, and a good one for 1936.  WOTO

“The Professional” (1994):  Starring Gary Oldman, Jean Reno, and Natalie Portman in her first role (and WHAT a first role)!  Jean Reno plays a hit man who has a simple, orderly life.  Circumstances lead him into a “messy” situation to which he must adapt due to circumstances that cross paths with a young girl (Portman), and a psycho man (Oldman).  Although the story is over-the-top in believability (closer to “Pulp Fiction” than gritty realism)… the acting is great, the characters are interesting, and the story is unique.  It is beautifully filmed, I’m left ambivalent about the scoring, and, again, expect the need to accept this bizarre story on its own terms.  WOTO

“Catfish” (documentary, 2008):  Be patient with this film – it begins slow, you’re not sure what’s going on or why these three young men are so dedicated to making it or why one of them seems to be in a constant state of whiny bitchiness, the camera work is nervous, the massive use of computer graphics and screens is tiresome and… then it gets interesting and you won’t walk away from it even if your house starts on fire.  This is a film about “social networking”.  Pay close attention.  You’d better pay close attention.

“True Romance” (again, 1993):  An extremely violent film, up there with Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, “True Romance” is, somehow, an oddly sweet love story.  Starring Patricia Arquette, Christian Slater, Dennis Hopper, Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, James Gandolfini, Michael Rappaport… the list goes on (plus oddly sweet scoring by Hans Zimmer), “True Romance” is a white trash, random world, go-with-the-flow story about two people who meet under false circumstances, but simply, and quickly, decide to always be honest and in love with one another.  It was THAT simple.  What ensues is a cross-country, crime drama road movie, with lots of interesting, tacky, some dark, weird characters, aimless lives, and slaughter left & right & up & down… but at its core is this oddly sweet love story.  There ARE other films that have similar plots, but they do not have the “soul” of this one.  WOTO

“Impact” (1949):  This is a fun cat-n-mouse crime mystery loaded with ethical and moral decisions to be made along the way.  Expect a few surprises, also.  Stars Brian Donlevy (the excessively loving husband), Helen Walker (the lying, greedy bitch of a wife), Tony Barrett (your basic back-door-lover, lounge sleaze), Marsha Peters (the lovely – and I mean LOVELY- good-hearted small town gal next door), and Charles Coburn (the wise, witty, old detective).  Also enjoyable are the suave corporate sets, the decadent “Hollywood Regency” residential sets, and of course the cars, fashions, hair styles, buildings, and “small town life” in Larkspur Idaho.  WOTO

“The Boys of St. Vincent” (again, Canadian, 1994):  This is a two-part, 186 minute marathon of valid anger, disgust, pain, and sadness.  It is the story of orphaned boys being abused by Catholic “religious” men.  Though thinly veiled as “fiction”, this is a “names have been changed to protect the innocent” story, and it is harrowing.  You have no idea – - – and I would degrade it by trying to tell you.  However, I can tell you there are points of resolution.  This is not a film about photography or sets or lighting (mediocre) – this is a film about the story, and the awesome acting by many children and adults.  They leave you breathless.  And, if you have the strength to stay with them, you will be rewarded with a very intense, deep feeling of angry resolution.  WOTO

“To Die For” (again, 1996):  I think this is my FAVORITE film with Nicole Kidman in the lead (in competition with “Eyes Wide Shut”).  She is ASTOUNDING as the driven, beautiful, deluded, manipulative sociopath, who will stop at nothing to continue shoving herself and those around her towards her singular goal (based on a true story).  Seldom have I seen an actor who has every millimeter of his/her body under total control to make for the desired effects.  Joachin Phoenix, Buck Henry (who also wrote the screenplay), Matt Dillon, and many other talented knowns and unknowns make for a dark, funny, frightening, insightful story about contemporary life in some people’s America.  WOTO

“Northfork” (again, 2003):  By the Polish brothers, this film will keep you fascinated, scratching your head in confusion, laughing, and being very moved by scenes you can FEEL more than decipher.  It’s a surreal, multi-level, gorgeous looking, delicately scored, delicately acted, unique work… sort of like a bleak, wind-swept Terry Gilliam film if he’d been northern Swedish, and made a film in Montana while Ingmar Bergman hung around the set during lunch.  Starring Peter Coyote, Nick Nolte, Anthony Edwards, Darryl Hannah, and others, this story of a small town slated for submersion under water as part of a huge dam project, takes on much larger meanings… and THESE are what creep into you as the film moves along.  It is eerie, sad, beautiful, bleak, surreal, funny, absurd, fragile, and challenging.  WOTO

“High Fidelity” (again, 2000):  This is a witty, funny, insightful film about young men, how they think, their male friendships, and relationships with women.  If you are a music lover, a trivia freak, a Top-10 style list-maker, and a smart-ass, you’ll enjoy it as much as I have – repeatedly.   I could’ve done with less “talking to the lens/audience” shtick, but that’s a small price for all the insights into obsessive/compulsive priority organizers, the goofy way most men evaluate their relationships and time spent, and the trial and error approach to maturity.  This is a hilarious yet very wise little film.  WOTO

“Lars and the Real Girl” (again, 2007):  The thing is this film was marketed as a “comedy”, and that’s basically wrong.  Despite some oddly funny moments, this is an extremely interesting psychological study of a very isolated man and the community around him that feels they must react to his decisions.  It’s a very awkward, sad, tender, occasionally light or funny, unique, emotional story with huge lessons for many of us.  Do we each have issues that seem to demand others react?  Do we reach out?  HOW do we react?  Who and how do we help?  Or, should we simply stay clear of the entire mess?  What begins as an entirely absurd scenario becomes more and more acceptable, and then understandable.  We grow with the characters.  I don’t like to use this term, but I will: This film is heartwarming… but not sappy.  And every actor, bar none, does a superb job with their character.  WOTO

“The Rose Tattoo” (1955):  Starring Burt Lancaster and Anna Magnani, stageplay written by Tennessee Williams, “The Rose Tattoo” took three Oscars, including Best Actress for Magnani – and well deserved.  This is an American immigrant ethnic drama and comedy full of exclamation points and arm waving, but with good heart, set in a time and place that can no longer exist.  The photography is beautiful, scoring is supportive, and characters are almost larger than life, but full of unique flaws as only Tennessee Williams could create.  It touches on social issues being more openly discussed at that time, but with more finesse and a lighter hand than many others.  WOTO

“The Kennedy Mystique – Creating Camelot” (doc., 2004):  This documentary is focused on the use of the media as an image creator (especially television, which, in 1959-1963, was in its infancy).  It looks at how the Kennedys, their staffs, and those around them – including the print and television reporters – collaborated in presenting a limited and polished view of the First Family.  This is a PRIMER in hype, for better and worse, and quite revealing.  Also, anecdotes from the likes of Ben Bradley and Arthur Schelsinger, not to mention the official White House photographers, give new insight into campaigning, daily political life, and near worldwide disasters of the period.  This is a fascinating piece, and I think would remain the case even for those too young to have lived that time.  WOTO

“Mystery Train” (1989):  Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch.  This film takes three separate stories and slowly weaves them together.  DON’T go searching for the subtitle option when you hear Japanese speaking only Japanese.  There ain’t one.  Just go along for the ride, understand what you can, and patiently live with it while the stories grow, unfold, and criss-cross in the Hometown of Elvis.  Like the Coen brothers, Jarmusch likes quirkly characters, and this one won’t let you down.  WOTO

“One Eyed Jacks” (1961):  Directed by and starring Marlon Brando, this morality play set in the Old West may be a little drawn out but deals with lots of issues – both “timeless”, and contemporary to 1961.  Crime, revenge, murder, forgiveness, lying, cheating… not to mention racism, illegitimate pregnancy, and the “mingling” of the races… are all tackled in this story.  The photography is wonderful despite its distorted Technicolor skin tones, the locations are bleak and grand (Wow, the coast near Monterey, California!), the pace very (too?) patient, and the twists, turns, and turn-abouts plentiful.  Also starring are Slim Pickens and Carl Maulden, along with lots of people who Hollywood bosses were hoping they could form into stars – but failed.  WOTO

 “Little Miss Sunshine” (2006):  “Highly dysfunctional, distanced family finds function through a shared experience.”  If this sounds familiar, it should, as many have approached this subject.  Set as a drama, dark comedy, and slapstick all in one, you move through scene after scene thinking you’ve seen this one then that one before… and yet you stick with “Little Miss Sunshine”.  Why, if it’s so well-trodden?  In part, it’s the combo-meal of scenes, but the quality is mainly due to the acting of all the leads, including Greg Kinear, Toni Colette, Alan Arkin, Paul Dano, Steve Carell, and a wonderful little girl, Abigail Breslin – who, when put to the test – is a knockout of an actress.  Think of their VW bus as a symbol, by the way.  WOTO

 “The Lord of the Rings” (again, 3 pts., 2001, 2002, 2004):  This is the third time I’ve watched this trilogy, but for some reason is the first time I’ve written about it.  When I view them, it’s done three nights in a row.  It’s A LOT of movie.  9 ¼ hours!  I’m not going to detail it here… but I will say I enjoy it from start to finish, even if it leaves me so worn out I forget to write.  I’ve also read the books, twice, but I’m not going to compare books to movies.  That’s simply unfair.  Kudos are due the designers.  Characters that may or may not have had an image in my head were defined and well-formed in the film.  I was deeply satisfied with the visualization of almost every moment, landscape, hut, monster, soldier, race, and hero.  On rare occasion, the digital effects during a massive battle scene would miss a beat here or there, but seriously, I’d be embarrassed to complain and pick it to pieces.  This story, by J. R. R. Tolkien, is a fictional romantic adventure of the finest kind, with lots of ethical and morality issues, emotional and psychological states, and for every question it asks, it tries to provide the right answer.  This is NOT an ambivalent story.  It IS Good vs Evil.  And, let’s face it, these stories were written using a thinly disguised World War II in Europe.  WOTO

“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (again and again, 1951):  One of THE finest and first Period, Sci Fi, and Cold War films of all time.  Michael Rennie (perfectly cast as the curious, amused, but also deadly serious Visitor with a message), Patricia Neil, Hugh Marlowe (as the irritating, petty fiancee), Sam Jaffe (as the “Einstein” scientist), Francis Bavier (pre-”Aunt Bee”, as the know-it-all biddy), and Billy Gray (soon to be the son on “Father Knows Best”, as the innocent, trusting lad) star in this fresh-out-of-WWII, Commie-paranoid (they look like US!) UFO story, in which we – as a planetary species – receive THE Final Warning from all of our space neighbors.  Understated dialog, natural and location sets, and elegant set design keep this from being the tacky joke most others became.  This IS a message movie, yet was highly successful with its 1951 audience… still awe struck by what everyone experienced fighting Germany, Italy, and Japan… only to find the USSR next on the list.  The beautiful b/w photography and lighting, and the innovative mood music are also worth noting.  WOTO

“Kiss Me Deadly” (1955):  Starring tough guy Ralph Meeker, along with Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Juano Hernandez, Wesley Addy, Marion Carr, and the first role for Cloris Leachman, this is a tough-as-nails, late Noir film about sleazy investigator Mike Hammer, whose greed pulls him deep into a mystery from which very few will escape.  Full of tricky broads, lying cons, unblinking killers, and where’s-the-cash stoolies, this is a dark tale with very little light at the end of the tunnel.  Stylish 1954 contemporary sets, clothing, cars, etc. are to be seen in this southern California locale.  My only question is whether it could’ve been trimmed a little without harming it.  None the less, it’s a dandy mystery-crime caper.  WOTO

“Synecdoche New York” (again (2^nd viewing), 2009):  Warning: This film will require multiple viewings.  You will NOT absorb all it offers in one viewing.  My guess is 3-5 viewings to gain a solid grip on it.  Written and directed by C. Kaufman (who wrote “Adaptation”, “Being John Malkovich”, and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”).  Starring a huge, talented cast including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hope Davis, Tom Noonan… wow.  Okay, with the introductions out of the way… I don’t know what to say about the film.  It is complex, challenging, constantly changing, full of unusual and surreal ideas set in gritty realities (dream-like), dialog that demands you listen, time-warps, spatial inbreeding, details galore, occasionally slightly humorous, but generally very sad, paranoid, and desperate.  What IS it to be a particular person and pay the unique price?  How many kinds of loss are there?  When is “dedication” a distraction?  How do you feel about aging and dying?  Okay, there’s a starter set of questions you’ll be asked.  You’ll also be presented with a variety of scenarios related to these (and many more questions).  This one makes Kaufman’s other films look like Haikus.  You’ll have to work for this one, I guarantee you.  If you’re feeling lazy or sloppy or silly, wait for another opportunity to see “Synecdoche New York”.  It will probably be considered one of Kaufman’s masterpieces, and you need to be at your best.  WOTO

“Nothing but the Truth” (2008):  Remember the case where the woman reporter refused to give up her source to the Government, and they jailed her?  This is based on that concept, but tells a parallel story not historically related.  There is some very fine acting here – from Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Alan Alda, Vera Farmiga, David Schwimmer, and others.  It is a harrowing look at the reality of Government bullying, psychological torture, life damaging, and spirit crushing.  Who wins here?  Do things always turn out the way they should?  Go with this.  You won’t regret a moment of it, and you won’t see a number of things coming.  You WILL ask yourself how you would handle it.  WOTO

“Valkyrie” (2009):  This is the historical recreation (with “dramatic license”) of the largest group of German military people who, in 1943 and 1944, attempted the assassination of their leader, Adolph Hitler.  It is a detailed, interesting, exciting, and frightening depiction of the Nazi regime when no one under Hitler was free to speak their minds… and live.  Pay close attention and you will learn something.  Regarding the film, I have a three issues: 1) the lack of German accents on the Germans is sometimes distracting, 2) I believe the story makes some info/tactical leaps too large for the average viewer.  It assumes the audience has received a proper and thorough education on World War II.  This is why I said “play close attention”.  The information is there, but not always laid out in front of you.  And 3) do NOT allow the film to give you the impression LOTS of Germans were against Hitler.  The film does this by its sheer microscopic focus on those who were opposed.  The fact is, nearly every German supported and idolized Hitler, despite attempts being made to rewrite (soften) history.

“Anchorman – The Legend of Ron Burgandy” (again, 2004):  Imagine my surprise after renting “Forgotten” with Julianne Moore, putting in the tape at night, and finding “Anchorman” starting up.  I think that is a first.  Wrong tape, right box.  Okay, Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Christina Applegate, Tim Robbins, Fred Willard, Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and a seemingly endless supply of talent fill out this totally ridiculous, witty-in-a-brain-dead-sort-of-way, “epic” about a 1970′s tee-vee anchorman and an overblown belief in his self.  But, as much of the world DOES operate, everyone believes him, so things work out pretty well … until the hot Feminist comes along…  The core of this comedy seems to be tons of improvisation that was later edited to fit the small plot.  It’s fresh, tacky dopiness, and great fun.  I laugh constantly.  Seriously.  WOTO IMDB

“Blades of Glory” (again, 2006):  Will Ferrell does it again.  Yes, it’s basically the same character as Ron Burgandy in “Anchorman”, but it’s a damned good character – the man with huge delusions of grandeur.  This time he and his ice skating Nemesis “Jimmy” (played by the man who starred in “Napolean Dynamite”, Jon Heder), don the most grotesque but, sadly, hardly exaggerated Ice Skating Entertainment costumes, and battle it out for top honors, only to find they need each other as never imagined.  This is hilarious, stupid fun with dead pan accuracy.  Think Christopher Guest films, but slapstick.  WOTO

“Napolean Dynamite” (again, 2004):  A caveat:  This is one uniquely funny movie, but only if you like dry, Dry, DRY humor.  If, like me, you love Christopher Guest movies (This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, etc.), and stories like Welcome to the Doll House, Drop Dead Gorgeous, or even The Brady Bunch Movie, you should like this one too.  It doesn’t have the dark edge of Dollhouse, or the intellectual references of Guffman, but this is the ULTIMATE dead pan, dry-as-a-bone, walking-in-your-sleep, never-cracks-a-smile, supremely LAME-O movie of all time.  Everything you see and hear is in support of that one goal.  Every stitch of clothing, shot of landscape, choice of song, piece of furniture, and stunted word of dialog takes you deeper into the Land of Nowhere.  And where do you end up?  Nowhere, but somewhere, and it ain’t spectacular, but it is what it is, and that’s exactly what it should be.  I watched it twice in the first week I rented it.  Now we own it.  Consider it a love story.  Sort of.  IMDB WOTO

“The Right Stuff” (again, 1983):  History as written by Tom Wolfe can be simplistic, and sometimes full of ideas held by few other than Wolfe… which is difficult to call History.  However, I do not know how many liberties he took with the history of American test pilots & Mercury Project astronauts (1947-1963).  I DO know that the film is interesting, exciting, and sheds light on what these men (and their wives & children) faced – not only at high speeds way up in the wild blue yonder, but way down here on the dirt of national egos and media hype.  Epic in scope and film length, “The Right Stuff” could have been told in no less than three hours, and it’s not.  WOTO

 “Religulous” (again, 2008):  Documentary/Opinion/Editorial/Comedy by Bill Maher.  Maher travels world-wide to discuss/film/question (and slyly edit) religions with people who claim to KNOW – KNOW IT ALL – KNOW religion, know Right & Wrong, know who’s who, know the whys, wheres, and whens – and, most importantly, KNOW The MANY Only One God, including themselves, of course.  What?  “Religulous” is a massive collection of Self-delusional Kitschmeisters whose unintentional stupidity and self-righteousness keeps reminding you it’s not just innocent wastefulness but their gathering of power for bigger goals.  This is must-see stuff.  Even the most religious among us will agree over the ridiculousness of these people and ideas… well, at least until he gets to YOUR religion.  Then the infidel must die.  It’s in The Book, after all.  What can you do?  It’s out of your hands.  You’re just holding the Weapon of Righteousness.  You’re wearing the Shoes of Action and the Underwear of Power.  You’re just the Instrument of God.  I mean, Hey.  WOTO

“Tell No One” (again and again, French, 2006):  This is a straight out, classic murder mystery with a lots of unsolved questions, twists, turns, dead ends, double-backs, and the unceasing demand you pay attention or go to bed.  It’s worth the effort.  This is one complex, interesting, fun, web of clues and surprises.  My wife and I have decided to watch it two nights in row, to make sure we understand all the switcheroos and questions.  WOTO

(And… we DID.)

“The Perilous Fight” (documentary, PBS television, 2002):  At last count, I own 516 hours of documentary film footage from World War II.  Almost none of it is in color.  “The Perilous Fight” is 4 hours of color, and a very basic history lesson in the whys and hows of WWII.  YOUR LIFE TODAY is what it is because of what happened in WWI and WWII.  Until you understand that, you will skip through your life thinking all you have (and don’t have) ALWAYS WAS and ALWAYS WILL BE.  How pathetic.  One correction to the documentary:  In the last few years, the estimate of 50 million killed because of WWII has been adjusted up to 70-72 million.  MILLION.  WOTO

“Village of the Damned” (again, British, 1960):  You could label this movie “horror” or sci-fi” (as many do), but for me it’s not a perfect fit.  This story, of the residents of Midwich England, is indeed odd and spooky from the first frame on, and the increasing tension is wonderful (also beautifully filmed), but I consider this film more of a “Cold War” analogy: the enemy looks like us, seems to be one of us but for small differences, they walk among us, and may have powers beyond us – to get into our minds, KNOW us, CONTROL US, have the POWER TO DESTROY US!  It was 1960, and the Cold War was getting hot.  I see this story as more akin to “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, “The Manchurian Candidate” (original version), or “Night of the Living Dead”.  The choice of “enemy” is perfectly subversive.  Placing it in comfortable, conservative Britain – perfect.  “Mid”wich England?  Yes, perfect.  It’s NOT a place where ANY thing unusual has ever or ever will happen………….. OR WILL IT??????????  I thoroughly enjoy this creepy little film.  WOTO.

And the following is what I wrote last time:

“Village of the Damned” (again, British, 1960):  I saw this one first run in 1960.  I was 10.  I remember the adults being very upset by this odd film.  I didn’t understand why they were disturbed, but I KNEW I was seeing the first “adult” sci-fi.  There were no monsters, no rockets, no buildings being smashed, no space suits… yet it was creepy and disturbing.  I may have seen it again over the decades, but don’t remember doing so.  Would it now be laughable, like so much of what we outgrow?  Well, yes, and no.  Special effects, although (gratefully) almost non-existent, are obvious.  Dialog varies from brilliant to lame.  The acting hovers above other sci-fi flix of the time, but nowhere near what I’ve come to demand from top films.  The photography is BEAUTIFUL.  It’s rich, well composed black & white.  The setting – a pastoral, Mayberryesque rural village in England, was perfect.  The build-up of tension is patient and steady.  Slowly the pieces of the puzzle come together, and then we switch to issues of resolution.  While this was happening, I began to see why it upset the adult population in 1960.  By the end of the film, I totally got it.  “Village of the Damned” reaches the level of societal insights comparable to “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, but less obviously.  The Cold War was in full swing.  Fear of the unknown – the Infiltrator – the Spy – the Double Agent – permeated life.  Adults were sensing a huge generation gap stomping their way – one unlike the world had ever seen.  The children were in the formative years of this revolution.  No one knew what the next day would bring.  Science was constantly offering up major alterations to life, and politicians were promising they’d be installed as daily reality.  We would be on ANOTHER PLANET within another 9 years – AHEAD of our predictions!  No one was joking anymore.  Hey… if WE would be on other planets soon… maybe it’s possible someone can reach US too!  The Age of Fantasy was fading – for REAL.  Also threatening were the concepts of Brain Washing, Mind Control, and other invisible tools of warfare.  Overall, this is a subtle film, which adds to its chilly creepiness.  Forgive a few awkward scenes, and you’ll love the calm evil of this classic.  It is a GREAT period piece.  WOTO

 

3.

“These provide good enough reasons to relax & ride the sofa”

 

“Air Force” (1943):  Directed by Howard Hawks, this is an almost-real-time recreation of the real events around a crew and their B-17 “Mary Anne” just as Pearl Harbor is attacked.  “Air Force” has beautiful b/w photography, many special effects better than most at that time, and a rousing, patriotic story of these men’s struggle against their Japanese enemy.  Think of it as similar to “The Memphis Belle” story, but made DURING World War II.  “Air Force” is NOT a “retro” movie.  Although it goes light on the graphic effects of violence, that war at that time can be forgiven its soft approach to the public.  Starring John Garfield, Arthur Kennedy, and Harry Carey.

“Amen.” (2002):  Based on the stage play “The Representative”, this well-acted drama is set in 1930-40’s Germany as the Nazis refine and accelerate their euthanasia and “purification” killings.  Initially, only a few people know what is happening, but the word is quickly out and met with denial, fear, avoidance, and c.y.a. behaviors if not outright opportunism.  I found it interesting, but the film takes big leaps in time without announcing them.  WWII is my hobby study.  I suspect “Amen” takes too many leaps not only in time but in assuming the audience is well-educated about this era and can fill in the many gaps and subtleties therein left unexplained.  For this reason, I cannot recommend it as “introductory” material.

I’m NOT saying every film SHOULD make certain it steps down to an entry-level instructional film, but, if at all possible, provide what is necessary in an artful way – since it DOES claim to want to communicate ideas and perpetuate reminders to those who have fewer and fewer personal connections.

“The Cool School” (Documentary, 2007): This is an intimate look at the art scene in Los Angeles after World War II through the 1970’s.  It not only interviews many of the [now-famous] West Coast artists, but reminds us that it was here Andy Warhol was given his first exhibition, Marcel Duchamp had his first retrospective, yet none of the L.A. artists found themselves getting the same attention, respect, or sales equal to what was happening in New York.  Like any defensive group of individuals who believe there is more power and support in collaborations, this group went through phases of creativity, business, pettiness, rises, falls, collapses, and nostalgia.  Kienholz, Ruscha, Volkos, Bell, Still, Baldesari, etc. are given lots of time to discuss their many remembrances.

“Home for the Holidays” (again, 1995):  Loaded with stars who create some wonderful acting, this story set in Baltimore during the Thanksgiving holiday.  One family gathers at the parental home… and the insanity, hilarity, ugliness, and tenderness ensue.  It’s NOT as funny as “Christmas Vacation” but begins along that line, yet as this story moves the comedy is replaced with emotional moments of nostalgia, doubt, regret, certainty, resignation, and growth.  WOTO

“Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon” (1943):  Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and starring Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce, this is a dark, twisty, disguise-filled story about Germans spies in Britain trying to snatch a new, revolutionary bomb sight design that could (and did, as it is based on facts) help change the course of World War II.  The script is much more intelligent than the “Bulldog Drummond” series, with exquisite Noir photography at every turn.  THIS is a dandy in the genre.  WOTO

“Shrek” (again, 2001): “Shrek” was done by Dreamworks.  Pixar is the best.  NO ONE gets close to Pixar.  They do gorgeous animation and, more importantly, they do good story, dialog, and character.  Animation, made with ink pen OR computer, is not enough.  It’s as empty as a beauty queen with no thoughts.  “Shrek” has SOME soul – not a lot, but some – along with humor, an overactive desire to teach social values, and yet seldom allows itself to go limp and sugary sweet (but watch out towards the end).  This isn’t a film so much for small children as adolescents, and there are so MANY older cultural references beyond them you’ll feel you have YEARS of insider jokes that need explaining (which is true).  On the other hand, maybe they’ll simply enjoy the obvious layers – and that will be good enough.  Sequels are usually MUCH weaker than originals – loaded with desperate attempts to cash in on what the first did uniquely.  “Shrek II” is that way.  It takes half the movie to find its rhythm and pull away from some of the gooey shmaltz, and once that is done, it has a hard time hanging onto the witty, less reverent material… instead slipping back to the shmaltz.  I own the first one.  I will not own the second one.  Dreamworks does some good stuff, but it ain’t no Pixar.  See Toy Story II and III for an example of sequeling which loses nothing in the process.  WOTO

“Duel” (again, 1971):  Perhaps Steven Spielberg’s earliest directing, this very straight-forward story – done on what had to have been a tiny budget with very few actors and all (?) on-location sets – is none the less special from the first camera shot as “you” drive out of your suburb and town for a business meeting.  Starring Dennis Weaver (in perhaps HIS first role after “Gunsmoke”) (Sorry, I’m just guessing here, it doesn’t seem important enough to research), he takes the solo role of a harried, married man trying to get across a desolate piece of California.  It’s a typical day on a typical road… until… it becomes what appears to be a tense, life-or-death, often breath-taking race where “society” quickly reverts to the “Laws of the Jungle”.  A must-see for Spielberg, photography, and action fans.  WOTO

“Apocalypto” (2006):  I have mixed feelings.  The photography, sets, costuming, and locations are astounding, both in the jungles and the “city”.  THESE elements are worth the watch.  Set in about the 16^th century, we meet rural jungle tribes living their lives as they’ve always known, for better or worse (although there is an odd odor of “contemporary” about many of their interactions, especially the young men).  Along comes another group of natives who wreak havoc on their lives.  We slowly learn why.  This is where the movie becomes somewhat standardized with depictions of good vs evil, natural vs artificial, advanced vs traditional, progress vs disaster… and… the basic action of the film is a relentless chase movie driven by greed, lust, fear, and love.  Oh, and it’s LOADED with violence.  We also have a hero character who, though bleeding, is given almost superman status… which allows for extra doses of violence.  Its believability weakens as the film races along, but the ride is exciting if you leave your brain in the other room.  WOTO

“Midnight Run” (again, 1988):  Robert DeNiro is a bounty hunter who must catch and transport white collar criminal Charles Grodin… unfortunately, the FBI, the Mob, other bounty hunters, you name it, also want Grodin for their own reasons.   This is a road / cat-n-mouse comedy, overly scored, overly long, and very 80’s in its style, but the DeNiro/Grodin chemistry is worth the trip.  WOTO

“Everything Must Go” (2010):  If I were to rate this film solely on Will Ferrell’s dramatic role, I’d have it in the next higher category.  He proves himself here – he’s a revelation.  Unfortunately, there is the plot with the gaping holes…  The idea is his wife locks him out of the house with all of his stuff thrown on the front lawn.  He decides to live out there.  The problem is with his relationship to the house – his being “locked out” – which NEVER makes logical sense, and NEVER provides the necessary solid reason for the predicament.  Kudos to Ferrell, boos to the story.

“Don’t Say a Word” (again, 2001):  Starring Michael Douglas and Brittany Murphy, along with Sean Bean, Famke Janssen, and Oliver Platt.  This is the thriller that made me want to see more of Murphy’s work.  She’s VERY good at Fragile, Neurotic, and Deviant.  The story is filled with greed, lust, murder, revenge, and resolution.  Somewhere inside the head of a mental patient (Murphy) are the numbers to a solution.  LOTS of people want those numbers, but no one can get inside.  That is, until a psychiatrist is found (Douglas) who might just be capable…IF he can be convinced to go in after it.  Although some of the film has blatant devices to create tension, and the characters are laid out a tad simplistically, it’s an enjoyable trip.  Everyone does a good job (but don’t expect much from the little “daughter”) of making you jerk this way then that.  WOTO

“Born Rich” (doc., 2003):   Made by a rich kid about other rich kids – all of whom were – along with their parents – BORN into million-billion money and have never faced actual work (let alone careers), this is a clunky, amateurish film made interesting solely by viewing lost souls who have no rudder, no priorities, no Intent.  They are the car wrecks by the side of the road… you MUST slow down and stare at the tragedy.  A couple of them might be survivors and may make it as real humans possibly offering deeper value to the world, but most of these twenty-somethings are pathetic, hot-house flowers who have determined they MUST remain in the only environment that will tolerate them or they can tolerate.  They are limited by their fear and addicted to their surroundings.  Ugh.

“Black Swan” (2010):  Academy Awards for Best Film (Darren Aronofsky) and Best Actress (Natalie Portman).  I’m not so sure about Best Film, but I am about Best Actress.  Portman always amazes, and is worth the price of admission.  Aronofsky, with his leaning towards the hallucinatory, tells the story of a ballet dancer slowly losing her sense of reality – and you find yourself wondering what is real right along with her.  This is my first viewing, and I am not convinced the story was best visualized this way.  I simply need to ponder it over at least one more viewing.  However, Portman, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, and others were also very strong in supporting roles, the camera work was interesting, and the sound track effective.  To be continued sometime in the future… (the next day):  The use of symbols was so simplistic I felt embarrassed for the writer.  (Academy Award for Best Film?  REALLY?)  Symbols are often used to replace the limits of a literal fact and provide a more flexible directive to its audiences.  (Symbols can also be pure “code”, but in Art their intent is to guide yet be more inclusive for individuals, cultures, and time.)  If the symbols, such as they were in “Black Swan”, are mere illustrations of the narrative, they sit as redundant road signs for the script.  I was not impressed with the writing.  But, as usual, I WAS impressed with Natalie Portman.  She is one of our greatest young actresses.

“Girl Walks into a Bar” (c. 2010-11):  It claims to be the first full-length movie made for the internet and shown on YouTube.  Who knows?  Was it any good?  Well, if you like dialog-heavy, snappy patter scripts with just enough plot to keep it moving along and somewhat interesting characters as you go, you’ll enjoy this one.  Would you want to hang out all the time with any of these people?  No.  They’re relentlessly self-absorbed and smirky-ironic, but anymore who isn’t?

“Hollywood Ending” (2002):  I admire Woody Allen’s work and will ALWAYS make a point to see each film at least once…  and this is the once-view.  It’s entertaining, Debra Messing and Tea Leoni are superb comedians, there are some insightful lines about the worlds of film/art/commerce and hilarious lines about relationships… but there are also long waits between those moments.  It’s spotty.  Uneven.  Without flow.  But the idea of an “impossible” director who suddenly gains a huge new problem (I can’t tell you what it is!) is inspired.  WOTO

“Sweeney Todd” (2007):  There are too many caveats to allow me to raise or lower this film to another category.  I HATE musicals – people singing when they should simply be talking – and this is a musical film made from a musical stage play.  Agh.  Nor did I like the lyrics.  They were too explanatory.  I LOVED the sets and costuming, CGI special effects, and orchestration.  You may or may not know the story.  It has a certain relationship to “Romeo and Juliet”, but “Sweeney Todd” makes that play look like a comedy.  It is also a very, VERY bloody, violent film.  I respect Johnny Depp for taking on a project which no doubt asked new things of him.  I gained even more respect for Helena Bonham Carter who shined above all.  Sacha Baron Cohen was a fantastically creepy Tim Burtonish character.  So, if this sounds like I am split down the middle over this filmusical, I AM.  I am in Ambivalence Hell.

“The Happening” (2008):  I’m not a fan of M. Night Shyamalan as a director or writer.  From what I’ve seen, his films contain an unevenness that distracts and disappoints.  They move from cliché to unique moment, unforgettable to very forgettable, again and again, and, they are generally predictable.  I came to this film due to his main stars: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Dechanel, and John Leguizamo.  I’m beginning to think Wahlberg is better at comedy than drama.  His timing and delivery seem to fit.  Because of this, Shyamalan inserted a few barely appropriate comedic moments into a story of mass fear and death.  Dechanel, who I have seen be brilliant (“All the Real Girls”), seems to have been directed to exhibit big blue saucer eyes and that’s about it.  The actor who has always stood out (but the “industry” never seems certain how best to use him, is Leguizamo.  He has repeatedly proven he has range and intensity.  Here, HE is the actor to watch.  The story will carry you along, but it will not be in your Top List.  WOTO

“Starsky & Hutch  (2004):  I HATED the original tee-vee show.  Any questions?  No?  Fine.  Moving on… I found this MOVIE in a thrift store for $1.49, and was willing to risk it since the chemistry of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson is already a proven formula, not to mention Vince Vaughn, Snoop Dog, and a much-too-minor role for Juliette Lewis.  This version is also sometimes witty, funny, definitely FUNKY, and full of visual, story, dialog, and photographic period references.  “S & H” is stupid fun and enjoyable when you want to give your brain an easy couple of hours.  WOTO

“Idiocracy” (again, 2006):  This is really dumb fun.  If you are a fan of watching our medias and public degrade themselves into Monster Truck/Jerry Springer/Maury Povich/Home Video spectacles of repulsive mediocrity, this is a story you’ll love (WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD !!):  A VERY average dude is put into a suspended animation experiment, is supposed to wake up in a year, but things go wrong, and 500 years pass.  Okay! The Future!!  The Glorious Future!!!  Oh… no… not only has there been no progress, everyone and everything is entirely dumb-assed down, and he finds himself the Smartest Man on the Planet.  If you love and hate what is passing for entertainment now, and want to see one persons vision of how it becomes daily life in the future, this comedy is for you… funny, gross, and like totally way dum, gross, uh like funny, dude.  Totally…  And don’t kid yourself, THAT future is about a year away, not 500 years away.  WOTO IMDB

“Grace is Gone” (2007):  There are a few reasons to watch this film, and many more to pass it by.  The “passes” first: This is a Hallmark product, and has all the “marks” of one: Sentimental, poorly produced, poor artistry, simplified characters, lack of continuity, “missing windshield syndrome”, multiple shadows in natural environments, scenarios constructed with convenience and speed in mind not reality, cliché lens filters… I could go on and on.  Now, the “watches”:  It will make you cry if you’re in that mood, and the older girl of the two that play his daughters is really quite good.  John Cusack (who plays the father of two girls) seems, as an actor, in over his head with this one (had people making this film been more talented and demanding).

”Exit Through the Gift Shop” (Documentary, 2010):  First, I’m going to quote myself from another of my reviews of another documentary about MORE graffiti losers:

“Beautiful Losers” (Documentary, 2008):  I HATE “vanity films”.  You know what they are – films made merely to promote this product or that person(s).  If you want to get on my bad side, try to validate and romanticize graffiti applied to other’s private property.  I taught a long time, and it’s been almost as long since I had to listen to so many self-righteous, self-impressed, self-centered, uneducated, immature idiots who want to believe their emotions validate their lack of intelligence.  Their art efforts are shallow, and, of course, self-aggrandized, and, are equally admired by a small peer audience of uneducated culture-babies who grew up on placebo intellectualism and Trix cereal.  You’ll love/hate their ironic rebellious insistence to be heroic “Individuals” by their ALL looking alike, making like things, reveling in their refusal to become adults, and speaking with the same lack of language skills…”  Now, back to “Exit…”: In addition to these points, this film becomes more interesting, personal, and pathetic as you get to know a few people much better, including the deluded O.C.D. guy behind the camera who eventually feels he should be in front of the camera.  This is when the film finds its footing… looking at the extraordinarily untrained and misguided camera man, and the only “street” artist of any interest, “Banksy”.  Let’s not get confused here (like so many in the film) – “Graffiti” isn’t an art form, it is an act.  Whether good or bad art is applied during this act is a separate issue.  (But I DO I hate people who make graffiti on private property, and, if they come to a tragic end, I don’t care.)  “Banksy” becomes interesting when he takes his efforts OFF private property and tries to weight it against others involved in Art, not pissing-out territories.  IF there’s a third character in this film it’s the insecure and greedy fashion conscious consumer culture ready to pounce on anything they are told might raise their status for a week.  “Exit Through the Gift Shop”, quite by accident, supplied the raw material for a good editor to make a huge indictment of almost everyone in the First World.

“Legally Blonde” (again, 2001):  Reese Witherspoon (the woman with THE pointiest chin in movie-babe history) is always good (watch how she changes her body language and voice as the passage of time takes her into more serious situations), and this generally predictable, light comedy does not disappoint.  Occasionally the story gets a little heavy-handed with the 70′s Feminism, but the majority is a funny, never quite believable, romantic, farcical piece of entertainment.  Relax & enjoy the lack of significance.  What the hell.  There’s nothing wrong with a good actress and wit.  Also starring Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Jennifer Coolidge, and a cameo with Raquel Welch!  WOTO

“i, Robot” (2004):  It’s become a truism with me that actor Will Smith = comic book level action films.  And yes… I can point out an example that dents the truism.  However, I’m stating the Odds.  “i, Robot” – at least as a film – is a fun, action-packed, ballet of twisting perspectives and relentless energy that offers no material for thought.  The FX are acceptable to good, the attempts at emotional manipulation would be obvious to a 10 year old, the acting, dialog, and scenarios are TOTAL comic book… Hey, the entire thing IS comic book.  Go in brain-dead, enjoy the ride, and it’ll all be over in 114 minutes…  WOTO

”The Way Back” (2010): This film is to 1956’s book “The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom: by Slavomir Rawicz (which inspired the movie) what “One Hour in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” would be to “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.  It’s simply not enough.  I am not one of those “films are incapable of reaching the level of books” snobs, nor do I believe films need to slavishly attempt to reproduce a book’s words in camera images.  The trilogy “Lord of the Rings” is a great example of how each can stand on its own merits.  But… when a story is claimed to be true, an additional level of responsibility is required, and if that level does not have a fair chance of being reached the other medium should look elsewhere.  “The Way Back” falls SO short of “The Long Walk” – a story of such power you will NEVER forget it – it leaves you very unsatisfied.  I like Peter Wier’s previous films.  I was anxious to see this one.  Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong, and Gustaf Skarsgard do great jobs.  The photography, sets, costuming and make up are all very good.  The movie is simply a shorthanded version of shorthand, and leaves you understanding you were not told nearly enough.  Read the book.

“My Favorite Wife” (1940):  Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Gail Patrick, and Randolph Scott star in the romantic farce about a man whose wife was lost at sea, and years later remarries only to then learn she was not killed and now she’s back!!!  It’s predictable but fun screwball comedy you’ll enjoy when that’s your craving.  Directed by Garson Kanin.  Watch for their small son – he’s one of the previous stars from “The Little Rascals” (Scotty Beckett).  WOTO

“Mifune” (Danish, 1999):  This is NOT one of the Rip-you-to-pieces films to come out of the Dogma 95 film movement, but it does stay with the strict rules of no added light, hand-held camera, and no scoring.  This Dogma 95 movie is a romantic comedy… a sometimes gritty and weird romantic comedy… but in the end a predictable one.  Still, it keeps your attention, you care about the characters, the acting is very good, and the predictable is done in a unique manner.

“The Dark Knight” (again, 2009):  What I said last time (with new revisions): “Saw it last night, on a huge screen with mega sound system and blue ray tech.  First a response to the tech:  I’m not sold on super high def imagery.  It looks artificial.  I don’t see (or care to see) everyone’s pores when I talk to them, so why should I see them here?  It is imagery-detail on steroids.  I don’t need or want to be able to read every title of every book on every shelf behind an actor sitting in a library.  That’s distracting, not impressive.  Like soft-focus lenses, etc., if they are being used as a default setting, it gets tiresome and pointless.  It is a technology in love with itself.  As for the film:  I have VERY mixed feelings – generally negative from an artistic p.o.v., and positive from an acting p.o.v..  See this film ONLY if you’re in a brain-dead, passive mood.  Let it do the work.  Positive: The acting of Heath Ledger as the Joker, and, to a lesser degree, Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent.  Positive:  The design of environments, weapons, and machines.  Negative:  The relentless insistence on using a limited set of sound effects and camera tricks, until you hated them and winced every time they were again used.  Examples: the silly gruff (disguise-)voice used by Bruce Wayne as Batman, and the bass rumble-thunder used for everything from a car crash to a slap in the face to a ceiling light being turned off to a theoretical violent event yet to happen.  Also, you’ll see the never-ending, circling, swirling camera… it’s embarrassing, overused, and abused technique.  Also negative: Editing that seldom finished a scene.  Examples: the huge pile of money with the Chinese guy on top which was set on fire and then…. NOTHING.  We’re on to something else!  The two gang members given a broken pool cue, told they had to fight to the death, and then… NOTHING.  We’re on to something else!!  The film was FULL of these.  I think I know why this was done.  Two reasons: It was a long film, and, it was edited to get past ratings so the youngest of viewers could be included (to pay for a theater ticket).  This also explains why a high-action film (filled with people who (apparently) died during the perpetual war in Gotham City) never – NEVER – shed a drop of blood no matter how many bazookas, machine guns, bombs, and Batman shrapnels were fired at their bodies.  THIS is part of the aesthetic reason I question “high definition” imagery.  If it presents “realism on steroids”, and then edits the content to an unreal level, its credibility is confused.  The director and editor seemed artistically unaware of this contradiction, or, they just didn’t care.  “People want High Def, Blue Ray, whatever, because we’ve convinced them they should want it, so now we have to give it to them.”  The box office is the boss.  There were continuity problems (explosions that happened before the impact of vehicles, etc.).  Sadly, many actors were assigned nothing of substance.  All these great actors – Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllgenhaal, Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman… did little more than deliver lines they were handed.  Their careers prove this lack was not their fault.  It was the director and the writer, Christopher Nolan.  And, again by editing and the lack of a cohesive or resolved story, the easy way was taken to allow loopholes for the next “blockbuster” sequel.  “The Dark Knight” was a good example of Hollywood 2009.  It is no more sophisticated now than it was in 1930… the mentality remains… only the gizmos have changed.  It’s one more reason to become familiar with independent and foreign film makers, contemporary and past.”  This is action-packed, brain-dead, time-kill, which has its place in entertainment, but is not top shelf stuff.  WOTO

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008):  The hype on this one was a little too heavy for what it was.  Yes, this is another of the men-are-boys, gross-out, genital-jokes male-bonding improv comedies so common through these years, and it had its moments of hilarity, but overall, not so much.  There were long waits between laughs, let’s put it that way.  It wasn’t dislikable, it was just… okay.  WOTO

“Destination Tokyo” (1944):  You have to keep in mind the fact this film was made DURING World War II, so it has a decided point of view.  For those of you incapable of viewing history without your current politically-correct mindset, just skip it and save you’re your panties from wadding up.  Starring Cary Grant, John Garfield, and a large cast of character actors who would make it big after the war – especially in television – this is the story of one submarine crew given the task of sneaking into Tokyo Bay to gather information before the first American air attack on Japan.  The special effects are reasonable for 67 years ago, the characters are clearly “samples” of types of American Fellas, their interactions are intended to warm and rend the heart, the violence they receive is VERY cleaned up, but the dangers they face are not exaggerated.  “Destination Tokyo” was intended as a spirit-lifter for Americans now in their fourth year of WWII.  WOTO

“Invictus” (2009):  I’ve come to appreciate Clint Eastwood for his work behind the camera… but not this time.  As if history wasn’t powerful enough, he took it and Hollywooded it to death with lots of characters gazing off into the future, lights at the end of tunnels, ponderful moments galore, sweeping music slathered over damned near everything (all thanks to a relative of Eastwood’s…), 1-dimensional racists who suddenly come around, and waaaay too much Rugby playing for Rugby’s sake (or was this film created to sell in South Africa?).  Nor did this film challenge the abilities of Morgan Freeman or Matt Damon.  SOMEDAY, SOMEONE will make a POWERFUL film about Nelson Mandala.  Someday.

“The Astronaut Farmer” (2006):  This is a lightweight “American Dream” movie.  You know, the Little Man against The System, The Little Man following his dream, meeting with difficulties, meeting with crisis, finding himself at crossroads… does he give up, move on, die trying, or come to his senses?  It is NOT a challenging movie, nor is it fleshed out, well detailed, or edited with a good sense of time/timing, but some of the acting by Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, and others is good… and, yes, there are also very one-dimensional characters.  It’s not an awful film, and I don’t hate “feel-good” flicks, but this is only a so-so result.  Go in expecting little, and enjoy what it has.  For a similar story, but with more of the right stuff, see “October Sky”.  WOTO

“I am Legend” (2007):  Cashing in on the seemingly endless Zombie craze, it is also a Sci-fi Disease Holocaust story.  Will Smith’s career giving you advance notice it is chocked full of action not depth.  The always-important crowd pleaser of special effects is here in truck-fulls, and some are very good, especially the visualization of a long-“deserted” New York City.  The conclusion is broadcast early, but the movie is entertaining enough to finish the ride.  Smith has a couple scenes that reach impressive, though his shifting sense of isolated realities of delusional hermit while being a clear-headed scientist is hardly believable.  This is closer to a 50’s sci-fi than something Existential like “The Road”.  WOTO

“The Man on the Eiffel Tower” (1949):  Charles Laughton is a detective.  Franchot Tone is a psycho-killer.  Burgess Meredith is a pigeon (and the director of this film).  They are in post-war Paris.  You’d think that would be enough to be interesting.  Hardly.  It’s simply a slow story with continuity problems, a weak look, messy dubbing and studio over-dubbing for some location shots.  It’s not a BAD film… it’s a highly mediocre film.  If you need to kill time, and relax on the sofa, choose something else.  WOTO

“The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer” (1947):  Starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Shirley Temple.  It’s a comedy, and once in awhile you’ll laugh, but for the most part the set-ups and the rhythm of the jokes are so expected it becomes something of a chore.  What offers relief are the few unexpected moments, and the 1947 scenery, sets, cars, costumes, airplanes, graphics, etc..  And, let’s face it, Shirley was ALWAYS cute and charming.  WOTO

“Mr. Majestyk” (1974):  A classic late 60’s/70’s “rugged individual who just wants to be left alone BUT if push comes to shove WATCH OUT!” flick with Charles Bronson.  This one is better than some.  It’s middling.  You know how it’s going to turn out, but it is pretty good fun getting there.  WOTO

“Fallen” (again, 1998):  This is a fun Psy-fi suspense drama full of murder and Evil incarnate.  Think of Satan as a Disease.  That’s all I’ll say.  Starring Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, James Gandolfini.  WOTO

“Ruthless People” (1986):  Perfectly 80’s style comedy about a well-meaning and very likable pair of kidnappers (Judge Reinhold & Helen Slater) who have a tiger of a hostage by the tail (Bette Midler), who has a husband (Danny DeVito) who wants her dead anyhow.  Funny, entertaining, and FULL of very cool furnishings by Memphis Design Group and their many spin-offs.  This is probably THE film for 80’s Mod design, perhaps followed by “Beetlejuice”.  None the less, this is wacky, witty, funny, sarcastic story made very enjoyable by the stars.  WOTO

“Secret Agent” (1936):  Starring a very young John Gielgud, Robert Young, and Peter Lorre, this Hitchcock spy film has more twists and turns than previous stories, and much more stylish Noir photography.  Though supposedly set in 1916 (mid-WWI), the look and the attitude are entirely pre-WWII.  Enjoyable, with some difficult English, German, and faux-Spanish accents.  WOTO

”The Constant Gardener” (again, 2005):  Starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz.  This is a spy thriller and whodunit, set mainly in Africa.  An English diplomat begins to sense not is all as it seems in his life or that of his activist wife.  After a terrible event, the story moves backward and forward analyzing moments – only to find more and more to decipher.  This is a low key, dialog driven, generally interesting puzzle, with surprises and a resolution.  WOTO

“He Walked by Night” (1948):  Starring Richard Basehart, this is the true story of a sly killer moving amongst but completely detached from normal Los Angeles life in the early post-WWII years.  Watch for lots of characters actors from that era, and notice a very young Jack Webb as a forensics expert – who, ironically (?) is in this very “Dragnet”-like film that predates his television show by years.  WOTO

“Eyes in the Night” (1942):  Starring a young and lovely teen, Donna Reed, along with John Emery, Ann Harding, and Edward Arnold, this is a World War II espionage story with some pretty good whodunits and who’s-whos built in.  You WILL be manipulated and it IS fun… despite the fact it was VERY serious business in America at that time.  WOTO

“The Interpreter” (again, 2004):  Starring Sean Penn, Nicole Kidman, and Catherine Keener – actors I respect – they are the reason I acquired a film about which I’d heard nada.  It’s a conspiracy thriller.  It moves fast, stays interesting, allows you to believe you’ve figured it out and it’s now over – a number of times – and it then puts you right back on the roller coaster.  It isn’t as finessed as some in this genre, but is a perfectly great piece of one-time entertainment (or more, once you forget enough of the complex story).  Sean Penn owns the scenes.  WOTO

“Tropical Thunder” (2008):  Packed with stars you’ll be hard-pressed to recognize, this is a seriously funny comedy full of violence, foul-mouthedness, alpha-maleness, and just lots and lots of stupid, gross fun.  It is also full of witty “shots” taken at the film industry.  A group of actors can’t seem to get their “acts” together for a new film on Viet Nam a la Rambo, so the director, going on the advice of a well-known psycho ex-Nam Vet, takes the actors to Nam and drops them off in the jungle to reshoot the film using a radical new style.  It only gets funnier from here.  Towards the end, it loses some momentum, but you’re hooked, and you’ll see it through.  WOTO

“Rich and Strange” (1932):  Though not a fan, this is early Hitchcock, which I seem to prefer over his later work.  There are interesting visual ideas in this one which appear to be created with no purpose in mind other than a director playing with ideas.  None the less, this is a morality play mixing drama, comedy, and romance in odd proportions and quirky ways.  It’s simply an odd film – moving quickly at times and not at others.  WOTO

“Inception” (2010): Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Michael Caine, Tom Berenger, and others.  There was lots of talk about this film.  I remember there also being lots of talk about “The Matrix”.  I’ve seen both now, and although they were fun, they left me cold – feeling I had no investment in these characters or that scenario.  Special effects can be great, but isn’t it time for the geeks (making AND viewing these films) to realize it’s no substitute for fleshed-out characters and a good story?  A strong score (Hans Zimmer) is fine, but if it becomes overbearing, I begin suspecting the film is making up for something lacking…  Christopher Nolan (writer/director) is no hack, and “Memento” proved it.  “Inception”, for all its mazey fun and mental leaps, lacked soul.

“The Polar Express” (2004):  I have very mixed feelings about this animated movie.  It’s certainly no Pixar, and it’s not even up to Dreamworks.  Some of the design was WONDERFUL – the less realistic characters, the land & city scapes, the sense of light & color, the sounds, some of the action, machine designs, the explanations as to how Santa pulls off this yearly feat… but, some was AWFUL – the “Village of the Damned” main children’s faces (stiff and blind, as though there was nothing but cold clay under their skin), the music, the overuse of swirling perspectives, and some very miscast voices for some of the kids.  I’m very 50/50 on this one, with support for showing it to kids, but advising discriminating adults to skip Sony Imageworks – whose results are extremely spotty at best.  “The Polar Express” wanted so badly to be the next Christmas Classic… but it’s not.  WOTO

“The Yearling” (1946):  I really wanted to put this film in the category above… but one factor kept niggling at me.  First the plusses: unlike most Technicolor films that make me want to vomit up a stomach full of hard candies, this is absolutely beautiful.  BEAUTIFUL.  Better than most Hollywood gaudiness, frankly.  The story is good too – set in the wilderness of 1870’s Florida, we grow close to a self-sufficient small family who faces daily trials, losses, and glories.  Some of the scenes are very moving, scary, tense, subtle, funny, or sad.  Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, and Claude Jarman Jr. are the talented central characters.  The film received lots of awards.  However… the characters must speak… and when they speak they Speak as High Trained, Classic Stage, Hollywood Hillbillies who cannot utter a word without the image of a director waving the script and yelling for them to “ENUNICATE that ‘Ya’ll reckon?” with Great Feeling!  EMOTE!  EMOTE!!  Make Shakespeare proud!’”  Since that style exists throughout the film, it always drags you right out of the backwoods hard-scrabble life and into a gilt theatre at the intersection of Broadway and Hollywood.  Gol dernit!  But, I’ll still recommend it for its film style and heart.  WOTO

4.

Not Quite So-sofa but not quite Crap

 

“The Time of Your Life” (1948):  Think of this as an inspiration source for the t.v. show “Cheers”, forty years earlier.  Originally a stage play by William Saroyan, this film keeps its roots deep in the stage, with very stylized, rapid fire dialog, and character entries and exits.  Quirkiness abounds and most of these visitors are fairly eccentric and entirely unexplained.  They just “are”.  William Bendix, James Cagney, his daughter Jeanne Cagney, Broderick Crawford, and a cast of character actors who would later become “household faces” (such as the woman who played “Mrs. Howell” on “Gilligan’s Island”) fill out this sometimes entertaining oddball of a film.  My complaint is it often rings hollow – actors in roles batting out snappy patter to another waiting actor.  WOTO

“Madonna – Truth or Dare” (again, documentary, 1991):  This is the concert tour film made by and for Madonna in 1990-1991 (though it has a very 1980’s feel about it).  There ARE glimmers of insight into what stardom does for and to people, but for the most part this is a self-indulgent vanity production coming out of what was then her still-viable money machine.  Would you want to be associated with her?  Unless you’re an autograph hound, I doubt it.  She’s immature, defensive, self-centered, lacks subtlety, is a mediocre singer, not the best dancer, has limited self-expressive interests, and very high maintenance.  I grew weary of her shtick, but was left feeling sad for her.  Her life was her creation – but look at it.  Would you REALLY want to be stuck there?  WOTO

“Into the Night” (1985):  This is a formulaic, full length 80’s MTV disco crime drama music video flick, but made just a little better by Jeff Goldblum and the most luminous Michelle Pfeiffer you’ll ever have the pleasure to see.  Expect guns, chase scenes, a love connection, and all the 80’s trappings: drum machines, wailing saxophones, ’59 Caddies, red Ferraris, big hair, the Mob(s) a la Miami Vice but in Los Angeles… the whole shtick. WOTO

“The Ruling Class” (British, 1972):  Starring Peter O’Toole.  It was the early 70’s.  Social classes and Absurdist/Surreal humor went together like Monty and Python.  This film is an epic example of the verbose, social upheaval lecturing of that time.  It is sometimes funny, sometimes dark, nearly always over-the-top, offers glimmers of insight, gets angry, and criticizes anyone “above” the middle class (in England)… but it seems incapable of deciding when it wants to stop, and begins frustrating after about the fifteenth false ending when you’re worn to a nub and totally OVER it.  This 2 hour and 34 minute film could easily be 90 minutes… but IT DON’T WANNA BE AND IT AIN’T GONNA BE, SO THERE!!  “The Ruling Class” is a period piece, was a harbinger of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, and now you’ve been warned.

“Arsenic and Old Lace” (1944):  I’m SURE some people LOVE this film.  And, I am shocked to discover a film by Frank Capra I DON’T like.  It is a wacky, “single-set” farce of a comedy loaded on steroids… perfect for a stage play.  I also understand that this film was created in the midst of World War II, and everyone needed a laugh – even if it IS about killing !! – and even if only for an hour and a half.  This is a personal preference decision.  It’s too “comic book” for me.  However… in the middle of the film is a section SO EXQUISITELY lit and photographed, I could easily watch it again and again.  The old mansion is dark and various people are moving through the place with barely a sliver of light to be seen.  It is SO well composed and abstract, I was nearly shocked.  Visually, this is as sophisticated as it gets.  Few directors have achieved (or had the guts to present) such a high-brow effect.  Capra pulled it off.  WOTO

“Too Late the Hero” (1970):  And indeed, this film is VERY 1970.  It retains the 60’s style acting, characterizations, dialog, and heavy-handed Hollywood scoring somehow always available out in the jungle during World War II…  Starring Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson, this is a thinly veiled, conflicted discussion of the then heated Viet Nam War… why, the writers even – OOOOOPS !!! – included the phrase “long haired conscientious objector” … and put long-ish sideburns on these 1970, I mean, 1942 soldiers.  Yes, all the usual types are there: gung ho, crazy, macho, ironic, innocent, coward, and one or two who transform due to their experiences… then die or survive.  Whatever.  This is a period piece about 1970.  View it THIS way or not at all.

“Airforce One” (again, 1997):  Let your mind take a nap and the rest of you go on this roller coaster ride of a Schwarzenegger-style, steroidical, political thriller starring Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, William Macy, and others.  The scoring is heavy-handed and relentlessly “dramatic”, the CGI is weak (but yes, this WAS 14 years ago), the acting by some supporting actors is mediocre at best, parts of the story line are NOW ironic… but as long as you don’t THINK – and you need an adrenaline buzz – this might suit your evening.  WOTO

“Bulldog Drummond Comes Back” (British, 1937):  Another in the suspense series created in England while another World War loomed.  These are all set in night fog, with foreigners, disguises, secrets, guns going off, riddles, and an occasional British (hardly funny) joke.  WOTO

“Bulldog Drummond’s Revenge” (British, 1937):  With war already on the horizon and intrigue in the air, Europe was on-edge over Germany’s attitude and behaviors.  This is reflected in such films expressing secrets, espionage, spy vs spy, lights going out, guns going off, and girls going gaga over handsome John Howard (“Bulldog Drummond”), the obsessively investigative character of this series.  His pal “Algy” is the “comedic” foil, his butler the straight man, and Colonel Nielson, his peer in Scotland Yard.  The plot is thin and linear, the characters flat and simple, but they are surrounded by style.  What more could we possibly hope for with the English?  WOTO

“Bulldog Drummond Escapes” (British, 1937):  Just this once, Ray Milland plays Bulldog Drummond in foggy England amongst killers and cons, counterfeiters and conniving kidnappers.  Milland has a jaunty American approach to the character… almost joyous he’s involved in whodunit gun play and skull crushing.  (See the next review also.)  WOTO

“Murder with Pictures” (1936):  I’m allowing for the fact I was TIRED as to why I fell asleep on the sofa before the whodunit ending came along… but this movie was also a slow moving murder mystery that, while I WAS awake, only entertained me with its Art Deco décor, architecture, clothing, and cars.  Let’s put it this way, I have no intention of watching it again for the “revealing ending”.  WOTO

“Fog Island” (1945):  Classic “suspects-invited-to-eerie-mansion-whodunit” murder mystery full of intrigue and greed.  Do the guilty get theirs in the end?  WOTO

“Midnight Manhunt” (1945):  VERY average murder mystery with a “body, body, who has the body?” theme.  It’s combination of shadowy events, shticks, and mild humor.  WOTO

“The Shadow: International Crime” (1938):  You might think “snappy repartee” is easy.  Well, it’s not, and this one proves it.  Oh, it has its charm, but Lamont Cranston is no David Niven or 007 let alone a dazzling “The Shadow”.  Still, its a fun little crime mystery of little impact with a ton of GREAT Art Deco stuff to keep you occupied.  WOTO

“Mr. Moto’s Last Warning” (1939):  Starring Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto, this is standard fare pre-WWII uneasiness, with spy vs spy attempts to start and stop the beginning of European/North African war.  WOTO

“Murder by Television” (1935):  VERY standard whodunit murder mystery set in a mansion with a group of suspects, blah blah blah, starring Bela Lugosi.  What’s best about this film are the opening graphics, the Art Deco and Moderne interiors, the machine designs, and the entire barely-sci-fi discussion about the potential of “television” as a new medium.  Comedic relief, common at this time, was supplied by frightened bug-eyed blacks and shifty Confucius/Challie Chan-quoting Chinese servants.  WOTO

“A Walk in the Sun” (1945):  This is a strange one in the way its put together – with scrap book pages, cameos, introductions, storytelling songs, song lyrics, and narratives layered over a group of WWII soldiers who land in Italy and need to reach a farm house six miles away.  To save on budget (and probably shot in California) we travel with and only see this group of men who only “sense”, see smoke, or hear battles and the enemy – and if someone is shot (including by fighter planes), there is little or no blood, gore, or screaming death.  It is almost set up like a stage play musical… a surreal stage play musical.  At its core, this movie is about a group of average G.I. Joes who would much rather be home but must do their job.  WOTO

“Blast’em” (1992):  This is a vanity documentary… which means the people who wanted to be documented had a documentary made about them.  Pathetic, right?  Well, NOT if you’re them and you’re THAT convinced you’re deserving of more attention than anyone ever seems to give you and your “art”.  This is about some of the awful people who stalk the current stars and other faux news-worthy characters of Here Today / Gone Tomorrowland.  Paparazzi.  If YOU had a film made about you and your daily exploits but it showcased your whining, foul mouth, unprofessionalism, illegal behaviors, sneaky tricks, and self-centered self-righteousness, would YOU want it released to the public?  Doubt it.  But THAT is how ironically deluded and desperate these people were.  Long gone now, I’m sure.  I don’t even have the urge to remember their names or Google them to see who rightfully died at the hands of a fed-up person who’d been violated once too many.

“Ride, Rise, Roar” (documentary concert, 2010):  There are four components to this film: David Byrne, the musicians, the choreographers, and the dancers.  1) Byrne: seldom profound, but when he got close it was 35 years ago and they were called The Talking Heads.  Now he’s closer to a Las Vegas act than anything else, 2) the musicians generally followed his extensive directions given during rehearsals, and musically the songs were very weak compared to the originals, 3) the choreographers were interesting, but most of their results were clichéd and perhaps too much under the influence of Byrne, and 4) the three dancers danced their asses off, did a great job with what they were given, and hey, it was a paycheck.

“Wedding Crashers” (2005):  Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Christopher Walken, Will Ferrell.  All this talent yet a lo-so-so reaction?  ‘Fraid so.  The opening scene at a divorce meeting sets a great tone – Wilson and Vaughn are a tag-team of sweet bullshit.  Hilarious.  We then learn they crash weddings to pick up chicks as a vacation-away-from-work sport, and see them adapting like Lounge Chameleons to any and all groups.  Also good, but now losing its tempo.  Unfortunately, the film gets long and longer, predictable and even more predictable, until you’re finally saying “Let’s just get this over with”.  Skip the “uncorked” extended version.  Stay with the “rated, theatrical” version.  WOTO

“Less than Zero” (1987):  This is in many ways just a painfully long music video from the 80’s: movie scene (with drama), video, movie scene (with dancing), video, movie scene (with sex), video…  It is set amongst the then-stylish, pampered, upper class hi-skool kidz with wealthy parents in southern California – so, it’s decadent but visually interesting. “Less than Zero” is the story of idle time and recreational drug abuse gone bad. The subject was not news or unique movie material in 1987. Word. Andrew McCarthy and Jami Gertz TRY to act… honest they do… but they fail, especially Gertz. McCarthy has a few unique moments which caused me double-takes. There is only one person to watch: Robert Downey Jr., who effectively takes us down his dark, druggy, rabbit hole of a wasted life, and, with plenty of Irony (or insight), describes his future real life.  WOTO

“Best Laid Plans” (2009):  Alessandro Nivola, Reese Witherspoon, and Josh Brolin star in a plan-goes-from-bad-to-worse crime drama, and has many wonderful, unexpected turns in the story.  I also liked the acting of all involved.  Yet… due to the scoring, photography, and set decorating, I was left with an empty feeling similar to all of those pathetic music videos (Fast Food Snax Sound).  In fact, I’m willing to bet that the people behind the visualization of this film did or do such projects.  The scoring was cheaply manipulative and sometimes felt like the scene was photographed to justify the music.  The camera work and lighting had that self-conscious, artist-comes-first look of an immature photographer who doesn’t understand s/he is part of a team for a larger goal.  And, the set decorating was just retro-chic-hip embarrassing and full of mistakes… but, because “appearance” was more important than supportive content, mistakes be damned.  Full steam (hot air) ahead!

“Pirate Radio” (2010):  With actors including Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kenneth Branagh, and a subject close to my personal heart, I went ahead and purchased this dvd cold.  Yeh.  I don’t normally do that.  Know why?  I make mistakes.  This isn’t an awful film, and god bless ‘em, the actors did what they could… but what we have here is a weak script made too long about characters that don’t matter, with the usual compensatory attempts: period music smeared over profanity and nudity.  Apparently the same “creator” made “Love Actually” and “Notting Hill”.  You’re your judgments accordingly.  Me?  I won’t be seeing them.  WOTO

 

5.

“QUICK !   DUCK !!

It just hit the fan !!! 

RUN like the wind!!!!”

 

 

“The Atomic Brain” (1964):  You would think that a mid-1960’s, black & white, budget-starved, no-talent, near-nude mess of a silent sci-fi / teaser flik with dubbing and narration would be enough to put it in the Guilty Pleasure category.  Well, I would!  Sets made of cardboard, all the illumination done with one big spotlight, ideas stolen directly from “Frankenstein” (why, even the mad scientist is “Doctor Frank”!) and “Metropolis” (brain/soul transfers done via cardboard rings covering “just enough” of dead, naked women), and concepts like Continuity being entirely absent (!) SHOULD have this one right up there with “Plan 9 from Outer Space”… and yet… much of it is simply DULL.  Dull, dull, dull.  Yet again, I’m ambivalent.  How is it these freshly dug-up dead chicks can stand on their own in the atomic Brain-Transfer vault, and why did the mortician shave their pubic hair?  Hmmm…  WOTO

 “Black Girl” (“Borom Sarret”) (French/African, 1966):  Read any book about film, and this one is cited as a GREAT work.  Well folks, the King Has No Clothes.  A brain-damaged college freshman could’ve done better.  Here’s what the STORY tried to be: an African woman is hired as a child caretaker in Africa, and later follows the French family to France to continue working for them.  She doesn’t like it.  She complains a lot, thinks of herself as a slave, and eventually does something drastic.  I’m telling you this isn’t just a yawn… it is story full of plot holes, no character depth, no situational empathy (although I suspect viewers were EXPECTED to have strong feelings and side with the “poor girl”), continuity problems, and a motivational mess.  That’s not all.  The movie has TERRIBLE camera work, crappy lighting, editing by a monkey with scissors, scoring that makes no sense and has no subtlety, acting that just plain stinks, location shots that are perhaps the worst I’ve ever seen… I’m simply ASTOUNDED at the kudos given this terrible mess of a lousy film.  I can only surmise that in this case the “King has no clothes” Syndrome was the 1960’s politically correct social agenda in the Euro/American sphere for recognizing black/white equal rights – which caused it to be held high for its [possible] intentions when in reality it deserved to be tossed in the garbage can as a failed attempt.  No doubt a deserving film was ignored while all the attention was smeared upon “Black Girl”.

“Revenge of the Nerds” (again, 1984):  This mirror image “Animal House” wannabee is classically empty 1980’s fare.  Never mind we have a young John Goodman playing the role of a football coach, or Anthony Edwards as a supposed “nerd”, this is an insipid and seldom funny komedy ready to suck the life out of you.  Even the fact I went to the University of Arizona (where this was shot) couldn’t keep me interested in watching the BACKgrounds let alone the foregrounds.  Never mind there are a handful of upper and lower full frontal female nudity scenes (for those interested) – even the choice of who and what gets center stage is … well, up for debate.  Can you say “Rockets aimed at the South Pole”?  WOTO

“Bulldog Drummond’s Secret Police” (1939):  Some “Bulldog” movies are fun with good décor and such… but this one is dull, with pathetic “comedic” characters to what?… counterpoint some intense darkness and murders in a castle?  No, it’s simply something you must endure… Bulldog’s clumsy sidekick, the absent minded professor, the bitchy but lovable Aunt… blah.  WOTO

“Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet” (again, 1965):  What I wrote last time: “I nearly put this one in the “Run!” category.  It takes itself seriously, and even hired Basil Rathbone to “star” (a very sad gesture for him, after a solid movie career as “Sherlock Holmes”).  That’s its problem.  It tried to be “serious” but lacked the budget, creativity, professionalism, and artistry (not to mention a sense of humor) to pull it off.  I fell asleep.  However, I put it here because its “roots are showing”, and some of them are just cheezie enough to enjoy… the beehive hairdo of Marcia, the leg-grabbing Land Anemone, the Flying Monster, the stiff-as-papier mache Mountain Brontosaurus…”  What I wrote this time: “I fell asleep again.  Even Marcia’s hair couldn’t keep me awake.  I’ve never fallen asleep during “Plan 9 from Outer Space” or “Barbarella”… at least not that I remember.  RUN LIKE THE WIND!!!!”  WOTO

“Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women” (1968):  THIS movie was made FROM PIECES of the above movie, then re-released 3 years later!  Both versions were patchworked from yet a PREVIOUS sci-fi film I believe was made in the USSR!!  There is no mingling – only edited relationships – between the English speaking characters and the dubbed Russian (?) speaking characters in both “Voyage” flix.  So THIS one cuts OUT Rathbone and beehive Marcia, instead re-names the Space Program “Marcia”, and inserts Mamie van Doren and her bevy of beautiful babes in bell bottoms on the planet Venus.  Both have Venusian monsters (the rubber Godzillas the size of men, the Flying Monster (now a God called “Terra”), the stiff Bronto, the trusty robot (but this time meets a different end), the Leg Grabbing Venusanemone, the VERY Jetsons-style flying car the crew uses on the planet, and some of the same landscapes.  This time it’s the Venusaginas – complete with 60’s bleached blond hairdos, heavy cat-eye makeup and false eyelashes, sea shell bras, and hip hugger bell bottoms that threaten the Cosmo-Astronauts.  THIS version kept me awake.  It’s still awful, but in that good way.  Oh, and it was narrated by Peter Bogdanovich!!!  …  when he was still starving, I assume.  WOTO

“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (again, 1984):  Unlike the superb interpretation done earlier (in 1958) with Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman, this 80’s version with Tommy Lee Jones and Jessica Lange is equal to a video tape exam of freshmen in a college Acting 101 course – where dialog and gestures are relentlessly overdone and “theatrical”.  I simply could NOT get through it again.  Don’t bother.  See the earlier version.  WOTO

“Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four” (British, 1932):  Other than the occasional Art Deco outfit or sofa, this is one of the DULLEST movies I have ever seen in my ENTIRE LIFE!!  It has NO redeeming value.  I can’t even remember a scene about which is worth concocting a joke.  Skip it.  WOTO

“Not Another Teen Movie” (2001):  If you put your brain in neutral and let this flick take you on its ride, you end up feeling like Mel Brooks sat next to you on a faulty roller coaster and talked the entire time about how funny his farts are.  Join a cluster of 100% stereo-steroidal-typical California hi-skool kids, their teachers, coaches, and parents.  This should insult-yet-bore just about everyone who’s delicate or likes actual humor, and for the rest of ya’ll, your constant yucking – and I mean YUCKing [it up] – should leave you giggling followed by feeling especially vulnerable and empty.  Quick!  Reach for another beer!!  Redeeming qualities?  Some pleasant exposed skin pulled tight over large plastic bags of semi-natural feeling gel.  WOTO

“The Best Man” (2000):  Why ANYONE titles their film after another of the same title is beyond me, but we made the huge mistake of renting THIS instead of the one we sought (made in 1964) (which has YET to be seen!).  THIS 2000 version is one big piece of cliché crap aimed at a hopelessly tee-vee oriented audience who wouldn’t know bad acting or scripting if it, you know, bit ‘em on the ass.

“The Moonstone” (British, 1934):  Possibly the dullest British suspense movie of all time.  SO lame, SO dull, SO British, I wasn’t sure it was over until the lame, dull, trumpeting “It’s over!” music began.  Ab so lute ly pointless.  WOTO

“Divine Trash” (again, 1998):  This is a documentary about John Waters’ films, from the beginning in 1966 up to his work on “Pecker”, but most of the time is spent on “Pink Flamingos” and his star, “Divine”.  Most of Waters’ films are pure junk – adolescent, tee-hee, gross-out junk – but they came along at the “right” time in history, and the rest, as they say, IS history.  They have no redeeming value except to allow less secure film makers a precedent.  They are incredibly poorly made.  The visuals, audios, etc. are simply amateurish.  If anything, Waters’ rise to in-famous was a King-Has-No-Clothes, We’re-All-Stoned, Thumbs-upism.  All of his early work took him to what became the closest to a well-made look (better budget) but retained some of his down and dirty ‘tude:  “Hairspray”.  After that film, and still with a better budget, he again seemed to lose sight of balancing ideas with results.  “Serial Mom” was okay…, “Pecker” was a dull attempt to be Woody Allen, “Cecil B. Demented” was pointless.  John Waters is an insightful, interesting, intelligent man – apparent if you see him in interview – which is the case here – but little of that is evident in most of his work.  There are people who come along and do what they do.  What they do is of little or no intrinsic value, but their actions give the “go ahead” for those who WILL create things of value.  WOTO

“Beautiful Losers” (Documentary, 2008):  First of all, I HATE “vanity films”.  You know what they are – films made merely to promote this product or that person(s).  Second, if you want to get on my bad side, try to validate and romanticize graffiti applied to other’s private property.  Third, I taught a long time, and it’s been almost as long since I had to listen to so many self-righteous, self-impressed, self-centered, uneducated, immature idiots who want to believe their emotions validate their lack of intelligence.  Their art efforts are shallow, and, of course, self-aggrandized, and, are equally admired by a small peer audience of uneducated culture-babies who grew up on placebo intellectualism and Trix cereal.  In an especially pathetic move to create associations, they include film maker Harmony Korine as though he is “one of them”.  (After all, it’s not WHAT you know, it’s WHO you know.)  You’ll love/hate their ironic rebellious insistence to be heroic “Individuals” by their ALL skateboarding, looking alike, making like things, reveling in their refusal to become adults, and speaking with the same lack of language skills.  You’ll want to choke the “LIKE” and “YOU KNOW” right out of them.  Oh, and just in case that doesn’t bring you over, one of them dies and the others are given the chance to cash in on THAT emotion too… complete with romantic music sprayed on the surface of their fallen comrade.  I nearly puked.

“Dune” (2000):  David Lynch tried it.  John Harrison tried it.  Please everyone, give up!  And THIS version – with space aliens from other planets speaking in British, American, Irish and god-knows-where-else-from-Earth accents; aliens who, when in trouble, say “May Day!”; aliens who all look like humans from either Parisian fashion runways, transvestite clubs, or the Flintstones; aliens who seem to have no culture of their own and instead spent all their time ripping off our ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Himalayans, and Art Deco suavies – this film – FOUR hours in length – will suck every drop of precious life fluid from you. I gave up after two hours. The mediocre-to-awful special effects, the idiotic lighting, the unsubtle scoring, and the bravura dialogs added to the torture of faux-sci-fi. Wait! Did I mention their symbols that look like ancient English coats-of-arms, Middle Eastern mosaics, and Nazi war glitz? How about the minarets, cave dwellings, cliff dwellers, and 2001 Space Odyssey architecture? Oh, and don’t forget the space ships that look like House Flies! If ANY kudos go to ANY person(s) involved, they’d have to be to those who designed some of the costumes and some of the city views. IF.  WOTO

“Born in East L.A.” (1987):  Starring Cheech Marin.  He never had much of a career in the first place, including with “Chong”, but this is simply pathetic… it’s one long set of short, bad shticks taped together with the belief that all non-Latinos are stupid or evil, and all illegal aliens are angels without wings.  If that’s not bad enough, it’s VERY Eighties/MTV in its look.  Run away!  Run like the wind!  WOTO

“Nancy Drew: Reporter” (1939):  Bonita Granville, the buxomiest actress to play a teenager in all of moovie history, has the role of Nancy Drew, the perky, troublesome, but oh-so-cute cub news reporter who gets her big nose and other pokey-outies into tight spots.  This is pure pap.  Hollywood had no idea how to use kids in films during the second half of the Thirties.  Everyone was incredibly stagy, phony, polished to a glossy sheen, and empty.  It was a bad time for entertainment using the under-aged.  WOTO

“The Final Countdown” (1980):  Holy crap.  This is SO bad it was fun to watch… and yet very painful… and will be a fun review… yet be very painful.  When you don’t recognize a single name in the intros – not the director, not the production company, not the film company – NADA – that’s a hint it will be either an interesting Indie film or… pure crap.  This was made in 1980.  Indies were rare except for angry experimental films taking pot shots at the Establishment… and THIS film is about the Navy, okay?  1980.  Reagan was just elected and the military was going through a build up but still wearing the bandages of Viet Nam.  When you recognize most of the actor’s names in the intro – and they are all actors “on their way out” – passé, old, fat, whatever Hollywood decides is no longer a cash cow – you know this will be a disaster [of a] film.  Still, you have to see for yourself.  You have to slow down to see if anyone in this accident is dead by the side of the road.  For the movie, you hope those watching with you have a sense of humor, because you’re going to shoot off your mouth – A LOT – at least I do.  (DON’T invite me to your house.  You’d hate me.)  Here’s the story:  It’s 1980, Kirk Douglas is the commander of the U.S.S. Nimitz, and they are out on maneuvers.  Status q     uo all around… UNTIL this huge ship and all its crew are sucked through a big, screaming, tacky hole of swirling bad effects… and they find themselves 39 years in the past.  December 6^th, 1941 to be exact.  Of course it takes them a long time to accept the idea.  The Jack Benny show on their radio isn’t enough.  This isn’t some sort of elaborate joke or test planned for them?  No.  The clues begin to add up.  It’s true.  They’re in The Past!  Now, here’s the moral dilemma: they’re in the Pacific, they know war history, and they CAN go after the Japanese planes and ships headed towards Pearl Harbor.  They CAN CHANGE HISTORY… but, SHOULD THEY?  I’m not going to tell you the ending.  Try to come up with the cheapest, most chickenshit script conclusion you can, and you’ll be close.  Okay, the story sucks.  Is that it?  No!!  There is a REASON these actors – Kirk, Martin Sheen, Katherine Ross, James Farentino and many others were hired: they were cheap.  And, they were cheap because they were seldom good in the first place.  (And, I might add, seeing this on blue-ray dvd did NOT help their causes, even from a physical appearance p.o.v.!)  Then there’s the scoring:  THE most inappropriate, loud, marching band meets The Exorcist meets Top Gun meets Tubular Bells meets soap operas meets a monkey with a conductor’s stick “music” I’ve heard in way too not long enough ago.  Continuity?  Shaky.  Realism?  Not in the special effects, not in the bullets hitting bodies, not anywhere EXCEPT in the sky.  If you are interested in 1980’s and 1940’s aircraft, the crew who shot the aerial footage was the aberration on this project.  They were great.  If you like the U.S.S. Nimitz, you’ll like watching that big floating city of a ship.  But, if you look for a good story, good writing, good music, good make up, good acting, good special effects, good logic, good character development, good ANYTHING ELSE other than pictures of planes in the air, man have you come to the wrong place.  THIS MOVIE SUCKS from start to finish.  Like I said:  See it with friends because the ONLY pleasure is treating this thing like a sideshow geek (which is no longer acceptable), yelling and laughing at the screen for an hour and a half.  It will release the tension of baddititty.

“The Blind Side” (2009):  Starring Sandra Bullock.  Apparently, Bullock wouldn’t know a piece of crap script and bad director if they both bit her on the ass at the same moment.  Oh, wait!  They DID!!  This is the most formulaic, Hollywood-shtickesque, predictable pile of day-old clichés I have encountered in quite some time.  It’s insulting to film-lovers, it’s insulting to whites, blacks, athletes, southerners, big people, tiny people, and… anyone else who comes to mind.  Best Actress nomination?  Well, it’s true she looked liked a genius next to every other untalented face on that screen, but no, Oscar OR Golden Globe worthy?  No.  Kathy Bates?  She had a minor role towards the end.  She walked THIS paycheck to the bank in her sleep.  I can’t say enough bad about this thing.  It was the Worst of Disney meets After School Special with a couple cuss words thrown in for that “gritty touch of reality”.  You know, “street cred”?  Pathetic.  Look… this movie is based on true events.  It COULD be one hell of a story… but, it was put in the wrong hands – both in front of AND behind the camera.  “The Blind Side” was doomed from the start.  Awful, and, uh, did I already say PATHETIC?

“True Lies” (1994):  When I’m in the mood for interesting, action-packed, sarcastic, witty violence that demands I suspend my disbelief, I go to Arnold.  Schwarzenegger.  The actor, not the politician.  He had a great track record for a reliable entertainment product… except this thing directed by James Cameron.  It is supposed to be interesting.  It’s not.  Witty.  Not.  Funny.  Not.  Action packed.  Yes, but like a comic book missing the occasional page.  Violent.  Yes, but ditto the above.  Its continuity is a mess, it is awkward, ill-conceived, and just plain STUPID.  141 minutes of STUPID.  Don’t you be like me.  WOTO

“Better Off Dead” (1985):  Great film if you’re a special eleven year old and don’t quite understand television sit-coms or laff tracks yet.  This disaster of an 80’s teen shtick – think “Happy Days” a decade later – lead by John Cusack – is the worst, most clichéd, tired piece of crap I’ve had to face in a long time… and no, my wife and I could NOT get through it.  We have lives – and the clock ticks for one and all.  The one thing I’ll give it:  the TITLE is accidentally perfect.  WOTO

“Where the Wild Things Are” (2009):  Let’s establish something:  I had never read the book – I didn’t even know the story – so I approached this movie as another movie ONLY – NOT a book and NOT childhood nostalgia.  This movie has nothing to offer beyond the frantic behavior of a disturbed child and a lot of special effects (of course).  CONTENT within this story is nearly non-existent.  It is boring, too long, and pointless.  The characters are irritating at best.  My wife, who apparently read the book to her children, was extremely disappointed in the movie, though for reasons I cannot address.  After it was finally over, she went upstairs, retrieved her copy of the book for me, I read it (in about 2 minutes), and was further baffled.  For all of you who adore this book (or what it has become in your nostalgic memories), I must say I found nothing interesting in the book either, and I was left wondering why anyone liked it or the movie.

“Children of the Damned” (1963):  This is the sequel to “Village of the Damned”, which I have up in my “Easily Worth Two Hours” category.  Sequels hold about 25% the quality of the original, and this is no exception.  I’d never seen this one before, and although I love the photography and lighting, it was a watered-down, hardly surprising, blatantly Cold War-based thriller that managed to go nowhere interesting.  See “Village”.  Skip “Children”.  WOTO

 

6.

“Say WHAT?”

 

 

“The Saddest Music in the World” (2004):  It’s the early 1930’s, and the Great Depression is in Winnipeg Canada.  Isabella Rossellini plays a legless beer baroness who decides to hold an international competition for the saddest song in the world.  All entrants must come to Winnipeg – i.e., it’s a publicity/money-making stunt.  Well, people DO arrive and perform their music in a “dueling banjo” sort of format.  This is a visually quirky and unique film that offers up characters who should be interesting but aren’t.  I gave up on it after about an hour.  I loved looking at it, the story had occasionally dark but funny moments, yet the people and the overall movement laid there flat and dull.  WOTO

“In the Loop” (British, 106 minutes, 2009):  One hundred and six minutes… really?  Although I found it sometimes witty, it had the feel of a television show in the spirit of “The Office” but on amphetamines and lasting at least four hours.  Maybe it was just me… I was tired… fact is, I fell asleep during their insanity.  When I woke, it was still going… and going.

“The Swimmer” (1968):  Burt Lancaster stars as a man who seems just a little “off” somehow, and when he decides to cross his well-to-do county by swimming through all of his wealthy friends backyard pools, his beliefs and delusions (?) are slowly revealed.  This is an fascinatingly oddball film that keeps you watching as you wait to discover who is right, wrong, or out of their mind.  Production values lean towards that late 60’s tee-vee/low budget look, with an overly melodramatic score by Marvin Hamlisch, and directed by Frank Perry.  Watch for a very young Joan Rivers playing a straight bit part, Janice Rule, Kim Hunter, lots of character actors, and a scorching young beauty – Janet Landgard.  Do NOT read the dvd box – it gives away too much.  You want to go for the ride… even when you have no clue where you are!!

“Vampyr” (German, 1931):  After first viewing:  By Carl Dreyer, famed director of 1928′s “The Passion of Joan of Arc” (which I LOVE).  Hoping that ANY other film of Dreyer’s would match the quality of “…Joan” seems unfair, and “Vampyr” IS interesting…I’m just not sure what to DO with it.  The vampire is a VERY illusive character in this film…and I like that idea, which creates more uncertainty and suspicion, but it was also vague, leaving me befuddled.  I appreciated the camera work, lighting and “fog”, music, extensive use of double exposures for an out-of-body quality, the idea of shadows independent of their “host” source, and the acting of one woman (name unknown), who was bitten.  With no makeup or pointy teeth, she gives a truly scary interpretation of evil infecting a human.  (THIS scene was equal to the quality of “Passion…”)   I need to watch this one again.  WOTO

And,

After second viewing:  Well… for me the story is clearer but not clear, and it IS creepy at times, but slow and often dull.  It goes almost nowhere, and leans towards a suggestion of surrealism more than expressionism, etc..  Unique camera tricks kept me more interested than the story or most of the acting.  Scoring was good, lighting demanded your constant suspension of disbelief (there was no “night” all night long…), and, by no fault of Dreyer, I watched a KINO copy, which was rough, unrestored, faded, and oddly enough, used sound sometimes and subtitles others.  Language is German, and subtitles, though in English, are in an awful Ye Olde Deutschland font nearly impossible to read in the flash of a subtitle.  This is a film that has a certain place in a niche of history, but is not that interesting a work in and of itself in 2011.  WOTO

 

7.

“Guilty Pleasures (Okay, you caught me!)”:

 

“The Violent Years” (1956):  A gang of tight-skirted, lipstick-wearing high school senior chicks savvy beyond their tender years slink out at night to create havoc, crime, and death in their sleepy but increasingly concerned burg.  This is one heavy-handed morality tale that does not pretend to be anything else – which is part of why I like it – zero subtlety in this cross between a drive-in movie filler and an 8mm classroom edu-reel.  Marvelously bad in absolutely ALL possible ways.  WOTO

“The Wild Ride” (1960):  This is a VERY early Jack Nicholson film in which he plays a teenager… because he IS a teenager!  This is one crazy scene, man!  Can you dig the beat?  Where’s your rod?  Cool it man, there’s the Fuzz!  This C-grade drive-in fodder is SO FULL of jazzy bongos and flutes, way out kitty kats in beach combers, and flat-topped, duck-tailed top dogs, it’s waaaay out, Daddy-O.  Crazy pops!   WOTO “The Wild Ride” (1960):  This is a VERY early Jack Nicholson film in which he plays a teenager… because he IS a teenager!  This is one crazy scene, man!  Can you dig the beat?  Where’s your rod?  Cool it man, there’s the Fuzz!  This C-grade drive-in fodder is SO FULL of jazzy bongos and flutes, way out kitty kats in beach combers, and flat-topped, duck-tailed top dogs, it’s waaaay out, Daddy-O.  Crazy pops!   WOTO

“My Favorite Brunette” (1947):  Full of stars (and inside jokes about them), this Bob Hope vehicle is no better than anything else he made, but I watched it for one, maybe two reasons: 1) Dorothy Lamour, and 2) late 1940’s cars, fashion, and décor.  No, I don’t especially like the late 40’s look, so 2) Dorothy again.  However, one revelation came to me: it’s clear Woody Allen learned much of his physical comedy from Hope… and yet, I still like Allen.  WOTO

“The Amazing Transparent Man” (1960):  Yes, this is classick drive-in movie fodder – recorded with no finesse, poor acting, continuity problems, you name it, but it’s a good example of Cold War and Atomic paranoia (though so naïve IT is amazing!), and of course there’s a buxom femme fatale in the mix.  Personally, the 1959 Buick convertible they drive everywhere is the star – with THE best tailfins of any car during that gloriously desperate year in Detroit.  WOTO

“Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome” (1947):  There’s nothing super special about this one, but I have a soft spot for period Noir films.  “Gruesome” is played by Boris Karloff, which is fun.  There’s this GAS, see?  And it freezes people, and then….  WOTO

“The Quick and the Dead” (1995):  To enjoy this film, I expect you’re required to already love those C-grade Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960’s, since this blatantly “retro” film is entirely dependent upon those gloriously operatic Westerns filmed in Italy nearly 50 years ago.  Instead of Clint Eastwood we get Sharon Stone, instead of Eli Wallach we get Gene Hackman.  One out of two isn’t bad.  There are some GREAT UGLY supporting characters in “Quick…”, wonderfully over-romanticized camera work, intentionally silly CGI, but also lots of useless material that only distracts from the purity of a cult film – which should have one goal from which it never veers.  Expect no scoring even close to the quality of Ennio Morricone.  “The Quick….” pales next to the originals, but has its own level of funky fun.

“Child Bride” (1938):  This is truly an awful film, but it’s one of those “car wreck” movies where you must slow down and stare.  Set in Hill Billy hills and hollers, this is about people who ain’t knowed no better, and the mens folkses who marry little girls.  You’ll see dirty old coots kissing 10 year old girls, killing one t’other, and all sorts of goddawful bad dialog turned worse with bad acting.  It’s really pretty funny, despite the repulsive ideas.  Why, you’re even “treated” to the “funny” old phrase “I figgered there wuz a nigger in the woodpile somewhere!”  When I say CAR WRECK, I MEAN CAR WRECK!  WOTO

The Devil’s Cabaret” (c. 1930, color, a film short):  Think of “The Devil’s Cabaret” as “Vaudeville’s Busby Berkeley goes straight to Hell and does a show for Satan”.  Oh my god.  You’ll get rapid “fire” bad Hades jokes, lots of dancing Flappers and Ballerinas, interesting sets, costumes, and sight gags.  It’s SO bad it’s great – and they knew it.  Bonus fact: the man who plays Satan would [in a few years] become “Ming the Invincible” in the Flash Gordon serials.  I’m sure he felt better about that.  WOTO

“Dick Tracy vs Cueball” (1946): Your first thought will be “Why did they choose this guy to represent the cartoon strip character?”  This will also be one of your last thoughts.  In between, for 62 minutes, you’ll get mild, formulaic Noir on the cheap, with the plucky young lad, the feisty blonde girlfriend, the dedicated detective sidekick, the self-involved Mayor, a cast of shifty characters with just a pinch of cartoonishness to them, and some good Art Deco and Art Moderne decor.  You’ll see continuity mistakes a blind man couldn’t miss… but what the heck, relax, enjoy, and go for the ride… in a big, black sedan.  WOTO

“Gold Diggers of 1937” (again, 1937):  You watch “Gold Digger” Depression era movies for two things: the amazing Busby Berkeley choreographies, and, the Art Deco sets.  The stories are dopey, they are (shudder) musicals, the acting is poor, the ideas kitschy and sometimes insulting, etc..  No, you WATCH this series of films to WATCH them and nothing more… but the watching is fun.  WOTO

“Dick Tracy Detective” (1945):  Your first thought will be “Why did they choose this guy to represent the cartoon strip character?”  This will also be one of your last thoughts.  In between, for 61 minutes, you’ll get mild Noir on the cheap, with the plucky young lad, the feisty blonde girlfriend, the dedicated detective sidekick, the self-involved Mayor, and a cast of shifty characters with just a pinch of cartoonishness to them.  You’ll see continuity mistakes a blind man couldn’t miss… but what the heck, relax, enjoy, and go for the ride… in a big, black sedan.  (If this “review” sounds like the movie two above, you’re right.  It does.)  WOTO

“Chained for Life” (1951):  Can Siamese twin women find happiness in Life, Vaudeville, and Romance?  It’s a complicated world that only gets more confusing as the story drags its four legs along…  Using real Siamese twins and a cast of real Vaudeville acts (this movie IS a Vaudeville act within itself!), we are asked to review the issues and “help” a Judge salve his soul as he searches for wisdom.  Expect poor production, poor sets, poor dialog, super-poor acting… well, the entire thing is POOR, but it’s like driving by the roadside accident – ya just gotta slow down and stare.  WOTO

“Gambling with Souls” (1936):  This is a wonderfully poorly made 30’s Morality Play about women who WANT too much and where it leads them.  Told in flashbacks, we follow one woman from a life of ease (during the Great Depression) into greed into gambling into liquor into prostitution into blackmail into …   If only she herself had seen THIS movie!!!  WOTO

“Love and a .45″ (again, 1994):  This is a Pulp Fiction spin-off with an amoral couple running and hiding out in the open across the countryside, thinking they are the new Pop culture Bonnie and Clyde.  The characters are one-dimensional, the actors do a good job within those limits, the action – though cartoonish – is tense, the overall feel is intentionally unreal and artificial, the violence is out there on the edge, and Rene Zellweger continues to hold top position for White Trash Babe of All Time.  Though not equal to “Natural Born Killers”, this IS a dark-funny, over-the-top violent poke at our media culture.  WOTO

“Desperado” (1996):  In the 60’s, everyone wanted to make the next Spaghetti Western.  In the 1990’s, everyone wanted to make the next “Pulp Fiction”.  Well, here you have both – a pulpy Burrito Western.  Starring pretty boy Antonio Banderos, along with Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin, Quentin Tarantino, and lots of other character actors, this is a Mexican SplatFest.  Turn off your brain and go for this lengthy feeling Kill-a-Thon south of the border.  WOTO

“Plan 9 from Outer Space” (again, 1959):  I don’t know how you could’ve gotten this far in life and still not know about “Plan 9”.  Created by Edward Wood Jr., a married transvestite (who also did the film “Glen or Glenda!?”), this is at first glance just another poorly made, back-alley, D-grade sci-fi moovie.  However, our culture has decided it is The Very Worst Film EVER MADE, and now uses it as the Icon of Ineptness.  I’ve seen plenty of bad films, but this one challenges you to take out a score sheet, and try – just TRY – to list all the mistakes and bad decisions.  You could spend your life – as some people with no lives seem to have done – trying to do exactly this.  “Plan 9 from Outer Space” IS an Icon, a Lesson, a Sport.  Sadly, this was not Ed’s intent, nor did he live to see it reach this odd, Top Category status.  (Nor did Bela Lugosi, whose last role was in this film.  He died of illness and morphine addiction before Ed began assembling clips which became the basis of “Plan 9”.)  Ed died drunk, essentially alone, feeling defeated and ignored.  Knowing this, it is with mixed emotions I watch this true disaster of a movie.  WOTO

“Our Daily Bread” (again, 1934):  By King Vidor.  This is a WONDERFUL American Depression Era propaganda film.  It is blatant in promoting Socialist/Communist concepts, and degrading Democracy.  It has fine period photography, dialog, and other noble “Salt of the Earth” presentations.  This is SUCH fun for its naïve, simplistic, idealism.  Acting is weak, but who cares?  Its heart – and it DOES have heart – was in the right place, even if its mind was not.  It represented much of what was on the minds of the American public at that time – economically, politically, socially, and morally.  Knowledge of the era helps you appreciate what and why things are presented as they are.  It is a shallow but very rich period piece… an oddly satisfying film I’ve enjoyed repeatedly.  WOTO

 

8.

“This isn’t a “Film”, but I don’t know where else to put it”:

 

“Boardwalk Empire” (2010):  HBO Television, Episode One, directed by Martin Scorcese, starring Steve Buscemi.  Set in 1920 Atlantic City, this is about Prohibition and the forming of the Mobs.  Though not quite a “film” in itself, it is a 75 minute look at that era – BEAUTIFULLY photographed, with sets and costumes you don’t doubt for two moments.  Yes, things ARE a little too clean at times…  This was good enough I would – if I had cable t.v. – tune in.  Since I don’t, I will probably buy the dvd set when available.  WOTO

“Paris, Je T’Aime” (2006):  A challenge was made to directors: “You have two days to make a film about Paris.  It can be no longer than five minutes.  We have divided the city into neighborhoods.  Choose one, assemble you team, and make a movie.”  If nothing else, this was an intellectual, technical, and artistic challenge for those involved.  Asking film directors to do tackle this concept is like asking novelists to write a poem.  Character development and a narrative story in FIVE MINUTES?  Possibly impossible.  It is fair to expect you’ll like some very much, and others will leave you confused or apathetic.  I found most of them interesting for the reasons mentioned above.  Do NOT enter this “movie” like a movie.  Enter it more like a rack of postcards.  WOTO

“Rex Steele – Nazi Smasher” (    ):  This is a student film, animated and scored at N.Y.U..  It has a funky, retro-American feel and sound with a Japanese look.  It is short, fun, clichéd, and intellectually unchallenging.  This was essentially a formal and technical exercise.  WOTO

(Five films):  “D-Day”, “Surrender in the Pacific”, “Invasion of Poland in 1939 by the German Army”, “Fury in the Pacific”, and “The Battle for the Marianas” (Documentaries, 2008):  Footage of World War II, made during the war for American military and civilian audiences.  It is a combination of morale raising and harsh reality, marching music and burning bodies.  It is what it was.  WOTO

“Cage/Cunningham” (Documentary,    ):  John Cage and Merce Cunningham – two mighty important people in the American Modernist movement 1930’s-1980’s.  Music, and Dance.  Additional interviews with Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Nam June Paik, Frank Stella, and many others.  This is NOT an intro course into Modernism or Cage or Cunningham.  This hits the road running.  Start somewhere else if these names mean nothing or little to you at this point.  Trust me.  If you DO already have some background, this is an oddball but interesting look at two very simple yet complicated men / artists… and life long partners.

“911 – In Plane Site” (doc.?, 2004):  Sometimes I haunt junk stores and pawn shops looking for obscure films… and that’s how I found this “documentary”.  It is about the attacks on September 11, 2001, and, by using and abusing film, rhetoric, half-ideas, and literal fast-talk, it attempts to convince us that EVERYTHING we understand about the 9-11 murderers is not just up for question, but (like ALL conspiracy nuts), is WRONG.  However, don’t get ME wrong… I am not saying 100% of what is presented and asked is insane.  I’d say 50% is insane, 40% is improbable, 9% is iffy, and 1% has enough validity that it should require further independent investigation.  This film has all the classic tactics of someone trying to dance and shove you down their path, and it’s fun to dissect their methods… but that aside, the 1% was enough for me to nod in agreement that more needs to be known.  WOTO

 

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Boop oop ee Don’t!

August 14, 2011 by Ronn Ives, under Films.

My wife and I watched a double feature last night.  We’ve become
interested in 1930′s Hollywood films censored during the Great Depression.

“The Divorcee” (1930):  Norma Shearer stars in this censored
Hollywood morality tale.  Set BEFORE the Great Depression
crashed down on everyone (1929) but made FOR the real
Depression audience, this is the story of a woman who,
finding her situation inconvenient, sets out to “live”
all she thinks she’s missed.  It’s most amazing in one
way: the costuming and the sets by Cedric Gibbons.  This
melodrama has great Art Deco everywhere you look… even
the people are dancing in geometric gestures, revealing gowns,
dramatic poses, and risqué life styles.  I found Shearer fascinating
to watch for her odd beauty and ability to use her body as sculpture.”

Hollywood was at odds with the censorship board.  As is usually the case, a bad economy creates an environment – nearly a religion – of conservatism and the reevaluation of life styles.

Sound familiar?  It should.

Hollywood was trying to make films that might sell while the censors were trying to cut out anything that would!  Push, pull, push, pull.  Film makers fought back by finding loopholes in ever-increasing guidelines.

 

Even the Fleischer Brothers cartoons starring “Betty Boop” went under HEAVY censorship.  Yes, Betty had to wear longer dresses and lose the cleavage.

So, taking “The Divorcee” as an example, Hollywood couldn’t use the short, now outlawed “Flapper” skirts.  Instead, they draped Shearer, sans ALL underthings, in dramatically long gowns made of VERY clingy, translucent material, allowing stiff nipples and pubic hair to be visible through the silvery sheen.

“But you SAID no short skirts, and they aren’t any short skirts!!”

And the game went on.

(If you’re interested, I think they are filed on Netflix under “Censored Films”.)

How does this apply to more recent eras?  What about the lax attitudes in ’70′s films?  It’s all relative.  Much of the 60′s nudity vanishes in the ’70′s as the economy gets worse.  (Don’t confuse the flood of more recent films SET in the 70′s with the actual films OF the 70′s.)

What can we expect now?  The same thing.  The economy says so.  But do we still have a “censorship” board?  Forget whether we have a “board” or not.  “Boards” are nothing but a group of people made up from a portion of “US”.

People withdraw in a bad economy.  They get conservative.

They CONSERVE.

Sound familiar?

 

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I gotcher Top One Hundred ri’chere, Pally!!!

August 6, 2011 by Ronn Ives, under Films, FILMS - 2006+.

 

So, the first list below is the New York Times “Top 100 Films of All Time”.  I have issues with it, but let’s start there…

Marked in red are ones I own.  I italicized those I agree should be in the Top 100:

A – C

* Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)
* The Apu Trilogy (1955, 1956, 1959)
* The Awful Truth (1937)
* Baby Face (1933)
* Bande à part (1964)
* Barry Lyndon (1975)
* Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980)
* Blade Runner (1982)
* Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
* Brazil (1985)
* Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
* Camille (1936)
* Casablanca (1942)
* Charade (1963)
* Children of Paradise (1945)
* Chinatown (1974)
* Chungking Express (1994)
* Citizen Kane (1941)
* City Lights (1931)
* City of God (2002)
* Closely Watched Trains (1966)
* The Crime of Monsieur Lange (1936)
* The Crowd (1928)

D – F

* Day for Night (1973)
* The Decalogue (1989)
* Detour (1945)
* The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
* Dodsworth (1936)
* Double Indemnity (1944)
* Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
* Drunken Master II (1994)
* E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
* 8 1/2 (1963)
* The 400 Blows (1959)
* Farewell My Concubine (1993)
* Finding Nemo (2003)
* The Fly (1986)

G – J

* The Godfather, Parts I and II (1972, 1974)
* The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966)
* Goodfellas (1990)
* A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
* His Girl Friday (1940)
* Ikiru (1952)
* In A Lonely Place (1950)
* Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
* It’s A Gift (1934)
* It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

K – M

* Kandahar (2001)
* Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
* King Kong (1933)
* The Lady Eve (1941)
* The Last Command (1928)
* Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
* Léolo (1992)
* The Lord of the Rings (2001-03)
* The Man With a Camera (1929)
* The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
* Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
* Metropolis (1927)
* Miller’s Crossing (1990)
* Mon oncle d’Amérique (1980)
* Mouchette (1967)

N – P

* Nayakan (1987)
* Ninotchka (1939)
* Notorious (1946)
* Olympia, Parts 1 and 2 (1938)
* On the Waterfront (1954)
* Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
* Out of the Past (1947)
* Persona (1966)
* Pinocchio (1940)
* Psycho (1960)
* Pulp Fiction (1994)
* The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
* Pyaasa (1957)

Q – S

* Raging Bull (1980)
* Schindler’s List (1993)
* The Searchers (1956)
* Sherlock, Jr. (1924)
* The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
* Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
* The Singing Detective (1986)
* Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)
* Some Like It Hot (1959)
* Star Wars (1977)
* A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
* Sunrise (1927)
* Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
* Swing Time (1936)

T – Z

* Talk to Her (2002)
* Taxi Driver (1976)
* Tokyo Story (1953)
* A Touch of Zen (1971)
* Ugetsu (1953)
* Ulysses’ Gaze (1995)
* Umberto D (1952)
* Unforgiven (1992)
* White Heat (1949)
* Wings of Desire (1987)
* Yojimbo (1961)

Did anyone ask “Hey, WHERE’S … ????”  Well I DID!  So I’m adding to the list (in no particular order!):

Taxi Driver
The Thin Red Line (1998)
Sybil
The Endurance
Tender Mercies
The Best Years of our Lives
Marty
Zelary
The March of the Penguins
Apollo 13
Woman in the Dunes
Dersu Uzala
The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio
Bicycle Thieves
Being There
Girl on a Bridge
The Cider House Rules
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Brief Encounter
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Wrestling Ernest Hemmingway
Little Fugitive
All the Real Girls
Lord of the Flies (1963)
Lolita (1997)
The Pianist
The Sweet Hereafter
Exotica
A Man for All Seasons
All or Nothing
John Adams
Waiting for Guffman
A Mighty Wind
Focus
Come Back Little Sheba
Paths of Glory
Hud
The Ice Storm
The Grapes of Wrath
Avalon
Grand Canyon
The Human Stain
Trilogy: Blue, White, Red
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
The Last Picture Show
Blowup
All Quiet on the Western Front
Big Fish
Into the Arms of Strangers
The Elephant Man
Touching the Void
The Life of Brian
To End all Wars
The Field
Amelie
Stroszek
Little Dieter Needs to Fly
The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser
The Color Purple
1984
Sansho the Baliff
The Burmese Harp
Grizzly Man
Tae Guk Gi
Anchoress
The House of Sand and Fog
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Eraserhead
Crash
An Angel at my Table
Mystic River
Hart’s War
The Deer Hunter
The Pawnbroker
Devi
My Left Foot
Forbidden Games
Au Revoir Les Enfants
Ponette
Germinal
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Shame
Harakiri
Zorba the Greek
All the Real Girls
Of Mice and Men (1992)
Cinema Paradiso
Annie Hall
IL Postino
The Count of Monte Christo
Platoon
Iris
Monster’s Ball
Monster
Band of Brothers
The Safety of Objects
A Song for Martin
Angela
Secretary
Tully
Personal Velocity
The Believer
Sophie’s Choice
Moll Flanders
The Straight Story
Andersonville
A Beautiful Mind
To Kill a Mockingbird
Truce
Memento
Wit
Fail Safe
Safe
Apocalypse Now
Midnight Cowboy
The Crucible
Days of Wine and Roses
Brave Heart
Hilary and Jackie
The Miracle Worker (1962)
Hope and Glory
Savior
Leaving Las Vegas
The Last Temptation of Christ
Another Woman
Autumn Sonata
Dominick and Eugene
Unstrung Heroes
Heavy
Elizabeth
Under the Domin Tree
Jude
Europa Europe
Stalingrad
Pelle the Conqueror
The Secret of Roan Inish
The Joy Luck Club
Life of Brian
Manhattan
Breaking the Waves
The Last Days
The Old Man and the Sea
Career Girls
Freedom Song
The Hairdresser’s Husband
Hoop Dreams
Orlando

and more.  So there.

 

DO YOU HAVE ANY TO ADD TO “THE TOP 100″???

 

 

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Boo! Hiss!!

July 9, 2011 by Ronn Ives, under Films, Uncategorized.

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A Starter Set of Great Films

February 15, 2010 by Ronn Ives, under Films.

 

Should you ever want to see great films, here are a few I think you could rent without fear of wasting your time. Some are not easy to watch, but all are worthwhile:

WARNING: If your favorite films include singing and dancing, Sylvester Stallone, Kung Fu, lots of girls hugging and crying, or men wearing big rubber insect heads and walking through the night towards teenagers parked out by the lake… IGNORE THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS!  I’m not your guy.

“Aguirre, the Wrath of God” (again, 1974): Werner Herzog is one of my all-time favorite film makers, and this is one of my favorite films by him. Actually taken from the diary of the priest who accompanied Pizarro’s expedition in 1560, Herzog recreates the pretentious and self-deluded search for the “Lost City of Gold – Eldorado”. He likes true stories… ones that are bizarre in their own right, but with his direction and personal vision, they become profound (and never optimistic).
The camera work is always interesting (camera shots that don’t sweep – they (“you”) stare and stare – and stare – at a thing or person or place until it becomes abstract, intense, beautiful, threatening, profound), the scoring is always appropriate yet never expected, and his casting, often using the unique talents of the late Klaus Kinski, guarantee nothing less than an intense experience… even in a film like “Aguirre”, which SLOWLY claws and slogs its way along each and every slippery, dangerous, foreign mile of jungle. Herzog’s work ‘focuses’ on the ridiculously high beliefs humans create for and hold of themselves – that they could actually “own” anything, “conquer” anything, outwit that which they do not understand, and by sheer Will cause anything they deem important, to exist. Herzog is NOT a cheerleader for the history of humans, but he is an observer and ponderer… and we are fortunate he does it on film.

“All or Nothing” (again, English, 2002): Think of the contemporary British lower middle class. Now think of Ingmar Bergman, when he’s way more depressed than usual, making a film about them. This film by Mike Leigh is 99.99% relentlessly hopeless, painful, and VERY well done. IF you have the strength to stick with it to the end – and I suggest you find the strength – you’ll receive a tiny glimmer off the cold, wet mud of Life. The point is we all take the Glimmers where we find them, and there’s no such thing as bad one. Everyone involved in this film was dedicated to its single goal, and they made it a focused, pure, work of Art.

“All Quiet on the Western Front” (again, 1930) – It’s no wonder this masterpiece was banned from numerous countries for years. No one is excluded from Remarque’s indictment of the politics, social myths, and economics of War (set in Germany, WWI). Except for an occasional bit of over-acting (a leftover from silent film and stage training – which is very forgivable, considering), this work is an amazing experience – NOT at a hokey, dated, poorly visualized 77 year old period oddity. For an audience in 1930, it would have been especially horrific, disgusting, and full of painful truths. On the other hand, at that same time, Germany was in the process of secretly rebuilding their war state. This is the film that carved a path for others such as “Paths of Glory”, “Beach Red”, “Full Metal Jacket”, and “The Thin Red Line”.

“All the Real Girls” (again, 2003): An extremely elegant slice of life/coming of age story shown with the same lack of pretense as “Tender Mercies” and “The Straight Story”. It is NOT an action-filled, sex-laden, violent, plot-heavy, computer affected film that will meet the demands of the average movie goer. It is SO subtle, SO understated, and SO down to Earth, it hardly seems the stuff of scripts and cameras. Give it time. Be patient with it – as you would a Japanese film. It is well worth what appears to be a meandering stroll. Aside from Patricia Clarkson, whose work I love, the actors were originally unknown to me (listed below) but SO good they are the ones who carry and create this incredibly natural feeling film, and I’d be willing to see anything they did. The “under glaze” of scoring helps raise the feelings to a slightly higher level than one would expect from daily mundane life. The shots of common objects, cropped and focused upon, give added proof that this is an idea formed from looking a little closer and a little longer…a willingness to find the elegance and drama in what makes up most of our lives most of the time. The ensemble work, complexity of each character, interactions, and editing take it to a very high level of questions and potential answers. I’m almost shocked at how sophisticated it is, considering the age of its creators. I adore this film. It is grounded, fragile, complex, wise, and patient. (Paul Schneider, Zooey Deschanel, Shea Whigham, Danny McBride, Maurice Compte, Heather McComb, Benjamin Mouton, John Kirkland, James Marshall Case, Patricia Clarkson, Maya Ling Pruitt.)

“Anchoress” (again, English/Dutch, 1993): I would be SO proud to say I’d had a part in the creation of this work of Art. I’ve watched repeatedly. It is fascinating, beautiful, strange, and insightful. “Anchoress” takes place during the European Medieval period, when humans survived at the mud level. This is the story of one young woman who tries to find comfort and beauty inside the church, with ‘Mother Mary’…or at least a poorly made icon. She isn’t capable of deciphering her motives, and soon offers herself to the church as an “Anchoress” – a person devoted to God, relinquishing all worldly connections, and being voluntarily cemented into a small crawl space of her church’s wall for the rest of her life. Strange times, those… EXCEPT we see that the priest considers this a good marketing tool for the church (as an “attraction”), and a perk for his resume with the Big Boys back in Rome. But, things don’t go as anyone predicted… “Anchoress” is shot in some of the most powerful black & white film I’ve ever seen (equal to Bergman or Lynch), has an incredibly sensitive, ambient sound track (not score) attuned to the daily life of Earth, and, a camera that loves to be thoughtful and intimate. Each shot is a composed, artful image. (I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: If Rembrandt had used a movie camera, and b/w film, this could’ve been his.) Despite, or because of, the near total lack of dialog, there are scenes you will never forget. Watch for the shots of “earth” as symbols for the human body, the Anchoress’ exploration of herself through the touching of weeds and dirt, her literal entry into the earth, as a means of escape and happiness, etc. You’ll also see a strong indictment of the era’s patriarchal system – I’m sure depicted due to feelings that much of it still exists. This is a very grounded film, while being mystical at the same time. Perhaps that’s part of the attraction. It deals with the dual urges to deny & rise above our daily life on & of the earth, yet revel in it at the same time. This is one smart, interesting, complex, visual and audio masterpiece.

“Andersonville” (again, 1996): The last time I saw this film, I put it in the category below. It then dawned on me that I’d applied an artificial limit – because of it being a historical re-creation, not fiction. What?? As if fact can’t be profound? My apologies. This film has everything that makes one important: good photography; astounding sets, costumes, and makeup; great acting; the painful credibility of fact; and, the wordless power of watching humans reach their lowest and highest levels of existence.

“An Angel at My Table” (again, New Zealand, 1990): It’s been three years since I’ve watched this film. There is NO further reason to wonder if it should be in my top category. It is created by Jane Campion from the writer Janet Frame’s autobiographies of her harrowing life. We join Janet during childhood, move through the teenage years and into adulthood, as she struggles for a place – ANY place – in the world…but deep down, writing is her one reliable love. Three actresses were needed for the role of Janet, and all do wonderful jobs, especially depicting someone who always feels on the outside, and longs to be included. Jane Campion, one of my favorite film makers, presents a powerful, subdued, and melancholy work of Art. It is not an amazing film due to every camera shot or the quality of sound recording… THIS work is great for its acting, and its story telling. It has as much emotion as one heart can hold for 157 minutes.

“Anne Frank Remembered” (again, 1995): This is THE definition of what quality documentaries are to be. It uses facts, first hand accounts, archival film footage, respectful narration, and quality scoring. Those who played major roles in Anne and her family’s lives – and survived – are interviewed extensively, providing honesty, credibility, detail, heart, and inspiration. Kept is a fine balance between the specifics of a young girl’s life and death, and the larger meanings derived from these horrors. It simply gets no better than this… and:
“Anne Frank (The Whole Story)” (2001): Starring a very talented cast, this is an in-depth look (3 hrs. 9 min.) at the last few years of Anne’s short life, with and without her family and friends, often using her own words from her diaries. She is not glamorized as a young heroine, nor are the others who go into hiding for years. In fact, this is as much a gritty story of people being cooped up in small, hidden rooms and what happens to the psyche in such an environment, as it is the eventual outcome of being discovered and the results with which we are all familiar. If there is one depiction of her story you should see, this is the one. Its approach ends up speaking for everyone who went through that horror.

“Avalon” (again, 1991): I don’t put a film into this category with ease. I take it very seriously. Each time I see “Avalon” by Barry Levinson, I appreciate it, and him, more. This film has depth, humor, complexity, subtlety, sadness, resignation, joy… It is Family. For better and for worse, Family. The passage of Time, the scars we Inherit, Create, Share. Moments and Memories – precious commodities. A beautiful film that looks at five generations of Family, over a 60+ year span. It’s a totally emotional film. The layers are always present. We see this family through the eyes of everyone, which is quite a feat. You get to know everyone. You see their point, then you see someone else’s point, then you see what is happening and what may not be repaired. On it goes. And it makes you want to hold your family a little closer, and work a little harder at making it the center of Life, even when it seems impossible.

“A Beautiful Mind” (again, 2001): (What I wrote last year:) This one blew my mind (pun intended). It’s storyline equals “The Sixth Sense” or “Fight Club”, but THIS is a TRUE story, and thus, much more amazing. Russell Crowe studied with the real “Nash” (that he portrayed), and the film was approved by Nash, as well. It is assembled expertly – putting you in the same mind as Nash, which is frightening and frustrating. It left me gasping for breath at times. I will own this film. (And this year:) We DO now own this film, and I saw no reason to leave it out of this top category. Everything was done with all the high standards one would expect, AND it’s a creative effort to show a nearly impossible state of mind, especially over time. The acting is great by all, but of course it’s Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly that are the awe-inspiring leads. KNOWING this is a true story is what forces it’s way into your life…”How would I handle this, if it were me?” Now go – appreciate your life, and hope you have someone that loves you beyond reason.

”Being There” (again, 1979): Starring Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Warden, Melvyn Douglas, Richard Dysart, Richard Basehart, written by Jerzy Kosinski. This is a very witty, sarcastic, snide, dark, funny, and weirdly tender look at American culture and its desperate need for guidance and leaders. It’s a perfect film to wind-up the 1970’s. Though in the spirit of “M*A*S*H” and “Network”, this is a broader and wiser look at our – human – confusions and methods of trying to decipher Truth. We find what we need when we need it and we tailor it for a perfect fit. God bless us, we try – very hard.

”Bicycle Thieves” (Also known as “The Bicycle Thief” (Italian, 1948): Set in contemporary Italy soon after WWII, this is the painful and direct story of a family man out of work and his attempts to keep everyone fed and clothed. Directed by Vittorio De Sica (who also did another of my favorites, “Umberto D.”), this Italian Realist film uses simple camera movements, natural lighting, black and white film, and non-actors to tell a story of Existential pressures. It is socially conscious, asking for change, and honest in its descriptions of Life, then and there. There are no super-heroes, huge action scenes, tantalizing sex romps, or gauzy romances. This sort of film paved the way for later directors I also admire, such as Werner Herzog. If you’re looking for escapist fare, go somewhere else. If you’re looking for a great film, go here.

“Big Fish” (again, 2003): You MIGHT need some previous experience with Tim Burton’s films – at least some of them – or you MIGHT end up feeling baffled and unfulfilled by this one. I’m not sure, but I hope I’m wrong. When Burton is at his best, his films are unlike anyone else. If you like his film “Edward Scissorhands,” you’ll like “Big Fish” – for it is its closest relative. The idea of “Big Fish” takes on a number of meanings throughout the story, it’s very entertaining, has some strong emotions, lots of unique laughs, people, sets, and circumstances, and ends up making its point – with enough room left for your personal vision to join in. God Bless the story tellers in our lives. What would we be without them? Albert Finney, Jessica Lange, Danny DeVito, Steve Buscemi, Alison Lohman, Ewan McGregor, Helena Bonham Carter, Billy Crudup…my god, who else do you want? (And there ARE more.) Don’t let some of the scenes fool you. This film has all the components of a PROFOUND work despite their disguises. Allow them their own character.

“Born into Brothels” (again, 2004): Documentary. This is a look at a young American woman who decided to try helping a few very poor children growing up in the brothels of India. She used photography as the means to bond, communicate, and teach. Each child was given a camera. THEY were encouraged to document and express much about their lives. It’s not a pretty sight. Glimmers of hope are few and far between, making them even more precious. This is not a film for young children unused to how life IS on much of Earth. Should you EVER feel your life is “rough”, please, rent this film. Should you know your life could be MUCH worse – and you need to feel more grateful – rent it. Should you want to scoop up a bunch of children and spirit them away from their circumstances, rent this film as encouragement. I’ve seen this film twice, and was moved even more upon the second viewing.

“The Bridge on the River Kwai” (again, 1957): I saw this film first-run in the theater. My Dad took me. Perhaps it was his way of trying to show me a little about War – the war he’d experienced a mere 12 years earlier. I was only 7, yet it had me mesmerized with its sweeping actions and ideas, its battles of will and subversion. It left enough of an impression I made a point to check it again every few years. It never fails to involve me (and not in a child-like manner). It is BIG. This is a BIG film. Directed by David Lean, you would expect so. Set deep in the jungles of a far away place during World War II, this is the story of hundreds of British soldiers (and one American) being held prisoner by the Japanese. It is a story of Will vs Will, yes, but also the slow, subtle, changing beliefs within all main characters… leading us to an amazing conclusion. This is a masterpiece of cinematic storytelling.

“Brief Encounter” (British, 1945): Starring Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson – who do wonderful jobs. They play two common people who meet under common circumstances, and mistakenly allow themselves to get “off track” in a railway station. This is MORE than a soap opera or mere romance – it is a morality play depicting the many steps towards devastating “points of no return”. Although VERY British in its attitude, and the desperation very World War II in character, “Brief Encounter” rises above time and place, keeping it a valid meditation on the recklessness of longing and fantasy. Written by Noel Coward, directed by David Lean, set to music by Rachmaninoff, exquisitely lighted and photographed, this is a big feeling film about two average people.

“The Burmese Harp” (“Biruma No Tategoto”) (Japanese, 1956): What a powerful film. Directed by Kon Ichikawa (“Fires on the Plain”), this story is set during the last days of WWII, in Burma, with a troop of Japanese soldiers. They are weary, confused, but very bonded. When they learn their country has surrendered, with mixed emotions they submit and head to a P.O.W. camp to be detained until arrangements for their fates are made. One of them volunteers to go find a die-hard troop still “dug in” and unwilling to surrender, and ask them to give up, lest they be destroyed by who are now the victors. Thus begins his journey of spiritual awakening. Think of this as the story of Siddhartha, but on a clear, human level. It is gorgeous in its black & white compositions and lighting, slightly theatrical in its scenarios, and quite emotional. “The Burmese Harp” is a unique use of WWII as the stage for larger issues. Superb.

“The Cider House Rules” (again, 1999): Expect to be moved and impressed at every turn. This is a highly sensitive, quiet, thoughtful story worth considering again and again. Tobey Maguire has the talent and the good fortune to get involved in high quality works, including “The Ice Storm”, “Rambling Rose”, and this one. Great acting (and well-cast in his role as the steady observer), Charlize Theron as the beautiful (duh) but confused woman in the middle (the SAME actress who performed “Monster”!), Delroy Lindo as the strict, honorable, but completely off-course crew chief, and every other young and old actor in “The Cider House Rules” give final life to a powerful script with insights and depth no one could find trite. Written by John Irving. Everything you want from a great narrative film is here. Michael Caine (as the doctor who’s seen it all and has dealt with “the rules”), Kathy Baker & Jane
Alexander (as his world-wise nurses), Kate Nelligan… everyone adds to its power. Life isn’t easy, simple, or always pretty… and then there are the “cider house rules” with which one must wrestle… This is a profound work.

“Cinema Paradiso” (again, Italian, 1990): One of the most touching, funny, sad, insightful, humane movies full of deep longing ever made. Starting in a 1940′s small Italian town where the only real entertainment for it’s residents is the local movie house (the “Cinema Paradiso”), we watch one young boy, who is fatherless because of the war, adopt an old man – perhaps the most important man in town – the man who is the projectionist at Paradiso. The boy LOVES movies and the old man. Life is typically silly, frustrating, and joyous for him as he grows, but the time arrives when he must “become a man”, and, with the old one pushing him, he leaves his small, intimate world to tackle the larger one. Thirty years pass. When he finally returns, he finds himself facing unfinished emotional business. A very moving experience.

“The Color Purple” (1985): Always a joyous pleasure and deeply painful, this is the Film that took Spielberg into broader respect. Be prepared for very young, now famous actors. They’re all 21 years younger here… the superb premier of Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey (I long for her to go back to acting), Danny Glover (doing an admirable job in a very ugly role), “Larry” Fishburn, Margaret Avery, Adolph Caesar, Rae Dawn Chong, Akosua Busia… You can FEEL it in this film – EVERYONE was there because they felt they were doing something of importance… which they were. Taken from the Pulitzer prize-winning novel, and keeping its epic, ironic, twists of Karma sensibility, we live and breathe the pains, degradation, and joys of very difficult lives. Towards the end, the film takes on less of a literary, and more of a theatrical nature – which I question – but this is a small point compared to the film craft, acting, and heart of very emotional story. Full of lessons in life, I watch it in awe – KNOWING that people HAVE faced these issues – some succumbing, some rising above – and I am both embarrassed and proud to be a part of this Human Race.

”The Crowd” (1928, silent): Written by King Vidor and John Weaver, directed by King Vidor, sets by Cedric Gibbons. Many of us now tend to put all silent films in that category of Keystone Cops silliness with fast, exaggerated movements cranked out for their shallow entertainment value. Not so here. This 1 hr. 44 min. film is the history of a boy-to-man who meets a woman, they fall in love, and deal with Life. We follow them for years – through “everything” – and you feel it. It is light and lovely, awful and crushing. The point gets made: Life happens while you’re making your plans. This is a film that could’ve easily inspired “It’s a Wonderful Life” many years later. Yes, you’ll see some stereotypes and melodrama, but if part of Art is communicating its meaning and touching upon profound issues in strong, interesting ways, you have it here. The photography is sometimes astounding, the acting much more subtle than you would expect for nearly 100 years ago, the story has detail and patience, and it is seldom a soap opera – especially when you remind yourself this was made in 1928 – perhaps before any other film you find profound and innovative. Also note this was BEFORE the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression – when social circumstances caused a flood of life-is-hard movies. This is my FIRST viewing, and putting a film in my top category after a single viewing is very rare for me – but I know depth when I see it. Let go of any snobby little biases you might have for digital effects or method acting, and realize you are in the best company with “The Crowd”.

“The Crucible” (again, 1996): What I wrote in 2000: – A slow, steadily increasing pitch of insanity builds in 17th century Salem Massachusetts, as a group of silly, flighty girls set the stage for their conniving parents to begin a “witch hunt”. Arthur Miller wrote this masterpiece during the McCarthy “Commie hunts” of the early 50′s. GREAT script, sets, costuming. Superb acting by Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Paul Scofield, Joan Allen, etc.
Earlier: I can only add I am awestruck by the power, intelligence, and soul of this TRUE MASTERPIECE. I do not use these words lightly.

”Dersu Uzala” (Russian / Japanese, 1974): In tone, this film is pure Russian, and in look, it’s pure Japanese (directed by Ikira Kurosawa). It is a seemingly simple story of Russian cartographers exploring Siberia at the beginning of the 20th century. They meet a mountain man, Dersu Uzala, who becomes their guide. He and the Captain form a deep bond within the very Existential, brutal landscape. (It was shot in Siberia… wear a coat while you watch!) “Dersu Uzala” won the Academy Award. The deeper story discusses humans as a small, fragile part of Nature, learning to respect this role for what it is, and finding the fear, pain, joy, and satisfaction within these glorious limits… just as the 20th century starts finding its own demanding, conflicting rhythm.

“Devi” (Hindi, 1960): Directed by Satyajit Ray, and banned in India until the intercession of Nehru, this is the story of a lovely 17 year old wife, who is suddenly labeled as a “Goddess” (while her husband is absent to complete his final exams in college), due to a dream (“vision”) by her father-in-law. What follows is a fascinating, multi-angled look at the transitional Indian culture (and MOST cultures, frankly). Is this any different, any worse, or any more desperate than seeing the face of Jesus in a grilled cheese sandwich or the grain of a wooden door? Is her overnight change in status unique? Are the people who have confused motives, hopelessness, or malleable minds any less vulnerable here and now? The quality of the video copy I viewed was rough – a copy of a copy of a copy – yet even then, the power of Ray’s vision shines through. This is a serious, beautiful, insightful, tragic film. (It has something of a “cousins” relationship to the film “Anchoress”.

”The Devil Came on Horseback” (2007): Documentary. This is an up close and personal look at the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, including those dead, tortured and raped, those who did it, those who supported it, and those who watched it happen. This is a sad, frustrating, and grisly document made by a man who sort of “stumbled onto” his dedication to help bring this ongoing issue into harsh international light. It’s not that this hasn’t happened before – it has. But here it is again, and this documentary doesn’t give you the “Abstract Out” some do. One man rolled up his sleeves and caused this horror to be known to the world. I suggest you see it. You won’t like it, but you’ll also know you live an easy and safe life by comparison, and if you can, you might share some of your comfort with someone who has none.

“Dominick & Eugene” (again, 1989): Although along the lines of “Rainman”, this film is much more interesting, and has much more heart. If you liked that other film (and I think you should), you will LOVE this one – with superb roles created by Tom Hulce, and Ray Liotta.

“The Endurance” (2000): Documentary. “In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set sail on the Expedition with 27 men aboard, aiming to cross Antarctica. But when the vessel became stranded in frigid, deep waters, the crew began a battle of the human spirit, testing the limits of endurance as they strove to overcome the debilitating setback. Miraculously, they succeeded, even capturing the experience in pictures and on film.” What is MOST profound about this story is what you learn from the mouths and diaries of survivors & their families. Their story leaves you gasping for air, and feeling you can NEVER EVER AGAIN WHINE ABOUT A SINGLE THING in your cushy, little, safe, easy, pampered life. This is one of the most difficult, torturous trials of life of all time. These men were the toughest, bravest, most steadfast humans to walk the Earth. It BOGGLES my mind to think of what they faced, and what they did to survive. Wow. See this! Get some perspective.

“Eraserhead” (again x 40?, 1977): This is David Lynch’s first full length film, and debatably, his most powerful. All stories aside of his behind-the-scenes efforts to MAKE “Eraserhead”, it was this film that brought him international recognition, and remains well worth the time to re/visit. The first time I experienced it, I “hated” my friend who brought me (with no advance warning except that it was “amazing”). What I saw on the screen frightened me at the deepest levels of my being, and I didn’t know why. As the years and viewings pass (both in the theater, and on video or dvd), I lose none of my emotional response, but gain further intellectual and formal appreciation for the artfulness of it, and lots of thoughts about the meaning. Lynch himself will NOT discuss Eraserhead’s meaning, and perhaps wisely so. None the less, I believe he sees it in somewhat surreal terms (clarification being left to the individual), but was guided by the deep seated fears, confusions, and attractions that fill the Freudian world of the child, and which continue into adulthood. Most of his films since have been eerie and unsettling, but based more in realities we can recognize in the waking, every day sense. Here, the photography is gorgeous and mysterious, the SOUNDscape is perhaps the most subliminally powerful of all time, the dialog perfectly uncomfortable, and the situations right at the edge of possible. Your experience – the sort from which you desperately want to WAKE (but then return to repeatedly, as I have, perhaps 40 times now) – is never comfortable. This film takes emotional and intellectual work. The new restoration for dvd – LONG OVERDUE – is of high quality. Do not let the packaging “Eraserhead dvd 2000” throw you. It’s only stupid, confusing layout. And, since I have you here, let me make a short pitch for AVOIDING “extras” – commentary, deleted scenes, interviews, bloopers, factoids… all the CRAP with NO value to the original work of Art. It’s filler, and can do nothing but harm the purity of the REAL WORK. If it was important, it would be IN the film.

“Europa, Europa” (again) – True story of one Jewish boy that has to fend for himself through World War II, finding “survival” an extremely complex goal. Very powerful, very insightful, very inspiring. Next year: “Europa, Europa” (again, 1991, German/Russian): – True story of one Jewish boy that has to fend for himself through World War II, finding “survival” an extremely complex goal. Lots of ironies, plenty of horrors, but not without surprising, tender moments. Very powerful, very insightful, very inspiring.

“Fail Safe” (again, 1964): One of the great anti-war films of all time. How much money and energy can countries spend on the fear of a threat of a warning of a war? What measures can and should be taken to insure the follow through of war, even when we doubt our machines, our wisdom, and our closest friends?

“The Field” (again, 1991): Starring 199o Oscar Nominee for Best Actor Richard Harris, Sean Bean, John Hurt, Brenda Fricker, Frances Tomelty, and Tom Berenger. This is the stuff of the Epics. Think novels with the Hugeness of Vision by Thomas Hardy, John Steinbeck, or Herman Melville; the Tales of the Greeks or Shakespeare; and the operas of Wagner. HUGE visions. All of this is hidden in a little story about an Irishman who rents a 3 acre plot of land? It only stays hidden for so long. Richard Harris is fantastic as an aging man who feels disconnected to all but “his” beautiful, green, beloved (leased) plot of land, which was worked by his father before him and his father before him. Alas, his son (Sean Bean) seems hesitant to carry it on. If that isn’t bad enough for a man who sees nothing as more important than tradition and love for the land, along comes an American (Tom Berenger) with a whole new idea for this property, and soon makes the legal owner an offer of purchase. The little story becomes bigger – then Bigger – and BIGGER – all the way to HUGE. It has a straight-ahead, linear movement that not only seems to imply warnings, but unstoppable Karma. Like all good Epics, it is full of lessons – about vice, virtue, evil, wisdom, warnings, tragedy, potential redemption, and reminders about what is good & bad, right & wrong, fair & unfair. You’ll also love the landscapes.

“Flight 93” (again, 2006): It’s fair to compare THIS one to “United 93”, since both deal with that one doomed flight on 9-11-01. It’s not like they don’t have most of the facts at their disposal, and to play fast and loose with the truth – WARNING TO OLIVER STONE ! – could get you in trouble with a public that is still pretty damned sensitive about that terrible day. “United” had two layers: in the air, and with officials on the ground. “Flight” has three layers: air, officials, and families. The acting in both by unknowns is really good, and a very smart tactical decision for the films. No “star” power. The special effects are minimal, but decent. The intensity of “United” is a little more what I would expect in such a situation, but we’re haggling over tiny percentages here. See both. Neither will be pleasant. Both will make you go hug your loved ones. Both will remind you THIS AIN’T OVER.

“Girl on a Bridge” (again, French, 2000) (seen twice this year): Shot in gorgeous black, gray, and white, starring Daniel Auteuil and Vanessa Paradis, the plot is simple: a knife thrower meets a girl on a bridge about to commit suicide, and they decide to spend some time together. The feeling is richer: it has a Mythical atmosphere about it. The meaning is complex: it is psychological, para-psychological, and spiritual. I’ve already begun to think of “Girl on a Bridge” as the best friend of my favorite film of all time: “Wings of Desire” by Wim Wenders. Both films have drama, comedy, romance, and spiritual journeys. Both are b/w, both have great photography and interesting scores, both are understated with solid acting, both are subtitled, full of destiny, and as complex as you are willing to admit and tackle.

“Grand Canyon” (again, 1991): I love the feel of each and every scene. Some of them have stuck to me like emotional glue, even after 17 years. Some I’d forgotten, but was brought right back in, due to their quality. I love the woven script (this is one of the early ones, which we now take for granted in film), the characters are layered and deep, the storyline and its points are nothing to dismiss. The acting – by Danny Glover, Kevin Klein, Steve Martin (no, this is not a comedy), Mary McDonnell, Mary Louise Parker, Alfre Woodard, and others – is superb. “Grand Canyon” is an often difficult film to watch – it’s sad, violent, gritty, depressing, frustrating – but well worth your effort, with excellent messages waiting for you. It’s full of heart. Make that Heart. It’s also warming, hopeful, inspiring, smart, and accurate.

“The Grapes of Wrath” (again, 1940): Author John Steinbeck approved this film version of his book, despite changes that needed to be made for censors, etc.. Set AND made in the Depression of the late 1930’s, starting in Oklahoma, we follow a destitute and harassed family as they attempt to reach “the land of milk and honey” (California) for jobs. Their journey is the stuff of… well, humans and their stories. The photography and lighting is some of the finest of all time. The story, unabashedly pro-Common Man – self-governing, self-policing, self-motivating – Unionizing – Socializing, if you will – is pure Great Depression. The hero isn’t a god – God is within each of us – we are simply in a position to choose heroism. This is a large, sweeping, gritty, shadowy, rough film with tight lips and squinted eyes, bearing the pain and continuing on, stopping to mourn but not to abandon. It has its speeches, and they are glorious. The horizons are wide, though the moment is short. It is full of symbolism and yet remains personal. Only the most hardened or inexperienced or uneducated would see this film as somehow less than what comes from Hollywood now. And, for the first time, I am suggesting you see the dvd version with the running commentary by two experts, one on John Ford, one on John Steinbeck. THIS is worthwhile.

“Grizzly Man” (2005): Werner Herzog is one of the world’s best film makers. I’ve followed his career for 30+ years. One of the many interesting things about him is he sees little and no need for fiction. Reality is more accurate & much stranger for his dark, accurate, Germanic opinion of Life. When not reenacting real events for many of his films, Herzog is making documentaries. “Grizzly Man” is a documentary. His three main jobs were to edit & arrange film (which was shot by a man, “Timothy”, who decided he should “protect” the Grizzly Bears in an Alaskan National Preserve), interview people involved in the killing investigation and/or who knew him, and work with brilliant musicians to create one of his typically unique, haunting scores. You are put in the position of knowing up front what happened to the man: he was torn apart and eaten by a Grizzly. We then “backtrack” to look closely not at the bears but this man. Like peeling away layers of onion skin, we learn that Timothy was a loser, and in deep denial about it. You will NOT like this guy. He was a liar, a self-appointed expert know-nothing, an alcoholic & drug addict, a dilettante, an empty charmer who convinced a few people he was the Second Coming for them and the bears, an emotional Jekyll/Hyde, a rejected actor-wannabee who found his only “venue” in his self-made video tapes, a deluded fool who related to Grizzly bears as though they were people hiding in bear costumes, a paranoid who needed to create enemies in order to prop up his imagined value, a gay man clearly refusing to acknowledge his own orientation…and that’s only the beginning. Herzog makes a layered, insightful documentary from the rough footage of Timothy’s footage. It is Unforgettable. Almost everything Herzog has done IS unforgettable.

“The Human Stain” (again, 2003): Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, and a load of other talented actors take us into this seriously internalized film of darker and darker layers of secrets within secrets. It has a very literary, ironic style to it. Regarding the acting: Hopkins does Hopkins and he does it well (though I’d like to see him take on a new kind of role again, something to challenge him), Kidman was supreme, Harris did Harris (ditto Hopkins comment), Gary Sinese alone is worth the “dance scene out on the porch”. The scoring and photography is elegant. We all carry weights, we all keep secrets, we all step into the scorching light of openness at unusual, even unexpected times, and we all leave something(s) unresolved. It is a VERY thoughtful film. You will never again use the term “murderer” within your previous limits.

“The Ice Storm” (again, 1997): This is an outstanding and profound essay about alienation. It does nothing but go up in my esteem every time I watch it. The story is built on lost souls awkwardly trying to reach out beyond their limited lives, minds, and bodies in upper class New Canaan, Connecticut. Watch for great 1970′s (non-kitsch) sets and costuming, perfect scoring, often bleakly elegant photography, and restrained acting to reflect the ice storm which reflects the psychic conditions of this group. You will experience clear, cold layers over everything and everyone. I began my film “relationship” with Ang Lee through this film. I expected nothing but greatness from here on out. Then he did “Hulk”. What??? Then he did “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”! Awful!! Then he did “Brokeback Mountain”! Ah, Ang is back. Or IS he? This guy’s either great or terrible. Not an in-between man at all.

“I Have Never Forgotten You” (2006): Documentary on the life of Simon Wiesenthal, architect, Holocaust survivor, and probably best known as the “Nazi Hunter”. This is a very well assembled look at a reluctant hero, a man who found his reason for living, a man who once on his path could not turn back. This life took its toll on his family, on him, and, perhaps most famously, on the lives of the Nazis trying to hide in South America, the United States, Austria, and other locations. This is NOT a James Bond story. This is real, and does not dazzle with gizmos, girls, fast cars, and handsome men sipping martinis. This is a life time of hard work, little money, and lots of hate letters and threats on his (and his family’s) life… But, every so often, he and those who worked with him, brought another criminal to justice. This is how its done – one grueling, dull, difficult day after another – for sixty years.
“Iris” (again, 2001): Astounding acting by Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent, Kate Winslet, and Hugh Bonneville bring to life this biographical story of a free-spirited woman – a writer, philosopher, and stubbornly independent person – who is slowly overtaken by Altzheimer’s disease. “Iris” is a deeply moving & very smart film, but more than that, it is profound in its insights about life, love, and “rolling with (and trying to roll with) the punches”… It is also frightening, as it accurately depicts the slow collapse of a great mind and strong personality. It is as tender and sweet, as it is frightening and sad. Now go kiss someone who loves you.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” (again and again, 1946): It’s a great film and story, with wonderful acting, gorgeous black & white photography, important philosophies… it has everything. Jimmy Stewart was at his best. Donna Reed? What a girl-next-door-babe! Clarence the Angel? Perfectly innocent and effective. Bert & Ernie? I suppose they are a major realization for Sesame Street fans!! The children – fragile and pure. Sam Wainwright – the goofy, life-time friend, no matter how rich he became. Evil Mister Potter? The man we love to hate (hissss!), played by Lionel Barrymore (Drew’s grandfather). The rejected kid at the dance who opens the dance floor for George & Mary to fall in? Remember “Alfalfa” in “The Little Rascals”/”Our Gang”? That’s him! You KNOW what “Potter’s Field” is slang for, right? It’s the generic name given to graveyards for people who died alone, broke, and unclaimed. Uncle Billy? I relate to His memory problem, and I’ve always wished I had a CROW as a bird-pal. Violet? We ALL knew (or know) a Violet…the good hearted gal who relied too heavily on appearances. One of the prettiest photographic scenes is early in the film, when George and Mary are just leaving town in the taxi after their wedding – it’s raining, and they stop to look back at what appears to be a “run” on the Savings and Loan. As they peer out the back window of the taxi, THAT is pure beauty. Do I still get misty with a film that I’ve easily seen 50 times? YES. When Mr. Gower realizes that young George caught his prescription mistake. When adult George comes home that night shattered – and he SNAPS. This film’s heart is in the RIGHT place SO often for SO many reasons. I’ve always shaken my head in amazement at people who see it as schmaltzy, sugary. Yes, it seems to have those moments, but they’re not clichés, they are kept to a minimum and are needed as RELIEF from the overwhelming amount of loss, frustration, fragility, anger, near & true violence, nasty characters, and shocking realizations. I see it as a TRUE spiritual journey along a frightening road. This film by Frank Capra, and “Wings of Desire” by Wim Wenders are my Top Two Films of All Time.

“Jerusalem” (1996, Swedish): 166 min., subtitled. If you read the fine print on the video boxes (2), you’ll discover this was made for Swedish TELEVISION…and THAT should tell you how far we Americans have yet to go for quality programming. Jerusalem is an epic tale, full of detail, characters, woven plot ideas, great acting & photography, and incredible patience. A small Swedish village, c. 1900, is split in half by a manipulative, zealot preacher interested in starting a religious commune. Written by Selma Lagerlof, Jerusalem reminds me very much of the English novels by Thomas Hardy. Get comfortable, have a clear head, and enjoy this in-depth look at religious fervor.

“John Adams” (again, 2008): One small caveat here: I think this story is essentially for Americans. Although it IS about larger issues of freedom, etc., the framework is entirely constructed of AMERICAN HISTORY. Okay, with that out of the way… this is a fantastic retelling of the turbulent years just before, during, and after the American Revolution. The sets and costuming are amazingly down to earth and gritty, the politics complex and crude, the personalities clear and interesting, the situations understandable on ALL sides of the multiple fences. Starring Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, David Morse, Stephen Dillane, Tom Wilkinson, and more and more talented people – they (I hate to sound like a cliché here but) “bring history alive”. The WEIGHT of reality given to their situations, their debates, their decisions, and finally, to their actions is immense and palpable. Made by HBO? Yes, and not one iota lesser quality than any top notch film willing to take on such a sweeping story. Must-see History. I was “riveted” to every single moment of this 501 minute work of Art.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” (again, 1962): I should be so lucky as to find the right words to describe this beautiful, black and white, elegant, insightful, powerful, tender, funny, charming, timely, well-acted, understated master work of Art. Gregory Peck, Brock Peterson, Robert Duvall (in his first role)…bring no-nonsense delicacy to the Southern, Depression Era story.

“Little Dieter Needs to Fly” (1998): Another Werner Herzog documentary. How he manages to find these TRUE stories, I do not know, but it must consume him. His film “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” was created from the diary of the Spanish Priest who accompanied Coronado’s search for the City of Gold, Eldorado. His film “The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser” (also known as “The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser” or “All for One, and God Against All”) was created from a centuries-old file (1828) found in the “city” hall of small German village. “Little Dieter Needs to Fly” is the ASTOUNDING life story of a German boy who, during the deadly bombings of Germany in the last years of WWII, decided he wanted to fly aeroplanes, and to accomplish this he must move to America. Although thrown off the path for a few years (but learning skills he never expected to NEED), he eventually found himself flying in 1966 – for America – over Viet Nam. This is the story of a man who was shot down, deprived, beaten, tortured, and left for dead more than once, until he didn’t know what was real and what was his imagination. At all. How he survived, what he remembers, and what life was like for him over the next 30 years is the stuff of breath-taking pain and awe. TRUST Herzog. See ALL his films.

“Little Fugitive” (again and again, 1953): I must’ve been about 19 the first time I saw this film. I was stunned. It was extremely narrative, yet visually abstract, had very little dialog, lots of emotions, seemed completely impromptu and relaxed, yet was too perfect to be so. Unlike many of the experimental film makers of the Sixties, THIS work – barely out of the Forties – seemed equally sophisticated but without the pretentious snideness of a Warhol, for example. In fact, you could misinterpret this film by Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin as “sweet” IF you weren’t paying attention. The story IS wonderful, the photography is often outstanding, the use of a still movie camera that allows almost all the movement to happen within that framework is clearly the result of their being still camera photographers, but adds a uniqueness I did not notice until this viewing. There is almost NO camera movements! Each scene is closer to being a moving still shot! The light is gorgeous, the scoring is very limited and not always subtle, but the theme is carried with minimal repetition. The natural behavior of everyone involved is totally charming. This is NOT an angry, cold, violent, predatory, frightening film. It is an adventure and a joy, with warmth, fun, subtle moments in tiny realizations, and is in no rush to take you to the end… because the Being There is the real issue.

“Lolita” (both versions) (again & again, 1961 & 1997): “DON’T MESS WITH STANLEY KUBRICK, right? What are you going to DO, make a BETTER “2001 – A Space Odyssey” or a BETTER “Lolita”? I would not think so! THEY’RE SACRED GROUND!
I read the book “Lolita”, own both versions of the film, and I finally set up what I’d wanted to do for years…watch BOTH versions of “Lolita” in ONE evening for a solid comparison…and, folks, Kubrick lost. Adrian Lyne won with his 1997 version. I feel sort of weird even saying it – because Kubrick was a great film maker – but it’s true. He came in second.
Don’t get me wrong. Kubrick’s “Lolita” is good… sort of. The b/w photography is full of rich grays, luminous whites, and velvety blacks equal to “Dr. Strangelove”. The camera work is great. Sue Lyons is gorgeous. But, Nelson Riddle’s score is light, silly, and overbearing to the point of whitewashing serious issues in the story. Combined with scenes nearly “Laurel & Hardy” in their presentation (such as Humbert and the hotel butler wrestling with a fold out cot, as Lolita sleeps), dilute and mock otherwise very intimate, taboo, disturbing ideas…which is the original intent of the book, in my opinion.
Yes yes, Kubrick was up against the standards of 1961, but that is an INSUFFICIENT explanation. The film was originally restricted, and with that signal, we can assume everyone agreed that the subject matter of “Lolita” was serious, mature stuff. To then treat ANY component or scene with silliness, seems aesthetically mistaken. Was Kubrick trying to add irony? Sarcasm? I doubt it. The film is not “set up” that way. There ARE lots of dialog innuendos (tame by contemporary standards), but, AGAIN, they’re improperly presented as nearly the reading matter of bathroom joke books. Har har. Tee hee.
Kubrick leaves out a VERY important section from the book, which gives us crucial insights into the childhood of Humbert – setting up his entire psychological future! He’s not a pervert. He’s a man whose growth froze at age 14 due to a great loss at a very important time in his life. He’s stunted, sad, confused, broken, and full of deep longing. Despite his own intellectualization about those years, emotionally he hasn’t moved a single step forward. Lyne’s version gives us those insights so we can not only watch the “Lolita” story unfold, but understand it. Kubrick ignored it.
Under Kubrick, Shelley Winters plays Lolita’s mother, and as you might expect, does it in her typical (her only?) over-the-top, harpy style. None the less, it works well enough for the story. James Mason plays Humbert Humbert, which I don’t quite
believe. He’s too removed, too intellectual without revealing much emotion…and it’s EMOTION that drives H.H. down his long, destructive path. Peter Sellers has the role of Clare Quilty, the play-write. He is ever-present (with a relentlessly visible and entirely useless Beatnik ‘wife’), and takes on numerous “identities” while stalking Lolita and messing with Humbert’s mind. Although this COULD have been dramatic, it tends to be Peter Sellers-style shtick comedy – which is entirely out of place – because we KNOW Quilty IS a pervert and a sadist, who cares nothing for other humans. Sellers was terribly miscast. Sue Lyons, although beautiful, acts less like Lolita’s 14 years, and more like someone else (or herself) at 18. She’s a little too sophisticated, savvy, and self-aware. Lyon’s acting range is narrow, which limits the 14 year old character from being the moody, quirky, schizy, silly, deadly, unpredictable, awkward, sexy mess of a girl-woman.
I feel certain that the author, Nabokov, would give the nod to Adrian Lyne’s depiction of his book. I’m sure the author was glad to see Kubrick do what he DID, but with the comparison WE can make NOW, there’s very little about which to waiver. Lyne, his film-making team, and the actors, win. Lyne managed to tell a more coherent story, with much more emotion, no distractions or side trips, in an aesthetically tight manner, with appropriate and talented actors. (Though there are small continuity slip-ups.*)
(Earlier comments of mine about Lyne’s version): “I see this film about once a year. The fact that ANYONE would have the AUDACITY to even TRY to take on a film already so DEFINED – ICONIC – especially by Stanley Kubrick – shocks me. Next, that ANY attempt could even possibly equal the original? Oh my god! And, that this version FAR OUT-PERFORMS the original!?! How could this BE?! I believe THIS is the film version of “Lolita” author Vladimir Nabokov would have approved (and perhaps Kubrick as well) but couldn’t make in those earlier years. The subjects are delicate right from get-go. To choose Jeremy Irons as the haunted, tortured Humbert Humbert was perfect. That’s his territory. To then choose a new actress – indeed, Dominique Swain was introduced in THIS film – was not only risky, but, Swain had to play the 14 year old Lolita while she (Swain) WAS 14. The scenes in which she not only participated, but had to ‘understand’ in order to effectively perform, astound me. When I read background about the making of these delicate scenes, I’m impressed with the efforts made to keep everyone comfortable in otherwise tense, awkward situations so crucial to the story.
Watch also for the witty, often subtle symbols used to depict various states of mind and sexuality, or as warnings of things to come… a finger gently inserted into and tugging at the leather loop of a dog leash; night moths unable to deny the brilliance of an electric zapper – dying a gloriously violent death; Lo’s teeth retainer tossed into “Hum’s” cool summer drink; the nightmare of dripping water wearing a hole through soap; the bananas; on and on…
Melanie Griffith plays “Lo’s” mother, and does a fine job, but it is a “short-lived” role. THIS film is all about Irons and Swain, and what they do so flawlessly and intensely – bringing sadness, loneliness, sexuality, confusion, guilt, passion, humor, melancholy, and tragedy to us. Backing it up is elegant camera work and editing – never overbearing or self conscious, yet never common. Scoring is by the master – Ennio Morricone – who has managed perhaps the definitive collaboration between visuals, dialog, and orchestration. HE makes the psychic wounds unable to heal. His music is exquisite.
All this…and made for Showtime cable TEE-VEE??! Let the stereotypes and snobbishness about television die the lonely death of an old stereotype! This has all the Art and humanity one has any right to expect from a single work. (A postscript: Since her premier in “Lolita”, Dominique Swain leads a career of grade-B films, cast unfortunately as the nymphet/sex object, but without the intelligence of her first, wonderful role. As of this writing, Swain would be about 22 years old. There is STILL plenty of time to DUMP her agent and get someone with good judgment who can guide her career with the respect it deserves.) (*Watch the flat tire scene as they are traveling the mountains, her brilliant red lipstick as she and Humbert kiss…)

“Lord of the Flies” (1963): From the 1954 novel by William Golding, this first film version is the stronger choice. Directed by Peter Brook, photographed by Tom Hollyman, it is a frighteningly accurate depiction of the fragility of “culture” and all its stages of collapse. The book and this film had a huge impact on my understanding of Life – society – customs and gesticulations – myths and rumors – the deadliness of the inactive mind – and would forever help clarify my vision of living amongst humans. Expect lots of rough-edged, spontaneous, in-the-middle-of-things photography, strong lighting, and awesome blacks, grays, and whites composed into isolating and foreboding compositions. (This film surely showed the way for those who made “The Blair Witch Project” decades later.) The occasional, split-second mistake made by one of the many child actors during their massive group interactions is very forgivable under the circumstances. For its time, the scoring would’ve seemed especially foreboding and ironic, even bleak. There will be no special effects or other distractions. This is a serious film about serious issues acted out on the stage of an island entirely populated by proper little British boys. What a perfect film for 1963: the threat of more atomic bombs, assassinations, political wars, cultural upheaval, insecurity, and anger. This was a very good era for black & white films. Add “Dr. Strangelove” and “Failsafe” to the list. “Lord of the Flies” is a perfect book and a perfect film… still useful today. I admire them both.

“A Man for all Seasons” (again, 1966): When we depict another Era in our Time, it is because we find something useful to learn, re-learn, or even merely provide us support for our current goals. This story of Thomas More and his ethical battle with King Henry the VIII is a perfectly dovetailed moment in time with ours in 1966 (and many others, as well). It is about the Individual vs the System, the use of Law, the abuse of Power, honor vs allegiance, truth vs convenience, and a life worth living. Though on occasion this production shows its theatrical roots and demands suspension of disbelief (artificial lighting, overly dramatic makeup, etc.), there is nothing but the highest quality dialog and ideas here. It is both insightful and inspiring to anyone needing a little added courage when facing the corruption of power. Others seemed to agree. It received six Academy Awards, including Best Picture for 1966.

“The March of the Penguins” (French, with English narration, 2005): This is one of the most beautiful, artful documentaries of all time. The photography, scoring, editing, timing, narration… is all wonderful. We learn about and live with Emperor Penguins at the South Pole for a year… the breeding and birth cycle for the next generation. The hardships these animals face make you gasp with amazement and sigh with grateful relief that you are not faced with equivalent challenges. Their system of cooperation (when needed) makes me feel shame for what we humans seem to deny, and their strength and dedication to their goals are inspiring. This is a GLORIOUS, POWERFUL, POETIC meditation on the meaning of Life. This is no “Happy Feet” schmaltz. This is the real thing. Everyone, children included, should see it.

“The Miracle Worker” (again, 1962): Just astounding. To think that Patty Duke (at age 12) premiered with this role as Helen Keller, paired with a the young, lovely Anne Bancroft as her teacher, in such a powerful story, is Film Heaven… in black & white. I can’t explain how much I admire this work, especially the acting of these two people. It IS indeed a “life changer”. In fact, this very well could be what first inspired me, also then age 12, to think I might teach one day… I wanted to rent the newer version at the same time, and watch BOTH in one evening. In the newer version, Patty Duke took Anne Bancroft’s role, and Melissa Gilbert takes the role of Helen Keller – both of whom are equally astounding! Talented people are such a pleasure to watch.

“Monster’s Ball” (again, 2001): Life happens. Redemption may come in many forms and at any time, in small, unnoticed pieces. There is not one unnecessary scene, nor one word that should be trimmed from this film. It’s as superb a drama as any I could list. The photography & lighting are expressive, and major devices are used to keep US in a “voyeuristic” relationship throughout the story. We are only invited to observe…we are excluded from participating in this long string of very persona moments. The dialog is probably the most natural and straight forward I have experienced since “Tender Mercies”. The acting, by Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, and Peter Boyle (plus others), an’t get any better. You’ll find yourself holding your breath until some scenes are played out. The scoring is elegant, sad, foreboding, and supportive. This is one potent, understated never dull, Work of Art.

“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939): It’s odd how sometimes you think you’ve seen a film, but you haven’t. This is such a famous film, and so many film clips are shown from it for all sorts of reasons, I came to the “conclusion” I’d seen it – but, I hadn’t. Now I have. Preceeding “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Mr. Smith…” is a huge, powerful, romantic story of one man against many – in this case Jimmy Stewart is a patsy of a new Senator against the hardened, graft-filled U.S. Senate. He has no clue what’s being done to him. The “Machine” is chewing him up… and then the film gets rolling. It is NOT a pretty sight. This, like “Wonderful Life” first appears to be full of sappy ideas and lost ideals. But the film won’t let you go when you reach that easy point. You are pushed beyond your current little bitternesses about what Life has brought, and you begin seeing the Bigger Picture: We all matter, we all play a part, we all have potential, we all must be brave. And, it’s true. Don’t let a 1939 film fool you. THAT audience had been and was facing much tougher circumstances than that which we would seemingly ever have the guts. Frank Capra was hitting his stride, and speaking for all humans. Frank Capra made masterpieces, this was one of them, and you will be less without it.

“My Left Foot” (again, 1989): Although Daniel Day-Lewis’ acting is blindingly brilliant in this amazing, TRUE story, the entire cast did nothing less than a fabulous job of helping us understand and empathize with this era, neighborhood, family, and malady. Lewis plays Christy Brown, an Irish lad born with Cerebral Palsy, in a time when the ignorant labeled them as “half wits”. He FORCED people to see the real person STUCK inside an uncooperative body. Brown was luckier than some, however. His family did not shun him or pander to any feelings of “poor me”. “My Left Foot” is an inspiring story, a great film, and one for the collection.

“Of Mice and Men” (again, 1992): Gary Sinise almost single handedly created this film version of Steinbeck’s novel, and with John Malkovich co-starring, it’s a potent version of a potent story. Set in the era of 1930′s Great Depression America, two drifters, who are life long friends, make do riding the rails, getting odd jobs, and clinging to any dream that helps them get one more mile down the tracks. The photography is beautiful and effective, the sound track rich and earthy, scoring very supportive, it’s inspiration is flawless, of course, and the acting by all involved (including Ray Walston) is magnificent. If nothing else causes you to now read all of John Steinbeck’s work, this should do it.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (again, 1975): I’ve seen – no, I’ve EXPERIENCED this film many, many times. It’s brilliant. I could NEVER get through Kesey’s book, but the film is effective and powerful. The book was written in the early 1960’s, a stage play followed, but it took an additional 13 years to get the film made – pushed mainly by Kirk Douglas and later, his son Michael. In the meantime, America was changing. The issues of individual expression and freedom had amplified, become angry and violent, but was being lost to the life-sucking years of our Viet Nam war. Those times felt like “we” were all trapped in an asylum. Nicholson created the perfectly irreverent, young Every Man – the Gadfly. Louise Fletcher was chillingly superb as the System’s automaton. Brad Douriff played “Billy”, the fragile, decent boy who might just make it to maturity. Watch for all sorts of actors in the asylum that hadn’t “made it” yet in Hollywood… such as Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito. I will never tire of this masterpiece.

“One True Thing” (again, 1999): Meryl Streep, William Hurt, Renee Zellweger,
and others star in a superb “family drama” film, that does NOT talk down to its characters or audience. It does not become simple, soapy, or shallow. This film is not about its photography, scoring, lighting, or editing. Those factors are all subordinate to the one goal of telling a story – a Lesson – about Life. We are all flawed creatures. Have the courage to live with it.

“Pather Panchali” (again, Hindi, 1955): Poetic depictions of humans in all their pettiness, silliness, honor, and beauty. We “live” with a typical family over the years, as they struggle, love, fight, laugh, cry, and die. Shot beautifully in black and white, the moments are shown in lingering, thoughtful ways, whether as direct observations or symbols. This is a “slice of life” film but with a monumentality hidden within the smallest of gestures. You must be in no rush. This is a very patient film with no big punch lines or actions sequences. Allow yourself to join these people, and take some of their experiences home with you. This is “part one” of a trilogy, often called the “Apu Trilogy”. They are all directed by Satyajit Ray.
And,
“Aparajito” (Hindi, 1956) (“part two” of the “Apu Trilogy”): This one picks up where the last one left off, and follows the young boy into young adulthood as further difficulties and hard-won successes come to face him. My observations remain the same about this one as the one above. Their depictions of Life are SO unromanticized, especially during a time in most film making when that was the standard, they are incredibly refreshing in their honesty. Oh, and the scoring is by, who else?, Ravi Shankar.
And,
“The World of Apu” (1960): This is the third and final film of the Apu Trilogy. Apu is an adult, and is trying face the realities of his life. He suddenly finds himself at a crossroad that was totally unexpected. What he decides will alter the course of his life. Once again, I warn you that these are NOT action films and require your patience, but the payoff is great. They plod along through daily and decisive moment after moment, with all the humanity any scene could ever hold. I was surprised at the lack of cliché story lines, and was NEVER sure where they would take me next. (P.S. – I remain mystified by the East Indian culture. If anything, these films exhibit more and more examples of thinking that leave me feeling very foreign – and sometimes relieved. People are NOT the same everywhere, unlike what the Koombiyah people would have you believe.) These are great films, should be seen in order, but is not 100% necessary. Maybe only 99%…

“Pelle the Conqueror” (again, 1988, Swedish): A father and son leave Sweden, becoming indentured workers in Denmark. This is a long story, and needn’t be described. The film is about strength, acceptance, reality, endurance, life, and death. The acting & settings are amazing; the photography is beautiful; and the meanings are given to you in small, seemingly insignificant moments that keep adding up.

“Persona” (again, Swedish, 1966): Wow. Liv Ulmann and Bibi Andersson take this entire film – Ulmann without uttering a single word. Set in only a few rooms and two locations, this is the direct daily encounter of two women – one, an actress who suddenly went silent and was institutionalized, and the other, her nurse companion. What starts as a shocking set of images of film and life reality, snaps into a medical environment offering little in the way of help. Then it gets complex… They, and you, are asked to understand the invisible, give shape to the shapeless, and find the one truth within a sea of fast moving waves. This is one complicated film. Do not attempt to operate this film if you are taking medication, thinking about other things, or in the vicinity of idiots. You’re going to need all your wits about you. PS: The photography by Sven Nykvist is exquisite as always. Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Who else?

“The Pianist” (2003): Usually I need to view a film numerous times before I’ll put it in this category. Not this time. Directed by Roman Polanski (who received Best Director), starring Adrien Brody (who received Best Actor), with the film receiving Best Screenplay (from the book), this is the true story of Wladyslaw Szpilman, well-known classical pianist in Europe before and during World War II. Being a Jew, he faced the actions of the Nazis. Between people willing to hide him, his determination to not give up when most of us might, and receiving unlikely help, he “survives” in the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto. This is an accurate, well-made, earnest story of the Will to Live. It is NOT an easy film to watch – but it is worth every painful moment.

“Ponette” (again, French, 1996): We learn that a child lost her mother in a car accident. Ponette (the child), like all children, tries to blend the various truths given her by adults, other children, teachers, books, rumors, churches…eventually arriving at her own version of Truth…a Truth that allows her to move on, with some peace. No one seems to know what to DO for her, and so, her search is solo. What most ASTOUNDS me about “Ponette” is: 1) It’s written NOT by grown ups who see children as small adults, but as true children – with all the confusion, magic, and hope we seem to lose as we age, and, 2) the ACTING of Victoire Thivisol (“Ponette”) is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. She received numerous awards for this role, which upset some people – because she was only FOUR YEARS OLD at the time. “HOW CAN ANYONE HAVE TALENT AT FOUR?” Watch it for yourself. No one is beating her, no one is spraying lemon juice in her eyes, no one is tickling her feet…SHE is doing her own work. It’s like she is channeling the next incarnation of Meryl Streep or someone. Since “Ponette”, she has done two more films, including “Chocolat” (1999) with Juliette Binoche. She is now only TWELVE. I should live so long as to follow her entire career.
Last year:
So…there’s a controversy at the Venice Film Festival back in ’96, because some folks aren’t so sure a “Best Actress” award should be given to someone young… Her name is Victoire Thivisol, and she plays Ponette. The story is deceptively simple: a girl’s mother is killed in an accident, the father hasn’t enough patience for his daughter’s questions, and she ends up at a country boarding school for a time – still immersed in trying to understand the loss of her mother, the meaning of death, and the endless (and confusing) supply of religious/God/Jesus/Catholic/Jewish explanations & rituals given her from any and all adults and schoolmates. Thivisol’s acting is astounding. I had to stop the tape just to rewatch a few of the scenes. I went upstairs, got my wife, brought her down, and said “Watch this!” Victoire Thivisol is someone to keep watching, and she should have a long, glorious career. After all, she was only 4 years old when she received Best Actress.

“The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio” (again, 2005): Julianne Moore (one of my all-time favorite actors), Woody Harrelson (great in this one), Laura Dern, and a cast of kids (especially talented is the young woman who plays oldest daughter “Tuff”), make this true story come to Life in all its funny, very sad, pathetic, silly, frightening, shameful, and proud aspects. Set in the 1950’s-60’s, we follow a struggling family, centered on a Mother with a knack for writing advertising jingles and winning little prizes for them, a Father who is an insecure, neurotic, victimizing drunkard with an occasional warm side, and a house full of children who grow up walking on emotional eggshells – all doing their flawed best under extremely trying circumstances. This is not a dark or light film – it constantly sways in a flickering twilight where so much of Life lingers; Truth shifts and slides and changes colors; Luck and Prayer mingle with Fact and Feeling, where Love and Stubbornness hold close the other. I have and will continue to see it again and again. Do NOT let its veneer of fun kitsch fool you. This is a powerful film, full of Life’s Lessons no less significant than those films presenting life with a Noir viewpoint. It is an absolute must-see experience.

“Safe” (again, 1995): “SAFE” has now worked its’ way up to my top category, as I decipher more and more of it. The story is one of SUCH progressive isolation, SUCH desperation, SUCH ALIENATION – that it reaches into the profound. Julianne Moore is the best. Watch how the composition of the scenes keeps her removed from other people, and the frequency with which she is placed in the center of the image, yet surrounded by shapes that “block” her in. Listen to all the background sounds that add a claustrophobic clutter to her world. Note all the dialog pauses that cause squirmy, uncomfortable feelings. Her makeup changes, her clothing, her hair, her skin…EVERYTHING in this film is guided by the clear, intelligent goal of expressing her slow retreat & collapse.
What I wrote last year:
This is the one that made me say “I must see everything Julianne Moore does!” It’s more than that though. It’s the photography, the sound, the story, the dialog… On the surface, it looks like a story about a woman that becomes “chemically sensitive” to her environment, and her search for relief. In fact, most of the characters react to her on that level. Hopefully viewers will see a much deeper, more sophisticated topic. I have to own this film. I’ll watch it over and over.

“Sansho the Bailiff” (Japanese, 1954): Kenji Mizoguchi made an epic film from what was (apparently) a centuries-old Japanese morality tale. We watch a well-to-do family slowly disintegrate – not from events they cause, but those out of their control. How they each react, how they deal with the passing years and events, and how they find solutions (if any) are powerful, emotional, lessons in life. Can a half-century old Japanese film be useful to a contemporary American audience? Of course it can. Human issues of love, devotion, honor, greed, lust, hate, violence, sadness, and revenge are, if anything, in further need of consideration and dealing. To enhance these thoughts, the musical scoring is superb (I love classical Japanese music), the photography is in gorgeous black/gray/white with artful composing, the pacing is patient and more explanatory than many Japanese films (perhaps Mizoguchi had foreign audiences in mind – which I appreciate!), and I often felt like I was watching delicate woodcut prints come to life.

“Schindler’s List” (again, 1993): I see this Monument repeatedly. It’s brilliant and powerful, from start to finish. If you’re contemplating your children seeing it, YOU should see it first, in its entirety. Spielberg made his own “parental warning” introduction, when it aired – unedited – on t.v. (a gutsy and triumphant moment for television). I would WANT my children to see it, as long as we had some preparation first, and PLENTY of discussion afterwards. Of course, this is an emotional and horrific story, scene after scene, full of dark insights at every turn, but it is the spiritual growth of Oskar Schindler – member of the Nazi Party – NOT an admirable man when we first meet him – who becomes one of the inspiring forces. Liam Neesom was great in this role, which helps make “Schindler’s List” one of my Top Five for supreme character studies. You will also see a typically subdued Ben Kingsley, and a brilliant, frighteningly evil-yet-conflicted, Ralph Fiennes. The music is not overwhelming, but present and effective. The camera work and lighting for this black & white work of Art are flawless. The use of a few tiny moments of color (aside from the start and finish), aren’t really necessary, and a little overly poetic, but are still a nice touch. During the film, I often want to vomit, or cry, or scream. I’m glad I feel these things. It’s appropriate. Steven Spielberg never has to prove anything to anyone ever again…even if he makes another “E.T.”.

“The Secret of Roan Inish” (again, 1995): I’ve written about this one before, since I’ve seen it numerous times, and adore it. It’s the story of a young Irish girl that is sent from an industrial city to a small fishing village – her father can’t really care for her – & she’s now to live with her grandparents. They are a family – a RACE – of great story tellers, and she hears a whisper of truth hidden within their Tales, pushing the little girl to follow her heart, and bring the Myths back to Reality. Allow yourself the “suspension of disbelief”, and float away with this wonderful story.
(Last year’s comments: “The Secret of Roan Inish” (again) – Old people should ALWAYS be our Story Tellers, and if possible, make them Irish. This film is SO wonder-full, SO rich, and SO magical, I want EVERYONE to see this…and have some children with you when you do!

“The Shop on Main Street” (again, Czech, 1965): Wonderful acting and beautiful b/w photography make what first appears to be a breezy story into an increasingly frightening experience. Set in 1942, the main character, a care-free man who enjoys life and does not sweat the small things, is “awarded” the status of “Aryan Controller” along with a small business taken from an old Jewish woman. Everyone’s reactions to the shifts in status of everyday citizens – higher or lower than they’ve had all their lives – are the dynamic force within the story. The transition from light to dark mood is smooth, and done in small, hardly noticeable ways…like what the characters themselves experience. Similar films (I’m going with my gut, here) would be “Life is Beautiful” and, believe it or not, “Eraserhead”.)

“A Song for Martin” (Swedish, 2002): Who do we think we are? What part of us really matters? Who are we REALLY? What do we give the world? How much of us can be given away, or stolen? Where does our brilliance live? Who will fight for us, if we can’t fight for ourselves? When is the fight over? Was the fight of any use after all? When is enough, ENOUGH? This is a delicate film that isn’t afraid to look at these questions, and more. Can ANYONE but you make decisions for yourself, and if so, who, and when? Simple, elegant photography, appropriate scoring, subtitled dialog that couches huge issues in daily conversation, and lead actors whose names I can’t even pronounce, deserve much more than this paragraph.

“Sophie’s Choice” (again, 1982): Watching this film is like peeling the proverbial onion – delicate layer after layer is removed – until the only thing left to do is cry. William Styron wrote it, Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and Peter MacNichol act it, and, with the an entire talented movie making team involved, this became a masterpiece of understated, hidden pain. How can ANYONE – EVER – carry the secrets of a tortured life, and if revealed, what then? To the unsuspecting audience, “Sophie’s Choice” starts like a pleasant period film (1947 New York), set in a boarding home – which IS home to decent folks trying to follow their dreams just after WWII. The young “Stingo” (MacNichol) meets Sophie & Nathan – a well educated, sophisticated, wildly moody couple that he cannot quite understand. What IS it that keeps them together? What’s being hidden below their daily personas? What do they mean to him? This is profound stuff, handled in the most elegant and artistic of ways. It is a must-see.

“Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring” (twice this year, Korean, 2003): With hardly a word of dialog and divided into five chapters, this is the story of a boy and his Zen Buddhist Master living on a raft house in the middle of a lake. The basics remind me very much of the novel “Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse, which follows a young man through the phases of life and learning, seeking Enlightenment. This is a beautiful, quiet, funny, sad, sensual, thoughtful, patient, elegant, and highly symbolic presentation of that process. It requires much of you, if you are to gain from it. Pay attention. Think. Feel. Accept.

“Steal a Pencil for Me” (2007): Documentary about two Dutch Jewish families who faced the Nazi war machine. It centers on a young man and woman, who, despite other “obligations” and under mind-boggling, difficult circumstances, become a dedicated couple who only later will begin their future together. It’s romantic, sad, horrifying, disgusting, maddening, occasionally even funny, and very humane. Lots of film footage I’ve never seen before. Many emotional moments. Serious insights.

“The Straight Story” (again, 1999): Directed by David Lynch (which is nearly impossible to spot in this film – it is not a bizarre story about whacked out characters). Think “Tender Mercies” done by Werner Herzog in a good mood. The true story of Alvin Straight – old and no longer capable of driving, who, upon hearing his long-alienated brother had a stroke, decides he should make things right. He ‘needs’ to make this journey ALONE, and his ‘only’ choice is to do it by traveling on his lawn mower… across two states. Sissy Spacek plays his slightly retarded older daughter, who lives with him, and carries her own set of Life Scars. You may notice Lynch’s artistic decisions in the camera movements and perspective, the style of recording ambient sound, and the long, sometimes awkward yet somehow elegant pauses in conversation. This is a subtle, gentle, meditative film of superior power and minimal action without punchlines. It is truly about Life.

“The Sweet Hereafter” (again, Canadian, 1998): This appears to be a simple story set in a small Canadian town, where their one school bus crashes, and the children are killed. Interestingly, it is paralleled with the old fable “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”. “The Sweet Hereafter” is hardly a suspense/crime story. Wrong-doing doesn’t control the plot. “The Sweet Hereafter” is about guilt, ambivalence, loss, anger, and in very subtle, unexpected ways, revenge. It is fascinating and complex. Alienation and pain is wrapped in silence and secrets held at distances and varying perspectives set to a very strong tone of sadness each and every moment often enhanced with sly symbols. The actors are superb (Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, and many more), scoring runs from acceptable to great, and the photography and audio is pure Art. Atom Egoyan is a great film maker. He asks you to be fully engaged with his work. This is NOT a film for your distraction. If you like this one, see his film “Exotica”.

“Tae Guk Gi” (Korean, 2005): Set in 1950 South Korea, as the war begins between their North and the South, we follow two brothers – and best friends – who are “drafted” into the Army and forced into lives they never expected or wanted. This is a dense, draining, monumental Epic about love, hate, honor, violence, context, and forgiveness. GREAT War films are never about war… they are about humans facing extraordinary circumstances and having to deal with them one split second at a time. The acting, lead by Jang Doug-Gun and Won Bin, is superb. The photography reminded me of the gritty hyper-reality of “Black Hawk Down”. The scoring sweeps over some scenes – sometimes like an immense Vulture, sometimes like an Angel. This is a very violent film, but never gratuitous. 148 minutes. In Korea, “Tae Guk Gi” (“The Brotherhood of War”) won Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Art Design, and Best Sound Effects.

“The Thin Red Line” (again, 1998): I don’t know how many times I have watched this masterpiece by Terrence Malick, but I have no intention of stopping. It is one of the most thoughtful, poetic, melancholy, and beautiful films (shot by John Toll) in ANY category, but certainly tops in the war/anti-war type. It is loaded with stars, yet they do not have that glow around them. Their abilities and the roles are that good. Included in this talented cast: Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Woody Harrelson, Adrien Brody, Jim Caviezel, John Cusack, and John C. Reilly. Scoring by Hans Zimmer is amazing and heart-wrenching. Ambient sound recording is elegant and frightening. Every aspect of “The Thin Red Line” is awesome. The power of this film is overwhelming – leaving you exhausted, exhilarated, and saturated all at the same time.
I know it’s difficult to imagine a tense, graphic, violent war movie that is also poetic and beautiful, but this is a unique film – a work of Art – which demanded a perfect team of brilliant people.
Once in awhile I encounter Art so good it makes me think “If this person never created another thing, his/her entire life would be justified by this one result”. Of course it’s not true. This is NOT how artists work, and it would be a tragic circumstance. But, it is a reaction I have that IS complimentary to that singular result.
With “The Thin Red Line”, you know you’re in for something special from the opening scene, music, and narrative. We’re headed somewhere natural, fascinating, subtle, temporarily quiet, ominous, and guaranteed to bring doom to something – someone – because it is all Of This World.
The ambient sounds are heightened for their lush sense of Life, yet are tools for possible survival. Your senses are more important than your logic. You are Of This World… and so is everything else. You NEVER turn off your ears.
The narration floats over the events like spirits full of doubt and confusion. You realize these are the thoughts of the soldiers with whom you are now traveling. Their physical senses keep them in the moment much of the time, but for split seconds or ten glorious minutes of sleep – whenever possible or absolutely necessary for their sanity – they have visions of their pasts with a friend or parent or lover or piece of life that is gone for good.
The camera glides along the ground like an animal in stealth, moving through the tall grass or bamboo forest or around rocks as a means of survival while at the same time on the hunt. At times, the soldier, you, move as though in a trance. Suddenly, the moment is spun and shattered into a directionless mess of nightmare. Sounds scream then muffle, pieces of things fly past, on, or through you; sights are mere blinks of vision while you try to avoid whatever might bring blindness. You are as likely to look straight up into the tree tops as down at your feet or off to the horizon. The dangers are in hidden holes, buried mounds, up trees, or pouring over the backside of a hill. The flash from a gun barrel arrives before the bullet, but the bullet arrives before the sound. You never hear “your” bullet coming. You are never given that kind of time.
The camera is also a meditative glance at other lives trying to exist in their world while particular humans battle on it. Island natives, colorful parrots, dramatic bats, roaming dogs, a baby bird, an alligator… all there to show how life continues – and ceases – unconcerned with our momentary beliefs and actions.
The scoring is oddly present much of the time, yet never the star of the scene. It simply delivers a constant sense of dread or sadness, no matter what seems to be apparent.
There are so many amazing moments of acting, I cannot go into it. It’s difficult to call some actors “supporting” when what they did is so memorable. This includes many of men in roles of the Japanese enemy. I will say that Jim Caviezel, and especially Nick Nolte, both in lead roles, are astounding. Sean Penn has a solid role, but this did not challenge him… he simply knew how to do what was asked of him. Adrian Brody, John Cusack, and Woody Harrelson show what they can do, but are seldom the center of things. George Clooney, listed high on the roster, actually has a very small, insignificant role.
“The Thin Red Line” is not so much a pro or con statement about war as it is a poem about Life we often put off balance – and then demand others correct.

“To End all Wars” (again, 2001): Starring Robert Carlyle (“Go Now”), Keifer Sutherland, and MANY talented men. As the film began, it felt like a cousin to “Bridge on the River Kwai”, but the plot slowly morphed to an even MORE complex set of ethical issues, with divisions not seen in that great 1950′s film. I see this newer film as more related to the movie “Andersonville” – our true American tragedy of a P.O.W. camp during the Civil War – and what THAT experience demanded of those interned. “To End all Wars” is certainly an anti-war film and a also a true story, but looks at many individuals for the complexity of dealing with the horror…and offers bits of consolation where they can be found. Its elegant ending reminded me of “Schindler’s List”. “To End all Wars” deserves to be considered a PROFOUND film.

“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” (again, 1945): Elia Kazan’s directorial debut, which garnered two Oscars. I think of this film as in the same category as “It’s a Wonderful Life”, although “A Tree…” has a slight stage play feel to it. Neither the stories nor the characters are the same, but they ARE “cousins” to one another, and BOTH are worth multiple viewings as a way to get your dose of reminders about what is most important in life. We have our duties and our jobs, no one has the same set, and we signed on for them. We have people and places we love, and it’s too easy to take them for granted or focus on “blemishes”. “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” is as emotionally powerful, funny, tender, and sad as “It’s a Wonderful Life”. If you like/love one, you WILL like/love the other, and never fear: one will NOT REPLACE the other. You’ll be very glad BOTH exist.

“Umberto D.” (Italian, 1952): Considered one of Vittorio De Sica’s masterpieces, and HIS personal favorite, “Umberto D.” is the story of an old man in contemporary Italy, trying to survive on a meager pension. Renting a room from a nasty landlady, and having a young, pregnant maid as his only real friend, the lack of income slowly closes in on him and his little dog, “Flag”. This is NOT a film for the easily depressed, but IS a quiet, powerful, evenly paced, emotionally wise, good looking work of Art.

”Unchained Memories: Slave Narratives” (again, 2002): This is a rentable HBO production of well-known, talented actors reading the colloquially transcribed interviews of former slaves. Accompanying the readings are photos and film of these (and other) former slaves, all of which were gathered as a WPA Prioject during the 1930’s Great Depression in America. It is tender, sad, shocking, horrifying, and one of those times when you wish you could join a different species of beings.

“Unstrung Heroes” (again, 1995?): With wonderful acting by all, this quirky story makes more and more sense as you follow this family through their own comedies and tragedies. Shown are some of the most subtle, lovely realizations of all time…which become profound as you realize how and what the young boy is learning from his old, split, bickering family tree…and how they are ALL very important to his best upbringing.

“Wings of Desire” (again, 1988, German, English): I stand by what I’ve said before. I’ll add that I love the bluish-bronzy look of the film when in “black & white”, the floating, “bodiless” feeling to the camera work, and, I think I’ve decided that there is NO scene of a woman moving to music that is lovelier than Solveig Dommartin, alone, at the rock club.
This is what I wrote last time: “Perhaps my favorite film of all time. Whenever I need a dose of important spiritual reminders, this is the film for me. DO NOT confuse this work of Art, with that shmucky spin-off piece of junk, ‘City of Angels’”.

“Wrestling Ernest Hemingway” (again, 1993): This is not a film about its photography, editing, scoring (though it is all important, of course). It’s a film built firmly in its story: the ambivalence of aging, living with one’s past, facing one’s future, and finding the pleasure in one’s now. Robert Duvall, Richard Harris, Shirley MacLaine, Piper Laurie, and Sandra Bullock are well-placed in their roles, all do excellent jobs, and each gives great depth to their characters. Duvall is a very proper old Cuban gentleman well set in his ways; Harris is a crude, rude, slam-bang old ex-sailor; MacLaine is a rode-hard and put-away-wet old motel owner who’s seen it all and doesn’t want to see any more; Piper Laurie is an old romantic dreamer who believes more in procedure than act; and Bullock is the relaxed, soft, young diner waitress who tolerates, nags, and “loves” these old folks. “Wrestling Ernest Hemingway” is an elegant, emotionally complex story. Nothing is forever. Everything changes. Much is not under our control. Relax. Enjoy. Laugh. Celebrate with others as you can. Life is short.

”Zelary” (Slovakian, 2004): Set in Eastern Europe during the Nazi occupation, this is the story of a young, urbane, freedom fighter woman who faces discovery and capture every day in the big city. When the pressure gets too high, her leaders suddenly send her away to lessen the risks. She just as suddenly finds herself with people she does not know, understand, or even like – who make decisions for her in an isolated, “backward” mountain village. How could life get any worse? What is her reason for living any longer? Well, she will see… she will see… one hard day at a time. This is a quietly powerful film, full of natural grandeur, human pettiness, the ebb and flow of pain and pleasure, forgiveness and revenge, taking and giving, and faith and hopelessness. “Zelary” is epic in scope, and full of Life’s lessons. It lacks nothing.

“Zorba the Greek” (U.S./Greek, again, 1964): Anthony Quinn and Alan Bates star in this beautiful black & white epic about Values in Life. It is a masterpiece of film making, psychology, and philosophy. Scene after amazing scene, it is unforgettable, with some images returning to me at least once a month, year after year, usually as a spiritual reminder. It will speak for itself to you also.

 

 

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One of about Eighteen of my TOP TEN Most Disappointing Films of All Time Lists

July 1, 2008 by Ronn Ives, under Films.

Titanic (or, as I like to call it, “Tit and Ick”) (DiCaprio version only). It proved, once again, Hollywood can convince the public of anything long enough to rake in the cash & run to the bank shaking their heads and laughing.
The Gods Must be Crazy – Pat and I sat in the theater surrounded by people laughing as though they thought something was funny or witty or insightful. My eyebrows went up and down, my eyes looked from side to side. I felt like I was in an asylum.
Liquid Sky – The dumbest, most pretentious, new wave/punk, nihilist batch of useless crap ever produced. It reminded me of another film with a similar ‘tude – “Mysterious Planet” (animated, 1960′s, French).
Magical Mystery Tour – Genius is not created from wealth. The Beatles, at whatever level of involvement they had in this poorly made piece of “Merry Prankster” wannabee psychedelic spin-off jerk-off gotta-see-it-
STONED crap, left an embarrassing pile of residue to prove no one is always right. Simple stated, it was made because it could be made.
The Life of Emile Zola – This should’ve been interesting! How do you take an interesting writer and turn him into a piece of old play-dough embedded with crumbs and random hairs found under the sofa?
West Side Story – Don’t even get me started on NYC “teenaged toughs” who wear leotards and twirl their way to back alley gang “rumbles”. THIS may be THE musical that caused me to realize musicals are a ridiculous art form… lower than mimes… lower than …. flea circuses… musicals, especially STAGE musicals, are the lowest.
My Fair Lady – See above.
Arthur – Two words: Dudley, Moore.
The King and I – See My Fair Lady.
Mrs. Doubtfire – See The Gods Must be Crazy but take it out of the “art theater” and put it in the mall octiplex.

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Favorite Films

June 6, 2005 by Ronn Ives, under Films.

 

Here’s a list of GREAT FILMS YOU SHOULD SEE!  Plenty of films have been made that are good ONE-TIME views, but THIS list contains only films I’M driven to see REPEATEDLY, for one or more reasons…
I love The Movies…
…and Life is short.

The films are in alphabetical order ONLY – NOT by preference, theme, mood, date, location, stars, graphic levels of violence, sex, etc. However: most are NOT for children! (I placed an “ok” at the end of any listing that I feel are fine for kids, but I may be more liberal about this issue than yourself.) Films are dated because sometimes there exists more than one version. Some of these films will require that you find a quality video/dvd rental store covering more than your typical mainstream offering. In my opinion, you have an obligation to find & support those places in your area! THEY are the people TRYING to get some Art to you, and in turn, need your support!

NOW THE DISCLAIMER: I have preferences.
- First and foremost: I prefer drama;
- I DON’T avoid films due to graphic violence, sex, or language;
- Black & white is as BEAUTIFUL – at times more beautiful than color (can you imagine “Eraserhead” or “Manhattan” in color??);
- I prefer “METHOD” acting (Marlon Brando) over “classic” theatrical style acting (Sir Lawrence Olivier);
- I EXPECT superb acting, intelligent scripts, sound & music tracks that support the film, smart lighting, story continuity
& accuracy, etc., and,
- Whenever possible, I want some actual INNOVATION in the subject, and the way in which the subject is depicted! I want to be shown something new & of value that I can somehow “USE” – in my head, and/or heart.
- If it’s a COMEDY, I lean towards the darker, more sarcastic, intellectual type (as opposed to slapstick or “farttittygiggle” flicks).
- I prefer fiction, or historically accurate films – whereas, I HATE “serious” films that play fast and loose with history (such as the sort Oliver Stone is willing to make).
- I DON’T mind subtitles – I prefer them over that goddawful dubbing.
(I love kitschy-cheezie bad films. Yes, “Plan Nine from Outer Space” IS one of the two worst films of all time… the other being “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls”), but that type is not for THIS list. They are NOT great films.)
- Oh, also: I DETEST musicals, and with so few exceptions, I’ll just say: I DETEST MUSICALS!

If you’ve found yourself generally agreeing with me, this list might be of use. Let me know. I’m curious.

I realize many films on the list will suffer from not being seen on the “big screen”, but anymore it’s a compromise I’M willing to accept. The average movie audience has become a room full of pigs, who ruin your chance for a quality movie-going experience.
=====================================================================
(Last update 9-24-06)
A
The Accidental Tourist, 1988
The Accused, 1988
Affliction, 1998
The African Queen, 1951, ok
Aguirre: The Wrath of God, 1972, German
Alien, 1979
Alfie, 1966, English
All or Nothing, 2002
All Quiet on the Western Front, 1930
All the Real Girls, 2003
Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, 199X
Amadeus, 1984
Amelie, 2001
American Grafitti, 1973, ok
American Heart, 1992
American Psycho, 2000
An American Rhapsody, 2001
Amy’s O, 2002
Anchoress, 1993
Anchorman – The Legend of Ron Burgandy, 2004
Andersonville, 1996
Angela, 2002
An Angel at my Table, 1990, New Zealand
Angels and Insects, 1995
Anne Frank Remembered, 1995
Annie Hall, 1977
Apocalypse Now, 1979
Apollo 13, 1995, ok
The Apostle, 1997
Artemesia, 1997, French
The Atomic Cafe, 1982
Au Revoir Les Enfants, 1987, French
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, 1974, ok
Avalon, 1990, ok
Awakenings, 1990, ok
The Awful Truth, 1937
B
Bambi, 1942, ok
Barfly, 1987
The Basketball Diaries, 1995
Basquiat, 1996
Bastard out of Carolina, 1996
A Beautiful Mind, 2001
Beetle Juice, 1988, ok
Being John Malkovich, 1999
The Believer, 2003
The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946
Beyond Rangoon, 1995
Big Fish, 2003
The Birdman of Alcatraz, 1962, ok
Black Rain, 1990
Black Robe, 1991, Canadian
Black Hawk Down, 2002
Blade Runner, 1982
The Blair Witch Project, 1998
Blood Simple, 1984
Blowup, 1966, British
Bob Roberts, 1992
The Boondock Saints, 1999
Born on the Fourth of July, 1989
Bottle Rocket, 1996
The Boys, 2000, Australian
Boys Don’t Cry, 1999
Braveheart, 1995
Brazil, 1985
Breaking the Waves, 1996, Danish
The Bridge on the River Kwai, 1957
Bringing Out the Dead, 1999
Brokedown Palace, 1999, ok
A Bronx Tale, 1993
A Bug’s Life, 1998, ok
Bully, 2001
The Burmese Harp (“Biruma No Tategoto”), 1956, Japanese
C
Camille Claudel, 1988, French
Capote, 2005
Capturing the Friedmans, 2003
Career Girls, 1997
Carrington, 1995, British
Casablanca, 1942, ok
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 1958
The Cell, 2000
Central Station, 1998, Brazilian, ok
Changing Lanes, 2002
Charlotte Gray, 2001
Charly, 1968, ok
Chattahoochee, 1990
Chikamatsu Monogatari (Crucified Lovers), 1954, Japanese
Children of Heaven, 1997, Iranian, ok
Chinatown, 1974
A Christmas Story, 1983, ok
Cinderella Man, 2005
The Cider House Rules, 1999
Cinema Paradiso, 1988, Italian, ok
Citizen Kane, 1941
Citizen Ruth,
City Slickers, 1991, ok
The Claim, 2000
Clean, Shaven, 1993
A Clockwork Orange, 1971
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977, ok
Closer, 2005
Closet Land, 1991
The Color Purple, 1985
Come Back Little Sheba, 1952
Coming Home, 1978
The Contender, 2000
The Conversation, 1974
Cool Hand Luke, 1967
Crash, 2005
Crimes and Misdemeanors, 1989
Cross of Iron, 1977
The Crucible, 1996
D
Damage, 1992
Dancer in the Dark, 2000
Dangerous Liaisons, 1988
Das Boot, 1981, German
Days of Wine and Roses, 1962
Deconstructing Harry, 1997
The Deer Hunter, 1978
Devi, 1960, Hindi
Diary of a Country Priest, 1950, French
Dogfight, 1991
Do the Right Thing,
Dominick and Eugene, 1988
Donnie Darko, 2002
Door to Door, 2002
The Double Life of Veronique, 1991, Polish/French
The Dreamlife of Angels, 1998, French
Driving Miss Daisy, 1989, ok
Drop Dead Gorgeous, XXXX
Dr. Strangelove…, 1964, British
Drugstore Cowboy, 1989
E
East of Eden, 1955
8mm, 1999
Edward Scissorhands, 1990, ok
Ed TV, 1999
The Elephant Man, 1980
Elizabeth, 1998, British
Empire of the Sun, 1987
Enemy at the Gates, 2001
Enigma, 2002
Equinox, 1993
Equinox Flower, 1958, Japanese
Eraserhead, 1978
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004
Europa Europa, 1991, French/German
Even Dwarfs Start Small, 1968, German
Every Man For Himself and God Against All (or also titled
The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser), 1975, German
Exotica, 1994, Canadian
Eye for an Eye, 1996
Eyes Wide Shut, 1999
F
Failsafe, 1964
The Falcon and the Snowman, 1984
Far From Heaven, 2002
Fargo, 1996
Fearless, 1993
The Fight Club, 2000
The Fisher King, 1991
Fitzcarraldo, 1982, ok
Flirting with Disaster, 1996
Focus, 2002
Following, 1999
Forbidden Games, 1952, French
Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle, 1986, French
Frances, 1982
Frankie Starlight, 1995
Freaks, 1932
Freedom Song, 2000
The French Connection, 1971
Fresh, 1994
Fried Green Tomatoes, 1991
Full Metal Jacket, 1987
G
Gaby: A True Story, 1987
Gandhi, 1982
The General, 1998, Irish
Georgia, 1995
Germinal, 1993, French
Ghost World, 2001
The Gingerbread Man, 1998
Girl, Interrupted, 1999
Girls Town, 1996
Glengarry Glen Ross, 1992
Glory, 1989
The Godfather, all 3 parts, 1972-90
Goodfellas, 1990
Good Night, and Good Luck, 2005
The Graduate, 1967
Grand Canyon, 1991
The Grapes of Wrath, 1940, ok
The Grass Harp, 1996, ok
Grey Zone, 2001
Grizzly Man, 2005
Groundhog Day, 1993, ok
Gummo, 1997
H
The Hairdresser’s Husband, 1992, French
Hairspray, 1988
Hannah and Her Sisters, 1986
Happiness, 1998
Harakiri, 1962
Harry and Tonto, 1974, ok
Hart’s War, 2002
Heart of Glass, 1976, German
Heaven, 1987
Heaven and Earth, 1993
Heavenly Creatures, 1994
Heavy, 1996, ok
Helter Skelter, 1976
Henry and June, 1990
Henry V, 1989, British
Herdsmen of the Sun, 1988
High Art, 1998, Canada
Hilary & Jackie, 1998, British
Himalaya, 1999, Tibetan
Hoffa, 1992
Homeward Bound, 1993, ok
Homicide, 1991
Hoop Dreams, 1994, ok
Hope and Glory, 1987
House of Sand and Fog, 2003
Hud, 1963
The Hudsucker Proxy, 1994
Hurly Burly, 1998
Hurricane Streets, 1998
Husbands and Wives, 1992
The Hustler, 1961
Hysterical Blindness, 2003
I
The Ice Storm, 1997
Imaginary Crimes, 1994
The Importance of Being Earnest, 2001
In Cold Blood, 1967
The Incredibles, 2004
The Indian Runner, 1991
Inherit the Wind, 1960
Interiors, 1978
Intermezzo, 1939
Interview with a Vampire, 1994
In the Bedroom, 2002
In the Company of Men, 1997
In the Heat of the Night, 1967
In the Name of the Father, 1993
Into the Arms of Strangers, 2000
The Invisible Circus, 2001
Iris, 2001
Ironweed, 1987
I Shot Andy Warhol, 1996
It Happened One Night, 1934, ok
It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946, ok
J
JAZZ, 2001
Jerusalem, 1996, Swedish
The Jimmy Show, 2003
Johns, 1996
Journey of Hope, 1990, Swiss
The Joy Luck Club, 1993
Judgment at Nuremberg, 1961
K
Kalifornia, 1993
Kids, 1995
The Killing Fields, 1984
The King is Alive, 2002
King of the Hill, 1993, ok
Kiss of the Spider Woman, 1985
L
Lancelot du Lac, 1974, French
Lantana, 2002, Australian
L’Argent, 1983, French
The Last Days, 1998
The Last Emperor, 1987, Italian
L.A. Story, 1991
The Last Picture Show, 1971
Last Tango in Paris, 1973, French
The Last Temptation of Christ, 1988
Late Spring, 1949, Japanese
Lawrence of Arabia, 1962
Leaving Las Vegas, 1995
Lessons of Darkness, 1992, German
Life is Beautiful, 1998, Italian
The Life of Brian, 1979, British
The Lion King, 1994, ok
Little Boy Blue
Little Dieter Needs to Fly, 1998, German
Little Fugitive, 1953, ok
Little Shop of Horrors, 1986, ok
Little Women, 1995
Lolita, 1997, British
Lonesome Dove, 1991
The Long Way Home, 1997
Lord of the Flies, 1963
Lord of the Rings, 2001, 2002, 2003
Lost Horizon, 1937
Lost in America, 1985
Lost in Translation, 2003
The Lost Weekend, 1945
Love Liza, 2003
Lovely & Amazing, 2002
Lust for Life, 1956
M
The Machinist, 2005
Made for Each Other, 1939
The Magdalene Sisters, 2003
Man Bites Dog, 1992, Belgian
Manhattan, 1979
The Man in the Moon, 1991
Man in the Wilderness, 1971
The Manchurian Candidate, 1962
Manny & Lo, 1996
The Man Who Wasn’t There, 2001
Martha + Ethel, 1994, ok
Marty, 1955, ok
Mean Streets, 1973
Menace II Society, 1993
Memento, 2001
Metropolis, 1926, German
(restored version by Giorgio Moroder, 1984), ok
A Midnight Clear, 1992
Midnight Cowboy, 1969
A Mighty Wind, 2003
Minority Report, 2002
The Miracle Worker, 1962, ok
Les Miserables, 1998
The Mission, 1986
Moll Flanders, 1995
Monster, 2004
Monsters Inc., 2002, ok
The Mosquito Coast, 1986, ok
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, 1936, ok
Mr. Saturday Night, 1992
Mrs. Dalloway, 1998, British/Dutch
Munich, 2005
Muriel’s Wedding, 1994, Australian
Music Box, 1990
My Dinner with Andre, 1981
My Left Foot, 1989, Irish
Mystery Men, 1999
The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser, or,
Every Man for Himself & God Against All, 1975, German
Mystic River, 2003
The Myth of Fingerprints, 1997
N
Naked, 1993, British
Naked Lunch, 1991, Canadian
National Lampoon’s Animal House, 1978
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, 1989, ok
National Velvet, 1944, ok
Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud, 1995, French
Network, 1976
Niagara Niagara, 1998
Night Falls on Manhattan, 1996
Nineteen Eighty Four, 1984, British
Normal Life, 1997
Nosferatu the Vampyre, 1979, German, ok
O
Odd Man Out, 1947
Of Mice and Men, 1981, ok
Of Mice and Men, 1992, ok
The Old Man and the Sea, 1958, ok
Once Upon a Time in America, 1984
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1975
Onegin, 2000
One Hour Photo, 2002
One True Thing, 1998, ok
Onibaba, 1964, Japanese
The Onion Field, 1979
On the Beach, 1959
On the Waterfront, 1954
Open Range, 2003
Orlando, 1993, British
Orpheus, 1950, French
Out of Africa, 1985
The Out of Towners, 1970, ok
P
Padre Padrone, 1977, Italian
Panic, 2000
The Paper Chase, 1973
Paper Moon, 1973, ok
Papillon, 1973
Paradise Road, 1997
The Passion of Joan of Arc, 1928
Paths of Glory, 1957
The Pawnbroker, 1965
Pelle the Conqueror, 1988, Swedish
A Perfect Murder, 1998
A Perfect World, 1993
Performance, 1970
Perfume, 2001
Permanent Midnight, 1999
Personal Velocity, 2003
Persuasion, 1995
The Piano, 1993, New Zealand
Places in the Heart, 1984, ok
Platoon, 1986
The Playboys, 1992, Irish
The Player, 1992
Poltergeist, 1982
Ponette, 1996, French
Il Postino, 1994, Italian/French
Presumed Innocent, 1990
Priest, 1994, British
The Princess Bride, 1987, ok
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, 2005
Pulp Fiction, 1994
The Purple Rose of Cairo, 1985
Q
Queen Margot, 1994, French
R
Rabbit Proof Fence, 2002
Raging Bull, 1980
Rain Man, 1988
Raising Arizona, 1987
Rambling Rose, 1991
Ransom, 1996
The Rapture, 1991
Ratas, Ratones, Rateros, 1999
Rebel Without a Cause, 1955, ok
Record of a Tenement Gentleman, 1947, Japanese
Red Sky at Morning, 1970
The Red Violin, 1998, Canadian
Reservoir Dogs, 1992
Ridicule, 1996, French
The Right Stuff, 1983, ok
The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich, X year.
Road to Perdition, 2002
Robots, 2005
Rob Roy, 1995
Roger Dodger, 2003
Romeo & Juliet, 1968, British, ok
Romeo & Juliet, 1996
Romero, 1989
Rosemary’s Baby, 1968
The Rose Tattoo, 1955
Rules of Attraction, 2003
Runaway Jury, 2003
S
Safe, 1995
Sansho the Bailiff, 1954, Japanese
Save the Tiger, 1973
Schindler’s List, 1993
The Secret Garden, 1993, ok
The Secret of Roan Inish, 1994, ok
The Secret of Santa Vittoria, 1969
Secretary, 2002
Secrets & Lies, 1996, British
Serpico, 1973
Seven Days in May, 1964
Seven Years in Tibet, 1997
sex, lies, & videotape, 1989
Shadowlands, 1993, British
Shakespeare in Love, 1998
Shame, 1968, Swedish
Shane, 1953, ok
The Shawshank Redemption, 1994
She’s So Lovely, 1997, French/U.S.
Shine, 1996
Shooting War, 2000
The Shop on Main Street, 1965, Czech
Short Cuts, 1993
Shrek, 2001, ok
Sid & Nancy, 1986
Sidewalks of New York, 2002
The Silence of the Lambs, 1991
The Sixth Sense, 1999
Slacker, 1991
Sleuth, 1972
Sliding Doors, 1998
Sling Blade, 1996
Small Faces, 1995
Something Wild, 1986
Some Mother’s Son, 1997
Sometimes a Great Notion, 1971
Sophie’s Choice, 1982
The Spanish Prisoner, 1998
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, 1965
Stand by Me, 1986, ok
Stardust Memories, 1980
Stealing Beauty, 1996, French
The Sterile Cuckoo, 1969
The Story of Adele H., 1975, French
Storytelling, 2002
The Stranger, 1967
Stranger than Paradise, 1984
Straw Dogs, 1971
A Streetcar Named Desire, 1951
Stroszek, 1977, German
The Substance of Fire, 1996
subUrbia, 1996
Sullivan’s Travels, 1941, ok
Summer of ’42, 1971
Sunset Blvd., 1950
The Sweet Hereafter, 1997
Sweetie, 1989, Australian
Swept Away, 1975, Italian
Sybil, 1976
T
Tae Guk Gi, 2005, Korean
Talk Radio, 1988
Tape, 2002
Taxi Driver, 1976
Telling Lies in America, 1997
Tender Mercies, 1983, ok
Terms of Endearment, 1983
Tess, 1979, French
They Might be Giants, 1971, ok
The Thief, 1997, Russian
The Thin Red Line, 1999
Thirteen, 2003
13 Conversations about One Thing, 2001
Thirteen Days, 2000
This Boy’s Life, 1993
This is Spinal Tap, 1984
Thousand Pieces of Gold, 1992
The Three Faces of Eve, 1957
Three Seasons, 1999, Viet Namese
Time Out, 2003, French
To Die For, 1995
To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962, ok
Tokyo Story, 1953
Tom & Viv, 1994, British
Tora Tora Tora, 1970
Toy Story I, 1995, ok
Toy Story II, 1999, ok
Training Day, 2002
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, 1945
Trees Lounge, 1996
The Triplets of Bellville, 2004
The Trip to Bountiful, 1985, ok
Truce, .
The Truce, 1997, Italian, etc.
True Romance, 1993
Tully, 2003
Twelve O’Clock High, 1949
25th Hour, 2003
Twentyfourseven, 1997, British
Twice in a Lifetime, 1985
2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968, British
Two Women, 1960, Italian
U
Ugetsu, 1953, Japanese
Umberto D., 1952, Italian
Under Suspicion, XXXX
Unforgiven, 1992
United 93, 2006
Unstrung Heroes, 1995, ok
The Untouchables, 1987
V
The Vanishing, 1988, Dutch/French
Village of the Damned, 1960, English
Vincent, 1987, Australian
W
Wag the Dog, 1997
Waiting for Guffman, 1997
Wall Street, 1987
Washington Square, 1997
The Waterdance, 1992
Waterland, 1992
Welcome to the Dollhouse, 1996
We All Loved Each Other So Much, 1974, Italian
We Were Soldiers, 2002
Whale Rider, 2003
The Whales of August, 1987, ok
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, 1993
When Harry Met Sally, 1989
When Trumpets Fade, 1998
Where the Green Ants Dream, 1985, Australian/German
Where the Heart Is, 2000
White, and, Red, and, Blue (3 films), 1993, French
White Badge, 1997, Korean
White Oleander, 2003
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1966
Wigstock the Movie, 1995
Wild at Heart, 1990
The Wild Bunch, 1969
The Wild One, 1954
Wings of Desire, 1988, German
Winter Light, 1962, Swedish
Wit, 2001
Woman in the Dunes, 1964, Japanese
Woodstock, 1970
Working Girl, 1988
The World According to Garp, 1982
Wrestling Ernest Hemingway, 1993
Y
The Year of Living Dangerously, 1983, Australian
Your Friends and Neighbors, 1998
Z
Zelig, 1983
Zorba the Greek, 1964

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We NEED the Illusion

June 5, 2005 by Ronn Ives, under Films.

 

Last night, Pat and I watched Wim Wender’s 1983 documentary “Tokyo-Ga”. It is a loving tribute to the film maker HE most admires and respects, Yasujiro Ozu. Wim Wenders and his film maker pal, Werner Herzog (WHAT a pairing!!!), travel to Tokyo, in search of the Tokyo Ozu depicted.

Like Woody Allen with New York, or John Waters with Baltimore, from the 1920′s to 1960′s, Ozu gave his full attention to the “stage” of Tokyo. Only a few days ago did I see Ozu’s 1953 film “Tokyo Story” (if you get my monthly movie list, you know I LOVED it), plus, Pat and I just saw the recent film “Lost in Translation”, which is also set in Tokyo. It’s been a VERY Tokyo-esque week. (Interesting place, but I don’t want to live there.) Like these other directors (but before them), Ozu used many of the same actors. I TOTALLY get that.

WARNING: SOME might find the next few paragraphs confusing and/or boring:

Yasujiro Ozu died in 1963.

As Wenders interviews the main people who worked “with” Ozu, I wasn’t surprised to hear that he ran the show. Directors with a clear, strong vision and goal MUST be in control. As his actors and crew retold their favorite stories, there was a deep sense of respect, awe, fear, and gratitude for his no-nonsense, few-words, no-debate approach. What Ozu said, went. If you worked for him for 30 years, as did his cameraman, you came to terms with that attitude – being creative was NOT your job – and you appreciated Ozu’s results.

As Ozu’s career progressed, he put more “limits” on what was used to get films done. For example, he used only ONE lens! (50 mm) and, designed a tripod with only two height settings: lens/eye level sitting on floor and lens/eye level standing, and, always matching the position of the actor. One city, same actors, just one lens, two camera heights, the theme of people in a changing world.

I’m catching on as “Tokyo-Ga” progresses. One city – the one in greatest transition. Same actors – reliable, steady, good symbol. One lens – 50 mm – no wide angle, no telephoto, close, intimate, no distortion, the glass lens equal to the human lens. Two camera heights – never looking up at or down upon the characters. Equality of the viewer with the character.

I realized that if I’d been older, spoken Japanese, and met Ozu, we could have had a decent conversation about such aesthetic considerations, since I had based my Thesis on very similar ideas. This didn’t happen, obviously, and although I am sure there would’ve been much I could’ve learned from this man, I had my own great mentors (and don’t feel I shortchanged at all, as you all know).

Stories that appear common. Everyday. You, your family, your neighbors, your city, your era… NONE TRULY stable despite our constant efforts to create tradition, reliability, peace of mind, and rationalization.

EACH of us has a story that APPEARS common and unworthy of a closer look.  We often NEED that illusion… but it’s a lie.

The closer we look at a small thing, the bigger the entire picture becomes.

 

 

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