Movie-Viewing Experiences 29/3/19 - 21/4/19
A+ = Adored Masterwork A = Excellent A- = Very Good B+ = Good B = Nice Try B- = Scrapes Through
C = Significantly Flawed D = Pretty Bad E = Truly Dreadful: Looking Into the Void F = Absolutely Vile: The Void
TOPSY-TURVY (1999)
A MOVIE JUKEBOX
d: Mike Leigh
CAST: Jim Broadbent; Allan Corduner; Lesley Manville; Timothy Spall; Shirley Henderson
> I am not a fan of musical theatre and, whether light or heavy, traditional or modern, I cannot stomach opera...yet I love this musical drama about Gilbert & Sullivan and the original 1885 staging of The Mikado; what makes it, is the collection of asides (stage fright + alcohol & drugs + bordello romps + loneliness in marriage + family conflict + politeness overriding anger) which add depth to and affection for the myriad of characters involved in the monumental production; perfect reproduction of the Victorian era (as far as I can tell) with sumptuous costuming and art design; a Mike Leigh film which is actually enjoyable...and, I admit it, I like the music
Award-Worthy Performance
The entire cast
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963)
A- AT LEAST THIRD VIEWING
d: Jerry Lewis
CAST: Jerry Lewis; Stella Stevens; Del Moore; Kathleen Freeman; Howard Morris
> I can't stand Jerry Lewis...his spastic, nasally-moronic persona has always given me the irrits..."look at me! look at me!" his antics screech out, brutalizing everyone into embarrassment; and yet, this movie is a comedic joy, funny & fun from beginning to end; I think his masterstroke was choosing to play another kind of character(s) and basing the story on something personal and dark: he has a nasty dig at his old partner, Dean Martin; all of the visual & sound jokes work (LOVE the hangover!) and Jerry's propensity to overstay a gag's welcome (which I hate) is mostly muted here; while many of the support cast overdo it, Stella is a classy love interest; the colours pop out, the music is very Rat Pack and the plot scoots things along; so, the great film comic actually managed to be great once on film...maybe there's hope for Jim Carrey after all
BAD BLOOD (1981)
A- FIRST VIEWING
d: Mike Newell
CAST: Jack Thompson; Carol Raye; Denis Lill; Martyn Sanderson; Kelly Johnson
> this true crime story (the 1941 shootings in smalltown NZ by Stanley Graham) is nervy, gripping cinema, impressively directed by Britisher Mike; a troubled (and rather dim) farming couple vehemently blame their difficulties on social persecution and official conspiracy...when members of the local constabulary become involved, the couple snaps, resulting in the killing of 7 people and an all-hands manhunt; rural life is, for once, depicted accurately in all its apart-ness; never exciting or exploitative but always tense, this film ensures that we know how horrific these events were...and how guns can make a mess of a man, physically and mentally
Award-Worthy Performances
Jack Thompson; Carol Raye
SKY HIGH (2005)
A- RE-EVALUATION Original Grade: B+
d: Mike Mitchell
CAST: Michael Angarano; Kurt Russell; Kelly Preston; Danielle Panabaker
> before Disney bought Marvel, this was their first foray into the superhero genre (unless you want to count 1997's RocketMan...I don't), and pretty darn good it is, too; now that Comicbook Heroes have taken over the cinema and subsequently built up a collection of cliches, this comes across as an amusing satire rather than just a kiddie funfest; teenager starts Superheroes High School only to discover that, despite his gifted-parentage, he has no powers...and is relegated to dreaded Sidekick status; good jokes sprinkled throughout and, despite the lapse into the vanilla lameness of Disney Kids TV Template, delivers some solid laughs; the punky soundtrack (covers of 80's radio classics) boosts the pleasure and nobody takes it seriously for one second; a funnier superhero movie than Shazam! and Thor: Ragnarok...put together
BRUTE FORCE (1947)
B+ FIRST VIEWING
d: Jules Dassin
CAST: Burt Lancaster; Hume Cronyn; Charles Bickford; Jeff Corey; Howard Duff; John Hoyt
> a prison film, and plenty tough it is too; Hume is the cruel chief-guard who covets the warden's job...Burt & other cellmates have had a gutful of Hume's viciousness and having to live a life without women...a jailbreak is imminent...now, if they can just keep it a secret...; quite savage (you see an informer squashed in machinery!) with Hume clearly being modeled on WWII celebrities (at one point, he folds his arms and juts out his chin, very Mussolini-on-the-balcony), this is an exciting movie but flawed: the warden is an unbelievable milksop (how did he ever get the job in the first place?) + the calypso singer as Greek Chorus is an ill-fitting irritation + how the hell can we be expected to accept that Hume Cronyn would ever be a threat to Burt Lancaster??; the climactic jailbreak sequence rights all wrongs though...it is sensational!
SHAZAM! (2019)
B+ FIRST VIEWING IN-CINEMA
d: David F. Sandburg
CAST: Zachary Levi; Asher Angel; Jack Dylan Grazer; Mark Strong; Djimon Hounsou
> I've always thought THIS was the perfect superhero premise (if you're 10): a child is granted the ability to transform into an adult superhero when a magic word is said...so perfect in fact, that in 1940, Shazam (er, the first Captain Marvel, please) started to outsell Superman (that's like The Knickerbockers being more popular than The Beatles); this film manages to stay true to that purity of concept whilst doing a major rejig in theme (Family), targeted audience (Junior High), risk (horror imagery to the degree of an M rating) and humour (cartoony slapstick); while it has the standard flaws (way over-length + too-thick sentimentality + hohum slugfests), it compensates with fun performances (the two boys are terrific), a villain who isn't naff and a backstory which is genuinely dramatic; the best DC-character film since The Dark Knight Rises
WHO IS KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE? (1978)
B+ FIRST VIEWING
d: Ted Kotcheff
CAST: George Segal; Jacqueline Bisset; Robert Morley; Jean-Pierre Cassel; Philippe Noiret
> the ultimate foodporn movie; George is a fast food entrepreneur + Jacqueline is a master of dessert + Robert is a food critic...and somebody is bumping off French chefs in the manner of their menu-specialty (the baker is baked etc); this comedy murder-mystery is the epitome of "light" but provides a splendid vehicle for Robert Morley to be huge, pompous and witty...he overshadows all other cast members, so when he's not onscreen, things turn mild; still, the film doesn't ask much of you, managing to merrily breeze along with some fairly dark humour (it even serves up a scene that recalls Mr Creosote's last supper in Monty Python's Meaning of Life)
Award-Worthy Performance
Robert Morley
RIDE THE PINK HORSE (1947)
B FIRST VIEWING
d: Robert Montgomery
CAST: Robert Montgomery; Wanda Hendrix; Thomas Gomez; Fred Clark; Art Smith
> embittered WWII vet travels to New Mexico for the dual-purpose of blackmail (of a mobster) and payback (for the killing of an army mate); Pauline Kael ridiculed this movie for its dialogue (which can be a little rambling at times) and accents (that of the "Hey Cisco! Hey Pancho!" Mexicali bent)...I take her point, but it doesn't wreck, just flaw; biggest weakness is Robert as leading actor...his attempt to play hard man doesn't convince (he comes across as more irritated than tough); Wanda impresses as a waif with wide eyes and the rest of the support cast are effective; a lean revenge story that could have used a little more beefing up for impact
Award-Worthy Performance
Wanda Hendrix
THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)
B THIRD VIEWING
d: Louis Leterrier
CAST: Edward Norton; Liv Tyler; Tim Roth; William Hurt; Tim Blake Nelson; Ty Burrell
> I find this to be the most bewildering of movies...it's apparent that it doesn't really work, but for the life of me I cannot figure out why; the Hulk character is a King Kong / Frankenstein / Jekyll & Hyde amalgam and therefore the most affecting stories are tragedy + horror...which is what this film is; the best Banner comicbook stories were a spin on the old TV show The Fugitive manhunt premise...which is what this film does; the romance between Bruce & Betty is a Beauty & the Beast nod...which is what this film shows; and the monster must be terrifying and played straight (not as comic relief, as he is in Thor: Ragnarok)...and this film knows all that too; Ed is an ideal Banner (more convincing as a scientific genius than Mark Ruffalo) and the slugfests and pursuits all kick...so, someone...please tell me...WHY DOESN'T THIS FILM WORK??
WINTER OF OUR DREAMS (1981)
B- FIRST VIEWING
d: John Duigan
CAST: Judy Davis; Bryan Brown; Baz Luhrmann; Cathy Downes; Margie McCrae
> one of the Australian so-called New Wave movies...which means it was an unprofitable and gritty slice-of-life; a young woman kills herself, and her old High School boyfriend and more-recent prostitute/junkie friend both rethink the worth of their lives as a result (yeah, no laughs in it); set in Kings Cross and Sydney Harbour surrounds, this character study wants us to care, but it falters on one main point: Judy the prostitute reads the dead woman's journal throughout the film, increasingly remodeling her own life to match this tragic failure...so, her only two options are suicide or whoring? how about dog-walking?; I also didn't understand Bryan's persona (he seems addicted to dullness) and there is a distinct lack of stuff going on...so I ended up not caring about anybody; worth a look to gauge your own degree of shallowness
US (2019)
C FIRST VIEWING IN-CINEMA
d: Jordan Peele
CAST: Lupita Nyong'o; Winston Duke; Shahadi Wright Joseph; Evan Alex; Elisabeth Moss
> this loads a promising premise (a fresh spin on the old doppelganger storyline) but doesn't seem to know what to do with it apart from being peculiar & frantic; Mum & Dad & 2 kids go on vacation and, in the darkness, they see another family standing in the driveway...Mum & Dad & 2 kids...Guess who they look like?; instead of mining this for its creepy potential (and rich subtext), we get served stabbings'n'bashings, light comedy, underground subculture, invasion by handholders and cute bunnies; impressive dual performance from Lupita...the actress makes you ache from her ordeals; not scary or unsettling...it's a convoluted and unsatisfying puzzle instead
Award-Worthy Performance
Lupita Nyong'o
WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN (1978)
D FIRST VIEWING
d: Karel Reisz
CAST: Nick Nolte; Tuesday Weld; Michael Moriarty; Anthony Zerbe; Richard Masur
> a drug movie stocked with unlikeable people; Michael the Vietnam War journalist gets his army buddy Nick to smuggle heroin over to his wife Tuesday in the good ol' USA...Object: Make Money from Addicts + bad cops try to intercept and get it all for themselves + Nick outfoxes and outshoots them; you aren't on anybody's side in this: Nick goes from being an anti-drug returned soldier to ruthless opportunist + Tuesday is a doting mother who becomes a junkie waste of space + Michael is a mental-casualty of war who is also a self-absorbed user of people he loves; the film seems hacked at (I am sure there are missing scenes...where is the night that Nick & Tuesday first made love?) and as much as I am a Creedence fan, the regular use of the title track and "Hey Tonight" turns them into earworms...and that I can never forgive
Got something you want to tell me?
GO RIGHT AHEAD masted59@gmail.com
TOPSY-TURVY (1999)
d: Mike Leigh
CAST: Jim Broadbent; Allan Corduner; Lesley Manville; Timothy Spall; Shirley Henderson
> I am not a fan of musical theatre and, whether light or heavy, traditional or modern, I cannot stomach opera...yet I love this musical drama about Gilbert & Sullivan and the original 1885 staging of The Mikado; what makes it, is the collection of asides (stage fright + alcohol & drugs + bordello romps + loneliness in marriage + family conflict + politeness overriding anger) which add depth to and affection for the myriad of characters involved in the monumental production; perfect reproduction of the Victorian era (as far as I can tell) with sumptuous costuming and art design; a Mike Leigh film which is actually enjoyable...and, I admit it, I like the music
Award-Worthy Performance
The entire cast
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963)
d: Jerry Lewis
CAST: Jerry Lewis; Stella Stevens; Del Moore; Kathleen Freeman; Howard Morris
> I can't stand Jerry Lewis...his spastic, nasally-moronic persona has always given me the irrits..."look at me! look at me!" his antics screech out, brutalizing everyone into embarrassment; and yet, this movie is a comedic joy, funny & fun from beginning to end; I think his masterstroke was choosing to play another kind of character(s) and basing the story on something personal and dark: he has a nasty dig at his old partner, Dean Martin; all of the visual & sound jokes work (LOVE the hangover!) and Jerry's propensity to overstay a gag's welcome (which I hate) is mostly muted here; while many of the support cast overdo it, Stella is a classy love interest; the colours pop out, the music is very Rat Pack and the plot scoots things along; so, the great film comic actually managed to be great once on film...maybe there's hope for Jim Carrey after all
BAD BLOOD (1981)
d: Mike Newell
CAST: Jack Thompson; Carol Raye; Denis Lill; Martyn Sanderson; Kelly Johnson
> this true crime story (the 1941 shootings in smalltown NZ by Stanley Graham) is nervy, gripping cinema, impressively directed by Britisher Mike; a troubled (and rather dim) farming couple vehemently blame their difficulties on social persecution and official conspiracy...when members of the local constabulary become involved, the couple snaps, resulting in the killing of 7 people and an all-hands manhunt; rural life is, for once, depicted accurately in all its apart-ness; never exciting or exploitative but always tense, this film ensures that we know how horrific these events were...and how guns can make a mess of a man, physically and mentally
Award-Worthy Performances
Jack Thompson; Carol Raye
SKY HIGH (2005)
d: Mike Mitchell
CAST: Michael Angarano; Kurt Russell; Kelly Preston; Danielle Panabaker
> before Disney bought Marvel, this was their first foray into the superhero genre (unless you want to count 1997's RocketMan...I don't), and pretty darn good it is, too; now that Comicbook Heroes have taken over the cinema and subsequently built up a collection of cliches, this comes across as an amusing satire rather than just a kiddie funfest; teenager starts Superheroes High School only to discover that, despite his gifted-parentage, he has no powers...and is relegated to dreaded Sidekick status; good jokes sprinkled throughout and, despite the lapse into the vanilla lameness of Disney Kids TV Template, delivers some solid laughs; the punky soundtrack (covers of 80's radio classics) boosts the pleasure and nobody takes it seriously for one second; a funnier superhero movie than Shazam! and Thor: Ragnarok...put together
BRUTE FORCE (1947)
d: Jules Dassin
CAST: Burt Lancaster; Hume Cronyn; Charles Bickford; Jeff Corey; Howard Duff; John Hoyt
> a prison film, and plenty tough it is too; Hume is the cruel chief-guard who covets the warden's job...Burt & other cellmates have had a gutful of Hume's viciousness and having to live a life without women...a jailbreak is imminent...now, if they can just keep it a secret...; quite savage (you see an informer squashed in machinery!) with Hume clearly being modeled on WWII celebrities (at one point, he folds his arms and juts out his chin, very Mussolini-on-the-balcony), this is an exciting movie but flawed: the warden is an unbelievable milksop (how did he ever get the job in the first place?) + the calypso singer as Greek Chorus is an ill-fitting irritation + how the hell can we be expected to accept that Hume Cronyn would ever be a threat to Burt Lancaster??; the climactic jailbreak sequence rights all wrongs though...it is sensational!
SHAZAM! (2019)
d: David F. Sandburg
CAST: Zachary Levi; Asher Angel; Jack Dylan Grazer; Mark Strong; Djimon Hounsou
> I've always thought THIS was the perfect superhero premise (if you're 10): a child is granted the ability to transform into an adult superhero when a magic word is said...so perfect in fact, that in 1940, Shazam (er, the first Captain Marvel, please) started to outsell Superman (that's like The Knickerbockers being more popular than The Beatles); this film manages to stay true to that purity of concept whilst doing a major rejig in theme (Family), targeted audience (Junior High), risk (horror imagery to the degree of an M rating) and humour (cartoony slapstick); while it has the standard flaws (way over-length + too-thick sentimentality + hohum slugfests), it compensates with fun performances (the two boys are terrific), a villain who isn't naff and a backstory which is genuinely dramatic; the best DC-character film since The Dark Knight Rises
WHO IS KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE? (1978)
d: Ted Kotcheff
CAST: George Segal; Jacqueline Bisset; Robert Morley; Jean-Pierre Cassel; Philippe Noiret
> the ultimate foodporn movie; George is a fast food entrepreneur + Jacqueline is a master of dessert + Robert is a food critic...and somebody is bumping off French chefs in the manner of their menu-specialty (the baker is baked etc); this comedy murder-mystery is the epitome of "light" but provides a splendid vehicle for Robert Morley to be huge, pompous and witty...he overshadows all other cast members, so when he's not onscreen, things turn mild; still, the film doesn't ask much of you, managing to merrily breeze along with some fairly dark humour (it even serves up a scene that recalls Mr Creosote's last supper in Monty Python's Meaning of Life)
Award-Worthy Performance
Robert Morley
RIDE THE PINK HORSE (1947)
d: Robert Montgomery
CAST: Robert Montgomery; Wanda Hendrix; Thomas Gomez; Fred Clark; Art Smith
> embittered WWII vet travels to New Mexico for the dual-purpose of blackmail (of a mobster) and payback (for the killing of an army mate); Pauline Kael ridiculed this movie for its dialogue (which can be a little rambling at times) and accents (that of the "Hey Cisco! Hey Pancho!" Mexicali bent)...I take her point, but it doesn't wreck, just flaw; biggest weakness is Robert as leading actor...his attempt to play hard man doesn't convince (he comes across as more irritated than tough); Wanda impresses as a waif with wide eyes and the rest of the support cast are effective; a lean revenge story that could have used a little more beefing up for impact
Award-Worthy Performance
Wanda Hendrix
THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)
d: Louis Leterrier
CAST: Edward Norton; Liv Tyler; Tim Roth; William Hurt; Tim Blake Nelson; Ty Burrell
> I find this to be the most bewildering of movies...it's apparent that it doesn't really work, but for the life of me I cannot figure out why; the Hulk character is a King Kong / Frankenstein / Jekyll & Hyde amalgam and therefore the most affecting stories are tragedy + horror...which is what this film is; the best Banner comicbook stories were a spin on the old TV show The Fugitive manhunt premise...which is what this film does; the romance between Bruce & Betty is a Beauty & the Beast nod...which is what this film shows; and the monster must be terrifying and played straight (not as comic relief, as he is in Thor: Ragnarok)...and this film knows all that too; Ed is an ideal Banner (more convincing as a scientific genius than Mark Ruffalo) and the slugfests and pursuits all kick...so, someone...please tell me...WHY DOESN'T THIS FILM WORK??
WINTER OF OUR DREAMS (1981)
d: John Duigan
CAST: Judy Davis; Bryan Brown; Baz Luhrmann; Cathy Downes; Margie McCrae
> one of the Australian so-called New Wave movies...which means it was an unprofitable and gritty slice-of-life; a young woman kills herself, and her old High School boyfriend and more-recent prostitute/junkie friend both rethink the worth of their lives as a result (yeah, no laughs in it); set in Kings Cross and Sydney Harbour surrounds, this character study wants us to care, but it falters on one main point: Judy the prostitute reads the dead woman's journal throughout the film, increasingly remodeling her own life to match this tragic failure...so, her only two options are suicide or whoring? how about dog-walking?; I also didn't understand Bryan's persona (he seems addicted to dullness) and there is a distinct lack of stuff going on...so I ended up not caring about anybody; worth a look to gauge your own degree of shallowness
US (2019)
d: Jordan Peele
CAST: Lupita Nyong'o; Winston Duke; Shahadi Wright Joseph; Evan Alex; Elisabeth Moss
> this loads a promising premise (a fresh spin on the old doppelganger storyline) but doesn't seem to know what to do with it apart from being peculiar & frantic; Mum & Dad & 2 kids go on vacation and, in the darkness, they see another family standing in the driveway...Mum & Dad & 2 kids...Guess who they look like?; instead of mining this for its creepy potential (and rich subtext), we get served stabbings'n'bashings, light comedy, underground subculture, invasion by handholders and cute bunnies; impressive dual performance from Lupita...the actress makes you ache from her ordeals; not scary or unsettling...it's a convoluted and unsatisfying puzzle instead
Award-Worthy Performance
Lupita Nyong'o
WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN (1978)
d: Karel Reisz
CAST: Nick Nolte; Tuesday Weld; Michael Moriarty; Anthony Zerbe; Richard Masur
> a drug movie stocked with unlikeable people; Michael the Vietnam War journalist gets his army buddy Nick to smuggle heroin over to his wife Tuesday in the good ol' USA...Object: Make Money from Addicts + bad cops try to intercept and get it all for themselves + Nick outfoxes and outshoots them; you aren't on anybody's side in this: Nick goes from being an anti-drug returned soldier to ruthless opportunist + Tuesday is a doting mother who becomes a junkie waste of space + Michael is a mental-casualty of war who is also a self-absorbed user of people he loves; the film seems hacked at (I am sure there are missing scenes...where is the night that Nick & Tuesday first made love?) and as much as I am a Creedence fan, the regular use of the title track and "Hey Tonight" turns them into earworms...and that I can never forgive
Got something you want to tell me?
GO RIGHT AHEAD masted59@gmail.com
