Movie-Viewing Experiences 14/7/19 - 11/8/19
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
SABOTAGE (1936)
A- THIRD VIEWING
d: Alfred Hitchcock
CAST: Sylvia Sidney; Oskar Homolka; Desmond Tester; John Loder
> this British thriller contains Hitchcock's most brutal scene prior to Janet Leigh having a shower: the killing of a child (and a puppy!) by parcel bomb...which is followed by a borderline-bizarre display of shock & grief & retribution, all triggered into action by a Disney cartoon(!!); this one-two punch takes up around 20 minutes in a 76 minute film and mighty powerful it is, too...one of Hitch's very best; the film is flawed though: my biggest gripe is the can't-believe-it-even-slightly marriage of Sylvia & Oskar...they come across more as uncle & niece...but there's no yuck factor...it's an artifice that's just there for storytelling convenience; while the film contains the trademark touches of humour, it's nowhere near as much fun as The 39 Steps or The Lady Vanishes...but it's not supposed to be: this is a story of terrorism
HAPPY IS THE BRIDE (1958)
A- FIRST VIEWING
d: Roy Boulting
CAST: Ian Carmichael; Cecil Parker; Janette Scott; Edith Sharpe
> one of the funnier British comedies which is rarely ever mentioned when lists are drawn up... certainly one of the best Boulting Brothers movies; Ian doesn't play a gormless twit (well, not entirely) this time, which is nice for a change; centering around a wedding, this farce has the usual lighthearted digs at an array of British societal institutions: unionism + the law + class + family + village life + heritage over change + sex; while many of the situations are amusing in themselves, what really pushes this up into the heights is the amazing character-actor cast: Cecil Parker! Edith Sharpe! Terry-Thomas! Joyce Grenfell! John Le Mesurier! Irene Handl! Miles Malleson! Athene Seyler!...even if you don't know the names, you'll pick the faces; it's not often a comedy makes me laugh out loud...this one managed it at least half a dozen times
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961)
B+ FIRST VIEWING
d: Roger Corman
CAST: Vincent Price; John Kerr; Barbara Steele; Luana Anders; Antony Carbone
> definitely creepy; this is a mash-up of the same-name Edgar Allan Poe short story and something that the screenwriter & Corman cooked up, but the mood (dread right from the start) is 100% Poe...sex + betrayal + madness + slow death; serious young man arrives unannounced to find out how his sister died...his grieving brother-in-law gives him a guided tour of the family castle and the old torture chamber downstairs...and would you like to see the crypt?; Vincent gives his usual overripe performance (he could never get the hang of a subtle grimace, could he?), but at least it's more lively than the acting of John (as stiff as timber); beautifully staged & shot on the typical Corman tight budget, this has a couple of genuinely frightening scenes and a climax which effectively grabs hold, topped off by a final image that will shiver you
MISSISSIPPI GRIND (2015)
B+ FIRST VIEWING
d: Anna Boden; Ryan Fleck
CAST: Ben Mendelsohn; Ryan Reynolds; Sienna Miller; Analeigh Tipton
> a character study of two men who become friends, initially because opposites attract...but we discover they are more alike than they think; I'm not usually a fan of Helpless Loser stories, especially when addiction is involved (here, it's gambling), but the acting of the two leads makes this one reasonably intriguing; Ben as the man-with-a-problem gets all the high-impact scenes, but Ryan matches him (which is a surprise...Mr Reynolds' appeal has always eluded me) and has the tougher, more complex role; mix in a cool blues soundtrack, a New Orleans locale and an odd ending that may or may not work, and you've got a road movie that's worth hitching onto
Award-Worthy Performances
Ben Mendelsohn & Ryan Reynolds
THE PLOUGHMAN'S LUNCH (1983)
B FIRST VIEWING
d: Richard Eyre
CAST: Jonathan Pryce; Tim Curry; Rosemary Harris; Charlie Dore; Frank Finlay
> a subdued look into a void where human emotion and morality are supposed to be; Jonathan is a BBC radio journalist in the time of The Falklands War...he thinks nothing of lying, saying what people want to hear and faking feelings, just so he can manipulate actions...he can't be bothered with substance or sense (he ridicules poets + smokes while playing squash + considers his dying mother a nuisance)...what he believes to be really important is trying to bed sweet Susie, but much to his surprise, that's not so easily directed; the main problem with shallow people is that they also tend to be dull people...the only interest comes from their comeuppance and, in this film, that's at the end of quite a wander; still, if you can hang in there (Tim & Rosemary help), and don't expect anything too explosive, this has its moments
S1M0NE (2002)
B FIRST VIEWING
d: Andrew Niccol
CAST: Al Pacino; Catherine Keener; Rachel Roberts; Evan Rachel Wood; Pruitt Taylor Vince
> a struggling writer/director in Hollywood has absolutely had it with pumped-up movie stars who have all the clout...so, via the magic of digital reality, he designs his own actress...and the world falls in love with her...Frankenstein has made another monster, but this time, it's gorgeous; this is a story idea which is so clever that it nearly overwhelms what is subsequently done with it; Al is nobody's idea of a light comedian, but he does surprisingly well here (mainly because he spends half the movie being exasperated, very Dog Day Afternoon) and newcomer Rachel is quite convincing as a synthetic woman (that is not meant as a putdown...that's the role); there are a number of laughs in this, and more than a few pertinent points being made about humanity vs empty celebrity, but you can too easily see where it's heading
BULLETS OR BALLOTS (1936)
B FIRST VIEWING
d: William Keighley
CAST: Edward G. Robinson; Humphrey Bogart; Joan Blondell; Barton McLane; Frank McHugh
> this is one of those hard-hitting, ripped-from-the-headlines gangster films which Warner Bros used to churn out as proof of their "social conscience"...until WWII came along and put urban crime on the backburner; biggest crime in this is the total waste of Joan (she is given the dreary "unrequited love interest" role...oh well, at least she gets to slap Bogie when he puts the moves on her); can't help but think that this film would have had more oomph if Eddie G and Bogie swapped parts...Bogart as the antihero and Robinson as the baddie through & through; the twist in the tale is revealed too early on (and is fairly obvious), and the supporting cast isn't all it should be (Frank is the only comic relief and his shtick here is inane), but this is an acceptable entertainment if you're a fan of good ol' pre-noir / action-rather-than-mood gangster movies
INTO THE FOREST (2015)
B- FIRST VIEWING
d: Patricia Rozema
CAST: Ellen Page; Evan Rachel Wood; Callum Keith Rennie; Max Minghella
> ever been stuck in a blackout?...a long one?...ever thought the power was never going to come back on?...here's a film about exactly that: the end of the civilized world as we know it, reversion to a feral state, hunting & gathering, wiping your bum on leaves and pining for the internet; when the lights go out, a pair of sisters must fend for themselves, living off the Canadian forest in a lovely but isolated house; the young actresses give open, natural performances, but I never thought they were sisters (more like classmates) and the plot broadcasted itself too blatantly: as soon as mean guys revved up on motorbikes, I knew there was going to be trouble; overall though, despite a heinous assault, a nasty chainsaw accident and steaming pig guts, this is a rather mild look at the apocalypse in gorgeous surroundings
NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS (1958)
B- FIRST VIEWING
d: Mervyn LeRoy
CAST: Andy Griffith; Nick Adams; Myron McCormick; Murray Hamilton; Howard Smith
> this is the hit film version of a popular novel made into a long-running play that became a short-lived but well-regarded TV show...I can't see what all the fuss is about; Andy is the country bumpkin (a cross between Gomer Pyle and Lennie from Of Mice and Men) who is drafted into the Air Force...he drives his sergeant crazy and creates no end of guffaw-stoking antics; problem is that I only guffawed when Myron was on the screen (an exasperated hoot) or when the toilet seats saluted; being a military comedy, there's the standard drunk scene + barroom brawl + yelling generals & buffoonish colonels + bombs-can-be-fun...meh
Award-Worthy Performance
Myron McCormick
MAX DUGAN RETURNS (1983)
B- FIRST VIEWING
d: Herbert Ross
CAST: Marsha Mason; Jason Robards; Matthew Broderick; Donald Sutherland
> a Neil Simon story about how a struggling teacher's life is turned upsidedown by the reappearance of her long-gone father (lousy dad + ex-con + loaded with money + wanted by The Mob + six months left to live...he wants to finish off his life with family and making amends) ...you can smell the sentiment on it from 20 paces; despite impending oblivion for a sweet old man and regular references to urban crime, this is a lighthearted & pleasant slice of nothing-much; Marsha plays exactly the same role that she always plays in these things, Jason scores points as the geriatric twinkler, Matthew is a nice 14 year old even though the actor was really 21 and Donald tries to do something charming with the thankless role of wouldbe-suitor / but is also a suspicious cop; I rearranged my bookshelves while it was on and missed nothing
JULES VERNE'S ROCKET TO THE MOON aka THOSE FANTASTIC FLYING FOOLS (1967)
C FIRST VIEWING
d: Don Sharp
CAST: Burl Ives; Troy Donahue; Lionel Jeffries; Gert Frobe; Dennis Price; Terry-Thomas
> unlike other Godfathers of Sci-Fi (such as H.G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs), film adaptations of Jules Verne novels are usually comedies for kiddies...this one aims for adults (yep, there's sex)...but just once I'd like someone to take the guy's work seriously...respect for those who came first and all that; following the formula of Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, this reduces both the frantic pace and the slapstick quota of that surprisingly-popular comedy, and consequently comes across as sluggish; the rather eclectic cast has a dearth of comics (exceptions: Lionel & T-T, as amusing as always), but most of the tale's adventure has been drained away in favour of laughs anyway...too bad there aren't any...unless explosions-giving-men-smudgy-faces-and-singed-hair is your idea of thigh-slapping hilarity
BRIGHTBURN (2019)
D FIRST VIEWING IN-CINEMA
d: David Yarovesky
CAST: Elizabeth Banks; Jackson A. Dunn; David Denman; Matt Jones; Meredith Hagner
> I'm quite late coming to this, but I didn't miss much; as everyone has pointed out, this is a spin on the Superman origin story...but rather than the infant refugee from Krypton growing up to use his powers for good, this alien child uses his powers for evil...well, a hackneyed movie-version of evil (kills when miffed & smiles while he lies & is a little pervy); quite the dud in many ways, this film aims for a superhero / horror hybrid and blows it: the cast (and most fatally of all, the central kid) are a rather uninspired, uninvolving lot + some scenes are unintentionally dumb and needlessly gross + the onset of puberty triggers all the mayhem but there's no build-up...it's as if the kid wakes up one morning, discovers he's got pubes and takes it out on the world; Suggested Tagline: "He's not the Man of Steel; he's just a very naughty boy"
Got something you want to tell me?
GO RIGHT AHEAD masted59@gmail.com
SABOTAGE (1936)
d: Alfred Hitchcock
CAST: Sylvia Sidney; Oskar Homolka; Desmond Tester; John Loder
> this British thriller contains Hitchcock's most brutal scene prior to Janet Leigh having a shower: the killing of a child (and a puppy!) by parcel bomb...which is followed by a borderline-bizarre display of shock & grief & retribution, all triggered into action by a Disney cartoon(!!); this one-two punch takes up around 20 minutes in a 76 minute film and mighty powerful it is, too...one of Hitch's very best; the film is flawed though: my biggest gripe is the can't-believe-it-even-slightly marriage of Sylvia & Oskar...they come across more as uncle & niece...but there's no yuck factor...it's an artifice that's just there for storytelling convenience; while the film contains the trademark touches of humour, it's nowhere near as much fun as The 39 Steps or The Lady Vanishes...but it's not supposed to be: this is a story of terrorism
HAPPY IS THE BRIDE (1958)
d: Roy Boulting
CAST: Ian Carmichael; Cecil Parker; Janette Scott; Edith Sharpe
> one of the funnier British comedies which is rarely ever mentioned when lists are drawn up... certainly one of the best Boulting Brothers movies; Ian doesn't play a gormless twit (well, not entirely) this time, which is nice for a change; centering around a wedding, this farce has the usual lighthearted digs at an array of British societal institutions: unionism + the law + class + family + village life + heritage over change + sex; while many of the situations are amusing in themselves, what really pushes this up into the heights is the amazing character-actor cast: Cecil Parker! Edith Sharpe! Terry-Thomas! Joyce Grenfell! John Le Mesurier! Irene Handl! Miles Malleson! Athene Seyler!...even if you don't know the names, you'll pick the faces; it's not often a comedy makes me laugh out loud...this one managed it at least half a dozen times
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961)
d: Roger Corman
CAST: Vincent Price; John Kerr; Barbara Steele; Luana Anders; Antony Carbone
> definitely creepy; this is a mash-up of the same-name Edgar Allan Poe short story and something that the screenwriter & Corman cooked up, but the mood (dread right from the start) is 100% Poe...sex + betrayal + madness + slow death; serious young man arrives unannounced to find out how his sister died...his grieving brother-in-law gives him a guided tour of the family castle and the old torture chamber downstairs...and would you like to see the crypt?; Vincent gives his usual overripe performance (he could never get the hang of a subtle grimace, could he?), but at least it's more lively than the acting of John (as stiff as timber); beautifully staged & shot on the typical Corman tight budget, this has a couple of genuinely frightening scenes and a climax which effectively grabs hold, topped off by a final image that will shiver you
MISSISSIPPI GRIND (2015)
d: Anna Boden; Ryan Fleck
CAST: Ben Mendelsohn; Ryan Reynolds; Sienna Miller; Analeigh Tipton
> a character study of two men who become friends, initially because opposites attract...but we discover they are more alike than they think; I'm not usually a fan of Helpless Loser stories, especially when addiction is involved (here, it's gambling), but the acting of the two leads makes this one reasonably intriguing; Ben as the man-with-a-problem gets all the high-impact scenes, but Ryan matches him (which is a surprise...Mr Reynolds' appeal has always eluded me) and has the tougher, more complex role; mix in a cool blues soundtrack, a New Orleans locale and an odd ending that may or may not work, and you've got a road movie that's worth hitching onto
Award-Worthy Performances
Ben Mendelsohn & Ryan Reynolds
THE PLOUGHMAN'S LUNCH (1983)
d: Richard Eyre
CAST: Jonathan Pryce; Tim Curry; Rosemary Harris; Charlie Dore; Frank Finlay
> a subdued look into a void where human emotion and morality are supposed to be; Jonathan is a BBC radio journalist in the time of The Falklands War...he thinks nothing of lying, saying what people want to hear and faking feelings, just so he can manipulate actions...he can't be bothered with substance or sense (he ridicules poets + smokes while playing squash + considers his dying mother a nuisance)...what he believes to be really important is trying to bed sweet Susie, but much to his surprise, that's not so easily directed; the main problem with shallow people is that they also tend to be dull people...the only interest comes from their comeuppance and, in this film, that's at the end of quite a wander; still, if you can hang in there (Tim & Rosemary help), and don't expect anything too explosive, this has its moments
S1M0NE (2002)
d: Andrew Niccol
CAST: Al Pacino; Catherine Keener; Rachel Roberts; Evan Rachel Wood; Pruitt Taylor Vince
> a struggling writer/director in Hollywood has absolutely had it with pumped-up movie stars who have all the clout...so, via the magic of digital reality, he designs his own actress...and the world falls in love with her...Frankenstein has made another monster, but this time, it's gorgeous; this is a story idea which is so clever that it nearly overwhelms what is subsequently done with it; Al is nobody's idea of a light comedian, but he does surprisingly well here (mainly because he spends half the movie being exasperated, very Dog Day Afternoon) and newcomer Rachel is quite convincing as a synthetic woman (that is not meant as a putdown...that's the role); there are a number of laughs in this, and more than a few pertinent points being made about humanity vs empty celebrity, but you can too easily see where it's heading
BULLETS OR BALLOTS (1936)
d: William Keighley
CAST: Edward G. Robinson; Humphrey Bogart; Joan Blondell; Barton McLane; Frank McHugh
> this is one of those hard-hitting, ripped-from-the-headlines gangster films which Warner Bros used to churn out as proof of their "social conscience"...until WWII came along and put urban crime on the backburner; biggest crime in this is the total waste of Joan (she is given the dreary "unrequited love interest" role...oh well, at least she gets to slap Bogie when he puts the moves on her); can't help but think that this film would have had more oomph if Eddie G and Bogie swapped parts...Bogart as the antihero and Robinson as the baddie through & through; the twist in the tale is revealed too early on (and is fairly obvious), and the supporting cast isn't all it should be (Frank is the only comic relief and his shtick here is inane), but this is an acceptable entertainment if you're a fan of good ol' pre-noir / action-rather-than-mood gangster movies
INTO THE FOREST (2015)
B- FIRST VIEWINGd: Patricia Rozema
CAST: Ellen Page; Evan Rachel Wood; Callum Keith Rennie; Max Minghella
> ever been stuck in a blackout?...a long one?...ever thought the power was never going to come back on?...here's a film about exactly that: the end of the civilized world as we know it, reversion to a feral state, hunting & gathering, wiping your bum on leaves and pining for the internet; when the lights go out, a pair of sisters must fend for themselves, living off the Canadian forest in a lovely but isolated house; the young actresses give open, natural performances, but I never thought they were sisters (more like classmates) and the plot broadcasted itself too blatantly: as soon as mean guys revved up on motorbikes, I knew there was going to be trouble; overall though, despite a heinous assault, a nasty chainsaw accident and steaming pig guts, this is a rather mild look at the apocalypse in gorgeous surroundings
NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS (1958)
d: Mervyn LeRoy
CAST: Andy Griffith; Nick Adams; Myron McCormick; Murray Hamilton; Howard Smith
> this is the hit film version of a popular novel made into a long-running play that became a short-lived but well-regarded TV show...I can't see what all the fuss is about; Andy is the country bumpkin (a cross between Gomer Pyle and Lennie from Of Mice and Men) who is drafted into the Air Force...he drives his sergeant crazy and creates no end of guffaw-stoking antics; problem is that I only guffawed when Myron was on the screen (an exasperated hoot) or when the toilet seats saluted; being a military comedy, there's the standard drunk scene + barroom brawl + yelling generals & buffoonish colonels + bombs-can-be-fun...meh
Award-Worthy Performance
Myron McCormick
MAX DUGAN RETURNS (1983)
d: Herbert Ross
CAST: Marsha Mason; Jason Robards; Matthew Broderick; Donald Sutherland
> a Neil Simon story about how a struggling teacher's life is turned upsidedown by the reappearance of her long-gone father (lousy dad + ex-con + loaded with money + wanted by The Mob + six months left to live...he wants to finish off his life with family and making amends) ...you can smell the sentiment on it from 20 paces; despite impending oblivion for a sweet old man and regular references to urban crime, this is a lighthearted & pleasant slice of nothing-much; Marsha plays exactly the same role that she always plays in these things, Jason scores points as the geriatric twinkler, Matthew is a nice 14 year old even though the actor was really 21 and Donald tries to do something charming with the thankless role of wouldbe-suitor / but is also a suspicious cop; I rearranged my bookshelves while it was on and missed nothing
JULES VERNE'S ROCKET TO THE MOON aka THOSE FANTASTIC FLYING FOOLS (1967)
d: Don Sharp
CAST: Burl Ives; Troy Donahue; Lionel Jeffries; Gert Frobe; Dennis Price; Terry-Thomas
> unlike other Godfathers of Sci-Fi (such as H.G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs), film adaptations of Jules Verne novels are usually comedies for kiddies...this one aims for adults (yep, there's sex)...but just once I'd like someone to take the guy's work seriously...respect for those who came first and all that; following the formula of Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, this reduces both the frantic pace and the slapstick quota of that surprisingly-popular comedy, and consequently comes across as sluggish; the rather eclectic cast has a dearth of comics (exceptions: Lionel & T-T, as amusing as always), but most of the tale's adventure has been drained away in favour of laughs anyway...too bad there aren't any...unless explosions-giving-men-smudgy-faces-and-singed-hair is your idea of thigh-slapping hilarity
BRIGHTBURN (2019)
d: David Yarovesky
CAST: Elizabeth Banks; Jackson A. Dunn; David Denman; Matt Jones; Meredith Hagner
> I'm quite late coming to this, but I didn't miss much; as everyone has pointed out, this is a spin on the Superman origin story...but rather than the infant refugee from Krypton growing up to use his powers for good, this alien child uses his powers for evil...well, a hackneyed movie-version of evil (kills when miffed & smiles while he lies & is a little pervy); quite the dud in many ways, this film aims for a superhero / horror hybrid and blows it: the cast (and most fatally of all, the central kid) are a rather uninspired, uninvolving lot + some scenes are unintentionally dumb and needlessly gross + the onset of puberty triggers all the mayhem but there's no build-up...it's as if the kid wakes up one morning, discovers he's got pubes and takes it out on the world; Suggested Tagline: "He's not the Man of Steel; he's just a very naughty boy"
Got something you want to tell me?
GO RIGHT AHEAD masted59@gmail.com
