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matthew.conlan
Reviews
Vertigo (1958)
Beautiful, haunting, ahead of its time...
Vertigo is one of those movies that has been studied and written about by more worthy film buffs than I. So, without going into plot, Vertigo has three features which set it apart for me... Vertigo captures a snap shot of San Francisco which acts as more than an incidental backdrop for a movie. Hitchcock fell in love with the Bay City and had decided years before he would film a thriller spanning its hilly streets and monuments. Second, Herrmann's soundtrack is among the most haunting and memorable of any movie. Rarely has another soundtrack so successfully created a mood that a movie would have lacked otherwise. Finally, for me, the overall dreamy milieu of Vertigo not only sets it apart from other Hitchcock thrillers, but also makes it one of those films that haunts and grows in my conscience as time passes. When first released, Vertigo received lukewarm appraise from audiences and critics alike. Seen as Hitchcock's most personal endeavour, Vertigo has gradually been elevated to the rank of timeless classic. I envy anyone who views it for the first time.
The Ladies Man (2000)
Once again, SNL proves they should stay away from the big screen.
I've been a fan of Ladies' Man for awhile now. Hell, until now I even had the movie poster as my screen saver at work for the last 2 months. Unfortunately, the SNL character skit going to the big screen has become even more anti-comedy than I had thought possible. 'Skit gone scat' I say.
The problem with this film, as with Pat, A Night at the Roxbury, Stewart Smalley(sp?)and other SNL character films (with the exception of Wayne's World), is that these characters simply aren't interesting enough to stretch into a 90 minute film. Granted there are some humorous moments in Ladies' Man, but for the most part, the film is puerile and painful to watch. I'll grant this one a very generous 3 on a scale of 1-10.