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Reviews
Green Light (1937)
Light but satisfying fare, with much for Flynn fans too
This is not a bad film. In fact it's quite watchable, and not just for Flynn completists; Flynn's youthful beauty is in full force, and his female co-stars are lovely and completely competent. Sir Cedric satisfies in the wise sagely role, and the plot is engaging, though it is light fare. I do agree, however, that Flynn, while not entirely miscast, because Warners was still experimenting with it's new superstar, was not a natural for this role-he is just a shade unconvincing as the noble saint, whereas he was always convincing as the noble rogue. Some of his natural rouguishness does show through, such as in the "I'm not a saint", "Neither am I" exchange, but Flynn was always at his best when he could display his intelligent and sometimes cruel wit to full effect in a noble cause which it takes him a little time to come around to fully support. He played a similar role in "Dive Bomber", where, though his character was noble, he definitely was no saint, and therefore he was more believable. Warners was smart to utilize him in the swashbuckling type roles that he is best remembered for, because that was what he saw himself as in many ways-"the method" was not his style.
6.8/10.
The Twilight Zone: Static (1961)
Reclaiming Youth
This is another TZ "reclaiming youth" entry, like "Walking Distance" and "The Trouble With Templeton", among others. This one, unlike the two I mention here, is a bit more slow moving and seemingly mundane; however, perhaps because of a minor connection with my own youth, I found this very touching and relevant.
One thing you can always count on with this series is that the story line, no matter how bizarre, always manages to find some human connection that can find warm spot most people's hearts. This one is no different, but even more so, at least for me. When I was growing up in the 70's, though of course television was the dominant media presence, my parents were iconoclasts of a sort, and one of the institutions they disliked was TV. So there was a lot of reading and radio listening in our house. Even at that late date, you could still listen to a lot of the old radio shows on nostalgia programs, and I loved listening to shows like Lum & Abner, Burns and Allen, The Great Gildersleeve, Fibber McGee and Molly, and many more, in addition to Dr. Demento. So I could really relate to Dean Jagger's character Ed Lindsay lying back on his bed, looking off into the distance, and enjoying his old shows. His laughter feels genuine.
Jagger was a great character actor, and in the short time given him here, he really captures Ed Lindsay and his sad,sweet nostalgia for the lost opprtunities of his youth. I just so happens that a previous sweetheart, who Ed almost married once, lives in the same rooming house-Vinnie, as portrayed by Carmen Mathews, who also played Lil, a love interest for Col. Potter on MASH twenty-odd years later. While Vinnie still seems to hold out some interest, Ed tends to push her away, as if he is stung by the mistake he made by not marrying her. Another, smaller character is Prof. Ackerman (Robert Emhardt), Ed's good friend, who balances his scientific skepticism with an acknowledgement that perhaps not everything can be explained when he says, "Impossible? Now that's a dangerous sort of a word to use nowadays, Vinnie." Seems like a pretty well-grounded perspective.
Anyway, the payoff at the end, which I will not relate here, does seem almost like an afterthought, as if it were felt that TZ had to live up to it's reputation. But it's still a sweet ending anyway, and the rest of the story really helps build the TZ brand as an imaginative series which, while dealing with quite a number of inhuman situations, always held a gentle regard for human strengths and frailties.
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXXI (2020)
Visually great
Like most of the episodes this season, I found that the animation in this THOH entry great and creative. They should stay away from politics, however; they put a terrible, forced bit out there and make out like it's some sort of smart insider joke. In reality, it's just tired and trite.
The Simpsons: Wad Goals (2021)
Not Great
OK but not great. A few good jokes. They delve into politics again but can't keep them straight-so it's OK for the police to raid some sort of a non-traditional sex operation as long as it's a bunch of stereotypical country club types running it? Suppose the same thing happened at the Obama's mansion-still OK?
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Meh
Not a great film. Was trying to ride the wave of the race films popular in that era (no, not that kind of race)-"The Great Race", "Those Daring Young Men in Their Flying Machines", etc.-all very tiresome themselves. Also trying to ride the "Wacky British" craze of the same era, largely brought about by Richard Lester's great "Hard Day's Night". Surprised this one hasn't been cancelled yet, due to use of the term "fuzzy-wuzzies" by Lionel Jeffries early in the film. No great loss if it was, I suppose.
1917 (2019)
A Beautiful Corpse
This film, much-hyped and ballyhooed, richly deserves the technical Oscars it received; the cinematography is truly, starkly beautiful, and the "one shot" approach to its filming is interesting, if gimmicky. Its biggest flaw, however, is its failure to engage and move the viewer on an emotional level.
One is painfully conscious of an ironically heavy-handed effort at understatement, and this effort succeeds too well, to the point of outright blandness. The acting is quite wooden-you can almost hear the directorial instruction, "more starch in the upper lips gentlemen; remember, this is the British army!" This flatness persists throughout the film, preparing the viewer for a payoff that never comes. When there is a scene that is meant to be emotionally powerful, it feels forced and insincere.
This movie borrows heavily from "Paths of Glory", from the long shot through the trenches to the wispy, meant-to-be affecting song just before the attack, both of which were far better done in the former movie.
In short, like too many movies coming out of Hollywood today, heavy reliance on the technical aspects of moviemaking while eschewing the transcendent has resulted in the production of "a beautiful corpse".
Running on Empty (1988)
Disgusting
Self-righteous radicals responsible for maiming a janitor in a bombing in the sixties, spending the rest of their life running from their heinous crime. Of course, we are supposed to feel sympathy for this pathetic duo, after all, their cause was righteous, and they only injured a what?-a janitor? Hell, this guy was a nobody who would have had a hard time justifying his existence to the committee anyway, right? The coming of age story is ruined by the presence of these two reprehensible individuals. The only good story about them would be one that ended in a fiery death, ala the SLA. Makes sense, though, that Hollywood would make a movie sympathetic to characters based on the likes of Bill the murderer Ayers and his doxie/moll "Burn-it-Down" Dohrn. Vomit-inducing crap.
American Sniper (2014)
Heads will explode in the "hate America first" crowd!
Read many of the negative reviews of this movie, and you will see the venom of a twisted political agenda. You will see words like "redneck", "sociopath", "Christian baby killer", and "nazi", along with many an anti-Christian, anti-southern US, and anti-US in general comment. I do believe that many of the people writing these types of reviews have not even seen the movie, and are essentially acting upon a Pavlovian reflex to hate and curse all things pro-American-yes; this crowd's handlers certainly have their drones well trained. While it is true that Eastwood has handled his directorial duties with a more subtle hand in the past, this is a well-directed, well-acted effort that deserves its Oscar nominations, but will probably not win the biggies. Chris Kyle's story is compelling and gut-wrenching, poignant, sad, and uplifting. Bradley Cooper deserves the best acting nod. While modern-day Hollywood loves to spit out blood, gore, ultra-violence, and soul-rotting perversion for every taste, all in the name of "entertainment" (ala Rome before the fall), nothing offends that community and its supporters more than a non-satiric, non-revisionist, look at a subject like patriotism, family values, or any theme based in Judeo-Christian morality. I mean, these are the people who want to allow Roman Polanski, a sick pedophile who drugged and then sodomized a thirteen year old girl, back into this country so that he can once again practice his "craft", when he should be smoking in hell-just like all the ululating terrorists Chris Kyle sent there.
Imitation of Life (1959)
A Beautiful Veneer
This movie has a deceptively beautiful veneer that hides its core like an iron fist in a bejeweled glove. Douglas Sirk's direction manages to present some of the most relevant and controversial social issues of the time in a format that would allow for maximum acceptability and exposure in pre-civil rights movement America. Without a doubt, the most powerful story is, and was meant to be, the relationship between Sarah Jane and her mother Annie. Some reviewers have described Sarah Jane as mean, even evil, for not accepting her race, and for the catastrophic effect this has on every aspect of her life, including the mother- daughter relationship. However, this is a narrow view of her character based on a modern mindset, wherein everyone is supposed to be proud of every aspect of their lives, and (for good and for bad) all differences are accepted and even celebrated. Sarah Jane's life circumstances in 1950's society put her in an extremely vulnerable position, and she dealt with her vulnerability as most human beings have always done-by defensively denying the aspects of herself that made her vulnerable. Thus, the timeless message of this story is less racial and more globally human-that denying one's true self almost always results in personal devastation. The self hatred displayed by Sarah Jane and the shattering effect it has on her life and soul will be deeply and emotionally felt by anyone watching this movie who has ever felt the least bit vulnerable-which means basically everyone.
Norma Rae (1979)
Slice of Bygone Americana
"Norma Rae" is an entertaining film. It is also interesting and enlightening because it depicts the beginning of the end of the textile and garment manufacturing industry in this country. The portrayals are excellent representations of folks with good intentions that, once implemented, will have unintended horrible consequences. Sally Field is excellent as the bumpkin who is taken in by the slick New York union organizer (excellently played by Ron Liebman). Will she then manage to get the rest of her co-workers to go along? This is a real slice of Americana, and there is an element of pathos, too, when one realizes that these good people were unwittingly sowing the seeds of destruction for their industry.
Old Yeller (1957)
Disney's Best Live-Action
This is what Disney did best in the 50's and early 60's with their live-action unit-no cynicism, no innuendo, just good family friendly storytelling with high production values and a moral. It is so refreshing to see this sort of movie, a true family movie, not just a 2 hour fart joke like so many kids movies are today. I watched this with my 9 year old daughter the other day, and, somewhat surprisingly, she remained completely engaged and enthralled throughout. I say surprised because so much of what is in the theater and on television for kids these days is just downright lazy, using flash, glitz, and breakneck pacing to distract from the rotten storytelling. Old Yeller, like most good stories, unfolds at a slower pace, but, because of the great storytelling, production, and acting, the payoff is not delayed, and the movie is satisfying throughout. It seems that today there is no true "family movie" category in cinema anymore, just sophomoric garbage for the kids, and empty violence, sex, and superficial titillation for everyone else. That is why it is so great to see movies like Old Yeller, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and other timeless live-action Disney family classics still getting some exposure.
Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
Lots of Good Stuff
There's a lot going on in this movie. As many have said here, it is layered. On the surface, it is the story of men's men, living on the edge, laughing at death, sometimes cheating him, other times losing the hand. On a deeper level, it is a love story, love between men who live a precarious existence, and intelligent, real adult love between these men and the women who admire, fear and hate the kind of life they lead. The cast is excellent; Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, and Thomas Mitchell are at their best, with wonderful support. Hawks is at his best also, taking a great, adventurous story, and using it as a framework to tell a lot more about life than one would suspect from the surface. I loved the sets; they had a kind of South American "Casablanca" feel. This is a great movie, highly recommended.
My Favorite Year (1982)
A Good-Hearted Story of Dissipation and Redemption
I have seen this movie five or six times. I liked it the first time I saw it, and I like it a little more each time I see it. It is a small film in many ways-no blockbuster, but with a big heart. Peter O'Toole is the biggest star in the film, and he does a superb job as the ex-Technicolor swashbuckler who has seen his last days as a leading man, finding solace in booze and casual sex. Mark Linn-Baker plays a young aspiring comedy writer, a great fan of Swann's, who is working as an intern on a comedy show in the early days of television, whose job it is to keep Alan Swann (O'Toole) in line while he prepares for a guest appearance. Helping him in this endeavor is Swann's driver and nursemaid Alfie Bumbacelli (Tony DiBenedetto). Together, they keep hold of Swann's coattails through several booze driven adventures leading up to show night and a hilarious and touching denouement. The story is funny and poignant, with a nice payoff. The characters are all likable, and the acting is uniformly good. It is a story of dissipation and redemption, handled with a nice touch that keeps the lighter side in the fore, but still able to make it's more "sober" points. Recommended.
Mrs. Miniver (1942)
Overrated
I'm sorry, but I've always felt that this film is overrated. The story is good, as a propaganda piece, yet the acting and the production values leave much to be desired.
To begin with, this is a very claustrophobic film, and feels very set-bound. It feels exactly as if it is taking place in a studio in Hollywood, and there is very little that feels English about it. I always feel very conscious that this is an American film about England made in America-even the Miniver house is much more American than English.
The acting is stiff. One is very conscious that the two principal American actors, Teresa Wright and Richard Ney, are clearly not English, and even the English actors seem to be trying too hard. Greer Garson gives the best performance in the film, but her acting seems strained throughout. Walter Pidgeon has a hard time being convincingly English, though as a Canadian, he does a better job than the Americans.
I can see how this would have won Best Picture of 1942; the field was fairly weak that year (although I think that "Talk of the Town" was a better film, or even "King's Row"), and with our recent entry into the war, the propaganda impact was enough to put it over.
It's an okay film that loses more impact each passing year. It certainly is not timeless art, nor is it deserving of the gushing praise that it often gets.
Great Expectations (1946)
A Staggering Achievement
I read Dicken's novel long before seeing this film and found it to be the masterwork of a great master. I had also seen numerous adaptations of Dicken's works, most of them quite satisfactory, even great, as might well be expected when working from such quality material. I thus settled down to a viewing of David Lean's "Great Expectations" with rather high expectations-pun somewhat intended. My expectations were not high enough, much to my joy, as I found myself experiencing a masterwork in it's own right. To Dickens fans and Lean fans alike, those who have not seen this movie, I can only say that you owe it to yourself to see this film. I echo the sentiments of many of the reviewers here; this film is nearly perfect in every aspect, and reaches an almost transcendent level, taking it's place among other exemplars of high art forms.
Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
Eye Candy
The biggest star here is the cinematography. The daylight exteriors are as luscious as it gets. Someone really had a feel for time and place in this one. Sets and set dressing are exquisite as well, with a real colonial feel, gritty and rough-hewn. Superb Technicolor. Of the stars, a youthful, gangly Henry Fonda is exuberant and innocent. Claudette Colbert is a little old for this role, but she pulls it off magnificently, giving a little touch of "robbing the cradle". A troupe of great character actors, including Ward Bond and Edna Oliver, round out the subtext. The result is an engaging, rollicking Technicolor romp that delivers the entertainment goods.
Act of Violence (1948)
Top-notch noir
This is some of the grittiest noir I have seen. This is as close to the bone as it gets- no wisecracking to lighten the mood, no sacrificing of story for atmosphere, although there is plenty of atmosphere-just a dark, straight ahead story of people with a past, passing through a world where no one is perfectly clean. There are no epiphanies, no one is morally redeemed. These are people who have in the past been placed in horrible circumstances by forces largely beyond their control, but the disasters that their lives have become are largely of their own making.
Robert Ryan gives a solid performance as the vengeance-crazed vet. Van Heflin's performance as the guilt- ridden, morally conflicted (and thus morally ambiguous) ex-POW is excellent. He disintegrates from upstanding hale-fellow-well-met to cringing man-on- the-run as he realizes that his current life is a fragile construction of fantasy that the horror of his past during the war must inevitably shatter. Mary Astor's performance as the aging barfly looking for "kicks" is stunning and in my opinion, Oscar-worthy, although she was not nominated that year. L.A.'s original Bunker Hill district is also a standout in many scenes.
As with any noir, you won't be uplifted. You will, however, be entertained by "Act of Violence".
Sincerely Yours (1955)
The man had talent
This movie was my first significant introduction to Liberace, beyond jokes and wisecracks. I went into it ready to laugh, but I ended up smiling. Sure, the plot is hokey, but when you throw in the great music, the beautiful Warnercolor photography, and Liberace's showmanship, you have a fun, winning combination. I was quite surprised that Liberace could actually act. He's no Oscar candidate, but he gives a warm, sincere performance that fits the story perfectly. Plus, the man had fantastic talent for playing the piano-I have read a lot of critiques of his musical ability that dismiss his talent as being second rate, however, from what I saw in this movie, he could play and play very well. All I know is that I found this movie entertaining.
The Fortune Cookie (1966)
Flawed, but still a great comedy.
First let me say that nobody handles the combination of pathos and comedy like Billy Wilder. One need only view classics like Sunset Boulevard, Stalag 17, and The Apartment to become convinced of this. And, as well as he handled the seriocomic, he was just as good at straight comedy (Some Like It Hot, One, Two, Three). Once in a great while, however, Wlder directed a film in which it appears that he was unsure of which way to go. I give as examples Irma la Douce and this film, The Fortune Cookie.
The Fortune Cookie is a seriocomic turn that is just aching to be a straight comedy. The wonderful, over-the-top performance by Walter Matthau as "Whiplash" Willie Gingrich clashes somewhat jarringly with the serious plot line of the troubled football player, portrayed rather woodenly by Ron Rich. And, while we are used to flawed protagonists from Wilder, Jack Lemmon's character, Harry Hinkle, is difficult to root for, as he is almost as venal as Willie, but not nearly as funny. The overall effect is that while you may count your fingers after shaking hands with Willie, you still wish him well because he makes you feel good, but with Harry, you get a slightly distasteful feeling, even when he is being heroic. Judi West and Cliff Osmond deliver finely tuned, restrained comedic performances that complement Matthau's Fieldsian shyster, but Ron Rich's "Boom-Boom" Jackson is sadly underdeveloped and one-dimensional, as if Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond were reluctant to have an African-American character made light of. When one puts the film into historical context, this is understandable, yet one can't help but think that the viewing audiences of 1966 were probably ready for a less than dead serious black man, and had "Boom-Boom" been included in the fun, this could have been, if not a breakthrough film, at least a much better one, and possibly another Wilder/Diamond classic.
All that having being said, this is a very funny movie, delivering plenty of outright horselaughs, and it is worth seeing for Matthau's performance alone. The black and white cinematography is also a standout. This is one of the last few feature films to be shot in black and white not consciously attempting to be retro, and Joseph LaShelle's handling of the medium in both location and set shots helped make the drab environs of Cleveland almost beautiful, earning him a well-deserved Oscar nomination.
The Apartment (1960)
Perhaps the greatest romantic comedy of all time.
This is one of the great films of the mid-20th century, or of all time for that matter. This film is contemporary with its time, 1960 New York City, yet it's themes and portrayals resonate strongly across 52 years and remain completely relevant. Films portraying contemporary, everyday life (no great, world shaking events, just events that might occur any day, in any city), in order to have lasting impact, must deal with the most basic aspects of the human soul and psyche, those things that are timeless and universal to all human beings. The Apartment does just that. After at least a dozen viewings of this film over the years, it has never failed to deliver for me. In fact, at each viewing, I have discovered something new in it, or perhaps rather in myself. This is another measure of a great film-the film and the viewer tend to grow with each other.
Wilder's touch here is light but sure. With romantic comedies, it is so easy to stray too far into mawkish sentimentality or sophomoric humor, so that one loses interest in the characters because they become just that- characters. In The Apartment, Billy Wilder walks that fine line, and manages to blend humor with pathos and romance while "keeping it real". While Wilder doesn't love his characters, he never loses his respect for their humanity, even the heel Sheldrake, and thus he is able to give his viewers a genuine experience that reaches into the soul, touches it, enriches it, and uplifts it.
Do yourself a favor and watch this one-it will not disappoint.