High Fidelity. 2000 Touchstone Pictures.
Starring: John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso, Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joan Cusack
Cameo by: Bruce Springsteen
Director: Stephen Frears
Buy High Fidelity at Amazon.
Rob Gordon (John Cusack) plays the central role in the film adaptation of Nick Hornby's 1995 novel. Rob is a music fanatic whose understanding of women is...well, it could be said that he has a better relationship with his record collection than any of his past girlfriends. The movie opens with Rob listening to "You're Gonna Miss Me" by the 13th Floor Elevators as his current girlfriend Laura (Hjejle) walks out on him. After Laura leaves, Rob starts looking up some of his former lovers in an attempt to find out exactly what he's doing wrong.
When he's not doing that, Rob spends a lot of time at the music store he owns, Championship Vinyl (on the corner of Milwaukee and Honore in Chicago, if you're curious!) with the "musical moron twins" Dick (Louiso) and Barry (Black). They all compile "top five" lists for just about everything you could think of, while mocking the ignorance of some of their customers, and selling a few records now and then.
Highly recommended for Cusack fans and music freaks, just to see all of the references you could get by watching it.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 5 (Disc 1)
Buy it at Amazon.
The first disc in 2007's installment featured a selection of shorts featuring Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck:
14 Carrot Rabbit, directed by Friz Freleng, 1952 (Wiki).
Ali Baba Bunny, directed by Chuck Jones, 1957 (Wiki).
Buccaneer Bunny, directed by Friz Freleng, 1948 (Wiki).
Bugs' Bonnets, directed by Chuck Jones, 1956 (Wiki).
A Star is Bored, directed by Friz Freleng, 1956 (Wiki).
A Pest in the House, directed by Chuck Jones, 1947 (Wiki).
Transylvania 6-5000, directed by Chuck Jones, 1963 (Wiki).
Oily Hare, directed by Robert McKimson, 1952 (Wiki).
Stupor Duck, directed by Robert McKimson, 1956 (Wiki).
The Stupor Salesman, directed by Arthur Davis, 1948 (Wiki).
The Abominable Snow Rabbit, directed by Chuck Jones, 1961 (Wiki).
The Super Snooper, directed by Robert McKimson, 1952.
The Up-Standing Sitter, directed by Robert McKimson, 1948 (Wiki).
Hollywood Daffy, directed by Friz Freleng, 1946 (Wiki).
You Were Never Duckier, directed by Chuck Jones, 1948 (Wiki).
Thoughts: Definitely one of the most enjoyable single discs on all five sets, with some real classics included. Highly recommended disc.
The first disc in 2007's installment featured a selection of shorts featuring Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck:
14 Carrot Rabbit, directed by Friz Freleng, 1952 (Wiki).
Ali Baba Bunny, directed by Chuck Jones, 1957 (Wiki).
Buccaneer Bunny, directed by Friz Freleng, 1948 (Wiki).
Bugs' Bonnets, directed by Chuck Jones, 1956 (Wiki).
A Star is Bored, directed by Friz Freleng, 1956 (Wiki).
A Pest in the House, directed by Chuck Jones, 1947 (Wiki).
Transylvania 6-5000, directed by Chuck Jones, 1963 (Wiki).
Oily Hare, directed by Robert McKimson, 1952 (Wiki).
Stupor Duck, directed by Robert McKimson, 1956 (Wiki).
The Stupor Salesman, directed by Arthur Davis, 1948 (Wiki).
The Abominable Snow Rabbit, directed by Chuck Jones, 1961 (Wiki).
The Super Snooper, directed by Robert McKimson, 1952.
The Up-Standing Sitter, directed by Robert McKimson, 1948 (Wiki).
Hollywood Daffy, directed by Friz Freleng, 1946 (Wiki).
You Were Never Duckier, directed by Chuck Jones, 1948 (Wiki).
Thoughts: Definitely one of the most enjoyable single discs on all five sets, with some real classics included. Highly recommended disc.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Slap Shot
Slap Shot. 1977 Universal Pictures.
Starring: Paul Newman, Strother Martin, Michael Ontkean, Jennifer Warren, Lindsay Crouse
The Hanson Brothers: Jeff Carlson, Steve Carlson, Dave Hanson
Director: George Roy Hill
Buy Slap Shot at Amazon.
A hockey franchise called the Charlestown Chiefs are in trouble. The town is in trouble, thanks to mill closings, and the Chiefs are slated to be folded at the end of the season. Reggie Dunlop (Newman) is the player-coach of this bunch of losers, and he unknowingly picks up the people who will end up saving the team, and the season. The Hansons are violent goons on the ice that aren't especially bright. Dunlop keeps them on the bench until one desperate moment in a game, and the brothers end up stealing the show, giving the Charlestown fans something to cheer about.
Dunlop keeps his team motivated by lying about a prospective buyer interested in buying the Chiefs and moving them to Florida, and he ends up meeting the owner of the team, who is content to let the team fold at season's end, taking the tax write-off.
Things come to a head during the final playoff game against a team from Syracuse. Will the Chiefs' newfound penchant for violent play ultimately be their downfall?
Definitely the greatest movie about hockey ever made. Recommended.
Starring: Paul Newman, Strother Martin, Michael Ontkean, Jennifer Warren, Lindsay Crouse
The Hanson Brothers: Jeff Carlson, Steve Carlson, Dave Hanson
Director: George Roy Hill
Buy Slap Shot at Amazon.
A hockey franchise called the Charlestown Chiefs are in trouble. The town is in trouble, thanks to mill closings, and the Chiefs are slated to be folded at the end of the season. Reggie Dunlop (Newman) is the player-coach of this bunch of losers, and he unknowingly picks up the people who will end up saving the team, and the season. The Hansons are violent goons on the ice that aren't especially bright. Dunlop keeps them on the bench until one desperate moment in a game, and the brothers end up stealing the show, giving the Charlestown fans something to cheer about.
Dunlop keeps his team motivated by lying about a prospective buyer interested in buying the Chiefs and moving them to Florida, and he ends up meeting the owner of the team, who is content to let the team fold at season's end, taking the tax write-off.
Things come to a head during the final playoff game against a team from Syracuse. Will the Chiefs' newfound penchant for violent play ultimately be their downfall?
Definitely the greatest movie about hockey ever made. Recommended.
Fatal Instinct
Fatal Instinct. 1993 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Starring: Armand Assante, Sherilyn Fenn, Kate Nelligan, Sean Young, Tony Randall
Director: Carl Reiner
Buy Fatal Instinct at Amazon.
Carl Reiner directed this parody of several movies. Ned Ravine (Assante) is a police officer and a lawyer who believes he knows everything there is to know about women, promising to retire from the police department if anyone ever proves him wrong. He encounters Lola Cain (Young) during a stakeout, and she begins pursuing Ned. Meanwhile, Ned's wife (Nelligan) is having an affair with Frank (Christopher McDonald), an auto mechanic, and they devise a plan to kill Ned to collect nine million dollars in insurance money. See, if Ned is shot, falls from a northbound train, and drowns in a freshwater stream, Lana will collect the money, thanks to the triple indemnity rider.
Also, Max Shady (James Remar) is released from prison after a seven year sentence. He plans to kill Ned for failing to successfully defend him in court. Predictably, all storylines collide with the typical wackiness that ensues.
Good movie, but not a great one. Recommended.
Starring: Armand Assante, Sherilyn Fenn, Kate Nelligan, Sean Young, Tony Randall
Director: Carl Reiner
Buy Fatal Instinct at Amazon.
Carl Reiner directed this parody of several movies. Ned Ravine (Assante) is a police officer and a lawyer who believes he knows everything there is to know about women, promising to retire from the police department if anyone ever proves him wrong. He encounters Lola Cain (Young) during a stakeout, and she begins pursuing Ned. Meanwhile, Ned's wife (Nelligan) is having an affair with Frank (Christopher McDonald), an auto mechanic, and they devise a plan to kill Ned to collect nine million dollars in insurance money. See, if Ned is shot, falls from a northbound train, and drowns in a freshwater stream, Lana will collect the money, thanks to the triple indemnity rider.
Also, Max Shady (James Remar) is released from prison after a seven year sentence. He plans to kill Ned for failing to successfully defend him in court. Predictably, all storylines collide with the typical wackiness that ensues.
Good movie, but not a great one. Recommended.
Advise & Consent
Advise & Consent. 1962 Otto Preminger Films (released to home video by Warner Bros.)
Starring: Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton, Don Murray, Walter Pidgeon, Peter Lawford, Gene Tierney, Franchot Tone, Lew Ayres, Burgess Meredith, Eddie Hodges, Paul Ford, George Grizzard, Inga Swenson, Frank Sinatra (voice only)
Director: Otto Preminger
Buy Advise & Consent individually, or as part of the Controversal Classics box set at Amazon.
There's some shenanigans going on in Washington D.C...
The President of the United States (Tone) is seriously ill, and one of his final acts is nominating a liberal named Robert A. Leffingwell (Fonda) for Secretary of State. The Senate must either approve or deny the appointment of Leffingwell using its advise and consent powers, and supporters and opponents of the President fight it out, hinting at a Communist background for Leffingwell, or accusing one of his detractors (Senator Brig Anderson, played by Don Murray) of engaging in a homosexual affair.
Director Preminger tried to cast Martin Luther King Jr. in the film to play a black Senator from Georgia, but could not do so. At the time of filming, the Senate was completely Caucasian.
Advise & Consent is an interesting film, but it can be a little too wordy at times. Nothing is perfect, though, so don't allow that to scare you away. Recommended.
Starring: Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton, Don Murray, Walter Pidgeon, Peter Lawford, Gene Tierney, Franchot Tone, Lew Ayres, Burgess Meredith, Eddie Hodges, Paul Ford, George Grizzard, Inga Swenson, Frank Sinatra (voice only)
Director: Otto Preminger
Buy Advise & Consent individually, or as part of the Controversal Classics box set at Amazon.
There's some shenanigans going on in Washington D.C...
The President of the United States (Tone) is seriously ill, and one of his final acts is nominating a liberal named Robert A. Leffingwell (Fonda) for Secretary of State. The Senate must either approve or deny the appointment of Leffingwell using its advise and consent powers, and supporters and opponents of the President fight it out, hinting at a Communist background for Leffingwell, or accusing one of his detractors (Senator Brig Anderson, played by Don Murray) of engaging in a homosexual affair.
Director Preminger tried to cast Martin Luther King Jr. in the film to play a black Senator from Georgia, but could not do so. At the time of filming, the Senate was completely Caucasian.
Advise & Consent is an interesting film, but it can be a little too wordy at times. Nothing is perfect, though, so don't allow that to scare you away. Recommended.
MST3K #816: Prince of Space
Mystery Science Theater 3000 experiment #816: Prince of Space.
Originally aired August 16, 1997
Part of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, volume 7.
An easy MST3K highlight from the eighth season, and its first season on Sci-Fi. "I like it very much!"
Earth is invaded by visitors from the planet Krankor, which is only half a million miles away, only to be opposed by the Prince of Space, the alter ego for a shoeshine boy named Wally. Prince of Space is seemingly invulnerable to just about everything, as he constantly reminds Krankor's forces that their weapons are useless against him. In the end, the Prince rescues several kidnapped Earth scientists, and saves the day.
This was also the first Sci-Fi episode that I ever taped, during a mini marathon on New Year's Day, 2000. A decent episode worth your time.
Originally aired August 16, 1997
Part of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, volume 7.
An easy MST3K highlight from the eighth season, and its first season on Sci-Fi. "I like it very much!"
Earth is invaded by visitors from the planet Krankor, which is only half a million miles away, only to be opposed by the Prince of Space, the alter ego for a shoeshine boy named Wally. Prince of Space is seemingly invulnerable to just about everything, as he constantly reminds Krankor's forces that their weapons are useless against him. In the end, the Prince rescues several kidnapped Earth scientists, and saves the day.
This was also the first Sci-Fi episode that I ever taped, during a mini marathon on New Year's Day, 2000. A decent episode worth your time.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
A Woman Under the Influence
A Woman Under the Influence (Criterion #253). 1974 Castle Hill Productions & Janus Films.
Starring: Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands, Fred Draper, Lady Rowlands
Written and Directed by John Cassavetes
Buy A Woman Under the Influence as a single disc Criterion edition, or as part of the John Cassavetes: Five Films box set, also from Criterion.
"Mabel's not crazy, she's unusual."
A Woman Under the Influence follows the troubled marriage of Nick and Mabel Longhetti (Peter Falk and Gena Rowlands). He's an abusive husband, and his wife is out of her mind. The film opens with Nick, a city employee, being called to an emergency job downtown on a weekend he and Mabel were supposed to have all to themselves. After Nick calls to tell her what's going on, Mabel simply goes out to the nearest bar, gets loaded, and goes home with the first man she talks to. The next morning, Mabel is absolutely convinced that the man she slept with is really Nick!
In due time, Mabel's behavior gets her committed, but we also see that Nick is an enabler to her mental dysfunction.
The performances of Falk and Rowlands are amazing, particularly Rowlands, who plays Mabel, the borderline insane woman with such conviction that I found myself worrying about her more than I have any other character in recent memory. Falk's character came across as alternately a caring family man, and as one miserable, emotionally abusive bastard who you'd have no problems slugging in the face if the chance ever came up.
Recommended movie.
Starring: Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands, Fred Draper, Lady Rowlands
Written and Directed by John Cassavetes
Buy A Woman Under the Influence as a single disc Criterion edition, or as part of the John Cassavetes: Five Films box set, also from Criterion.
"Mabel's not crazy, she's unusual."
A Woman Under the Influence follows the troubled marriage of Nick and Mabel Longhetti (Peter Falk and Gena Rowlands). He's an abusive husband, and his wife is out of her mind. The film opens with Nick, a city employee, being called to an emergency job downtown on a weekend he and Mabel were supposed to have all to themselves. After Nick calls to tell her what's going on, Mabel simply goes out to the nearest bar, gets loaded, and goes home with the first man she talks to. The next morning, Mabel is absolutely convinced that the man she slept with is really Nick!
In due time, Mabel's behavior gets her committed, but we also see that Nick is an enabler to her mental dysfunction.
The performances of Falk and Rowlands are amazing, particularly Rowlands, who plays Mabel, the borderline insane woman with such conviction that I found myself worrying about her more than I have any other character in recent memory. Falk's character came across as alternately a caring family man, and as one miserable, emotionally abusive bastard who you'd have no problems slugging in the face if the chance ever came up.
Recommended movie.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Thirteen
Thirteen. 2003 Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Nikki Reed, Vanessa Hudgens, Holly Hunter, Brady Corbet
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Buy Thirteen at Amazon.
Yes, I watched this on December 13th. I know, I'm lame.
Anywho, Tracy (Wood) is a thirteen year old girl who just entered the seventh grade. She's a straight A student who writes poetry and has a penchant for wearing bad clothing. Her mother is Melanie (superbly performed by Hunter), a recovering addict who struggles as a hairdresser (working out of her own kitchen) to support Tracy and her older brother, surfer dude Mason (Corbet). Following a very awkward first meeting with Evie (Reed), the local out of control wild girl, Tracy changes her image. Evie gives Tracy her approval, such as it is, and gives her a fake phone number and an invitation to go shoplifting on Melrose that afternoon. To fit in, Tracy steals a woman's pocketbook, and the girls go on a shopping spree, followed by Evie and Tracy becoming inseparable BFFs (and it's hinted that they may be even more than that). The two girls go into a wild ride filled with drug abuse, sex, lies, body piercings, and more petty crime, capped off by their inevitable falling out at the end of the film.
Tracy, while still thrilled to be part of the in-crowd, is still unhappy about Melanie's boyfriend (Jeremy Sisto), and starts shunning her old friends. She turns to cutting to cope with her stress, which Melanie doesn't know about until the climax of the movie.
Okay...Thirteen is not at all a bad film, but to me, it is somewhat unbelievable, mostly because I never knew anyone remotely like any character in the movie when I was that age. This is not to say that there weren't any girls acting as wild as Evie or Tracy do during most of the movie, but I personally never witnessed anyone acting like that.
Well, at least not until the eighth grade in a new state and a new school. Talk about culture shock, but that's neither here nor there. Recommended movie (just not a completely realistic one), even if Catherine Hardwicke was the one who directed the film adaptation for Twilight.
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Nikki Reed, Vanessa Hudgens, Holly Hunter, Brady Corbet
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Buy Thirteen at Amazon.
Yes, I watched this on December 13th. I know, I'm lame.
Anywho, Tracy (Wood) is a thirteen year old girl who just entered the seventh grade. She's a straight A student who writes poetry and has a penchant for wearing bad clothing. Her mother is Melanie (superbly performed by Hunter), a recovering addict who struggles as a hairdresser (working out of her own kitchen) to support Tracy and her older brother, surfer dude Mason (Corbet). Following a very awkward first meeting with Evie (Reed), the local out of control wild girl, Tracy changes her image. Evie gives Tracy her approval, such as it is, and gives her a fake phone number and an invitation to go shoplifting on Melrose that afternoon. To fit in, Tracy steals a woman's pocketbook, and the girls go on a shopping spree, followed by Evie and Tracy becoming inseparable BFFs (and it's hinted that they may be even more than that). The two girls go into a wild ride filled with drug abuse, sex, lies, body piercings, and more petty crime, capped off by their inevitable falling out at the end of the film.
Tracy, while still thrilled to be part of the in-crowd, is still unhappy about Melanie's boyfriend (Jeremy Sisto), and starts shunning her old friends. She turns to cutting to cope with her stress, which Melanie doesn't know about until the climax of the movie.
Okay...Thirteen is not at all a bad film, but to me, it is somewhat unbelievable, mostly because I never knew anyone remotely like any character in the movie when I was that age. This is not to say that there weren't any girls acting as wild as Evie or Tracy do during most of the movie, but I personally never witnessed anyone acting like that.
Well, at least not until the eighth grade in a new state and a new school. Talk about culture shock, but that's neither here nor there. Recommended movie (just not a completely realistic one), even if Catherine Hardwicke was the one who directed the film adaptation for Twilight.
Friday, December 12, 2008
12 Angry Men
12 Angry Men. 1957 United Artists.
Starring: Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Jack Warden, Henry Fonda, Joseph Sweeney, Ed Begley, George Voskovec, Robert Webber
Director: Sidney Lumet
Buy 12 Angry Men at Amazon.
The 1957 film adaptation of the Reginald Rose play is one of the all time classic movies. You probably know the premise: a kid from the inner city is accused of murdering his father. If convicted, the boy goes to the electric chair.
Henry Fonda is the eighth juror (identified as "Davis" at the end of the movie), and the one who initially votes "not guilty", followed by his questioning the credibility of the two witnesses, and suggesting that the murder weapon isn't as unique as assumed. Over the course of the movie, the other eleven jurors argue about it, eventually changing their votes to go along with Davis, starting with the ninth one (Sweeney). Juror #7 (Warden) simply changes his vote to end the deliberation faster, but he also has two tickets to a Yankees-Indians game, and doesn't want to miss it.
Lee J. Cobb is the third juror, and the one most anxious to convict the accused, partially out of malice towards his own son who he had fallen out with following a fight. After the climatic confrontation with Davis, he breaks down and decides the kid is not guilty.
Highly, highly recommended.
Starring: Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Jack Warden, Henry Fonda, Joseph Sweeney, Ed Begley, George Voskovec, Robert Webber
Director: Sidney Lumet
Buy 12 Angry Men at Amazon.
The 1957 film adaptation of the Reginald Rose play is one of the all time classic movies. You probably know the premise: a kid from the inner city is accused of murdering his father. If convicted, the boy goes to the electric chair.
Henry Fonda is the eighth juror (identified as "Davis" at the end of the movie), and the one who initially votes "not guilty", followed by his questioning the credibility of the two witnesses, and suggesting that the murder weapon isn't as unique as assumed. Over the course of the movie, the other eleven jurors argue about it, eventually changing their votes to go along with Davis, starting with the ninth one (Sweeney). Juror #7 (Warden) simply changes his vote to end the deliberation faster, but he also has two tickets to a Yankees-Indians game, and doesn't want to miss it.
Lee J. Cobb is the third juror, and the one most anxious to convict the accused, partially out of malice towards his own son who he had fallen out with following a fight. After the climatic confrontation with Davis, he breaks down and decides the kid is not guilty.
Highly, highly recommended.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Ocean's 11
Ocean's 11. 1960 Warner Bros. Pictures.
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Angie Dickinson, Richard Conte, Cesar Romero, Patrice Wymore, Joey Bishop, Akim Tamiroff, Henry Silva, Norman Fell
Guest Starring: Red Skelton, George Raft
Director: Lewis Milestone
Buy Ocean's 11 at Amazon.
This is one of the two films made that feature the entire Rat Pack (the other is Sergeants 3). Joey Bishop didn't receive top billing with the other four members, but he was the first actor to be shown after the opening credits.
Danny Ocean (Sinatra) leads ten other World War II veterans in a scheme to rob five different Las Vegas on a single night, planning the New Year's Eve heist carefully. Things go swimmingly...until one of the boys suffers a fatal heart attack on the Strip, which ends up ruining everything.
A good movie, which should definitely be of interest to Rat Pack fans who haven't seen it before. Recommended
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Angie Dickinson, Richard Conte, Cesar Romero, Patrice Wymore, Joey Bishop, Akim Tamiroff, Henry Silva, Norman Fell
Guest Starring: Red Skelton, George Raft
Director: Lewis Milestone
Buy Ocean's 11 at Amazon.
This is one of the two films made that feature the entire Rat Pack (the other is Sergeants 3). Joey Bishop didn't receive top billing with the other four members, but he was the first actor to be shown after the opening credits.
Danny Ocean (Sinatra) leads ten other World War II veterans in a scheme to rob five different Las Vegas on a single night, planning the New Year's Eve heist carefully. Things go swimmingly...until one of the boys suffers a fatal heart attack on the Strip, which ends up ruining everything.
A good movie, which should definitely be of interest to Rat Pack fans who haven't seen it before. Recommended
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Being There
Being There. 1979 Lorimar Productions.
Starring: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden, Richard Dysart, Richard Basehart
Director: Hal Ashby
Buy Being There at Amazon.
Peter Sellers plays Chauncey "Chance" Gardiner, a simple gardener (zing!) for a wealthy man's townhouse in Washington D.C. He has lived there his entire life, with seemingly no contact with the outside world, except from what he sees watching television. Aside from his benefactor, the only other person in Chance's life is Louise the maid, who cooks his meals, and never misses a chance to berate him in some fashion since she only views Chance as a child trapped in the body of an older man. After his employer dies, Chance has to leave his sheltered existance, discovering the outside world for the first time.
One evening, Chance is struck by a car driven by Ben Rand (Douglas), who takes him in to give him a place to recover. Chance talks about being asked to leave his benefactor's house by attorneys, which Rand misinterprets as Chance losing his gardening business after it tanked. Pretty soon, Chance's simple and straightforward commentary about tending a garden are construed as statements containing great wisdom, as well as keen knowledge of business matters and American politics.
The portrayal of Chance by Sellers is truly magnificent as he perfectly captures the world view of an outsider who has literally never strayed from his home, finding himself in some truly awkward situations, like the scene where he calmly approaches a street gang inquiring on where he can find a garden to work in.
Recommended.
Starring: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden, Richard Dysart, Richard Basehart
Director: Hal Ashby
Buy Being There at Amazon.
Peter Sellers plays Chauncey "Chance" Gardiner, a simple gardener (zing!) for a wealthy man's townhouse in Washington D.C. He has lived there his entire life, with seemingly no contact with the outside world, except from what he sees watching television. Aside from his benefactor, the only other person in Chance's life is Louise the maid, who cooks his meals, and never misses a chance to berate him in some fashion since she only views Chance as a child trapped in the body of an older man. After his employer dies, Chance has to leave his sheltered existance, discovering the outside world for the first time.
One evening, Chance is struck by a car driven by Ben Rand (Douglas), who takes him in to give him a place to recover. Chance talks about being asked to leave his benefactor's house by attorneys, which Rand misinterprets as Chance losing his gardening business after it tanked. Pretty soon, Chance's simple and straightforward commentary about tending a garden are construed as statements containing great wisdom, as well as keen knowledge of business matters and American politics.
The portrayal of Chance by Sellers is truly magnificent as he perfectly captures the world view of an outsider who has literally never strayed from his home, finding himself in some truly awkward situations, like the scene where he calmly approaches a street gang inquiring on where he can find a garden to work in.
Recommended.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Top Secret!
Movie? What movie?
Top Secret! 1984 Paramount Pictures.
Starring: Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge, Peter Cushing, Omar Sharif
Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker & Jerry Zucker
Buy Top Secret! at Amazon.
Look out, Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker have returned, and they've found a new kid named Val Kilmer to unleash onto the world!
Kilmer, in his first role, plays pop singer Nick Rivers, who goes to East Germany to perform at a festival, and somehow ends up in a resistance movement, helping Hillary (Gutteridge) rescue her captive scientist father.
The film's most notable scene is one in a bookstore that was filmed completely in reverse.
Even though many of the jokes and pop culture references are now pretty dated (Pac-Man, anyone?), it's still a hysterical movie. Recommended.
Top Secret! 1984 Paramount Pictures.
Starring: Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge, Peter Cushing, Omar Sharif
Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker & Jerry Zucker
Buy Top Secret! at Amazon.
Look out, Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker have returned, and they've found a new kid named Val Kilmer to unleash onto the world!
Kilmer, in his first role, plays pop singer Nick Rivers, who goes to East Germany to perform at a festival, and somehow ends up in a resistance movement, helping Hillary (Gutteridge) rescue her captive scientist father.
The film's most notable scene is one in a bookstore that was filmed completely in reverse.
Even though many of the jokes and pop culture references are now pretty dated (Pac-Man, anyone?), it's still a hysterical movie. Recommended.
Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite. 2004 Fox Searchlight Pictures, Paramount Pictures & MTV Films.
Starring: Jon Heder, Jon Gries, Aaron Ruell, Efren Ramirez
Director: Jared Hess
Buy Napoleon Dynamite at Amazon.
A funny, heartwarming film about one of the most unlikeable characters in cinematic history.
Napoleon Dynamite (Heder) is an awkward and socially inept teenager who lives with his grandmother, and his older brother Kip (Ruell), who sits online the entire day "talking to babes" (while "training to be a cage fighter") in a small town called Preston, Idaho. He spends his time drawing, daydreaming, failing at tetherball, and getting picked on by the popular kids.
After his grandmother is injured in a dune riding accident, Uncle Rico (Gries) is asked to watch Nap and Kip. Rico lives in his van, and seems permanently stuck in 1982. He and Kip embark on a project to sell a Tupperware-like product door-to-door. See, Kip wants to meet his online girlfriend who lives in Detroit.
Meanwhile, Napoleon makes two new friends in school. Pedro (Ramirez) is a transfer student from Mexico who immediately decides to run for class president. Deb (Tina Majorino) is a shy and sensitive young lady who takes a liking to Napoleon until Rico tries selling her some breast enhancement herbs and hinting that it was Napoleon's idea. The movie ends well for all; Pedro becomes class president, Kip gets married to his online sweetheart, Rico wins his girl back, Grandma recovers and comes home...and Napoleon becomes friends with Deb again.
Napoleon Dynamite, the character, is somehow one of the more unlikeable characters I've ever seen in any movie, but it still doesn't prevent his own movie from being a good one. Recommended.
Starring: Jon Heder, Jon Gries, Aaron Ruell, Efren Ramirez
Director: Jared Hess
Buy Napoleon Dynamite at Amazon.
A funny, heartwarming film about one of the most unlikeable characters in cinematic history.
Napoleon Dynamite (Heder) is an awkward and socially inept teenager who lives with his grandmother, and his older brother Kip (Ruell), who sits online the entire day "talking to babes" (while "training to be a cage fighter") in a small town called Preston, Idaho. He spends his time drawing, daydreaming, failing at tetherball, and getting picked on by the popular kids.
After his grandmother is injured in a dune riding accident, Uncle Rico (Gries) is asked to watch Nap and Kip. Rico lives in his van, and seems permanently stuck in 1982. He and Kip embark on a project to sell a Tupperware-like product door-to-door. See, Kip wants to meet his online girlfriend who lives in Detroit.
Meanwhile, Napoleon makes two new friends in school. Pedro (Ramirez) is a transfer student from Mexico who immediately decides to run for class president. Deb (Tina Majorino) is a shy and sensitive young lady who takes a liking to Napoleon until Rico tries selling her some breast enhancement herbs and hinting that it was Napoleon's idea. The movie ends well for all; Pedro becomes class president, Kip gets married to his online sweetheart, Rico wins his girl back, Grandma recovers and comes home...and Napoleon becomes friends with Deb again.
Napoleon Dynamite, the character, is somehow one of the more unlikeable characters I've ever seen in any movie, but it still doesn't prevent his own movie from being a good one. Recommended.
Charade
Charade (Criterion #57). 1963 Universal Pictures.
Starring: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walther Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy, Dominique Minot
Music: Henry Mancini
Director: Stanley Donen
Buy Charade (Criterion Collection #57) at Amazon.
While on holiday, Regina "Reggie" Lampert (Hepburn), who is planning to ask her husband Charles for a divorce, meets a man calling himself (at first) Peter Joshua (Grant). Returning home, Regina discovers that everything in the house is gone, and she finds out from the police that Charles had been murdered and thrown from a train.
Meeting with a CIA agent (Matthau), Regina finds out that Charles was involved in a theft during World War II. He and several other government agents were parachuted behind enemy lines to deliver $250,000 in gold to the French Resistance. They buried it, then were ambushed by German soldiers. After the attack, Charles dug up the gold and sold it. He's dead, but the money is still missing, and the U.S. government wants it back. So do his fellow agents who survived the botched mission.
And how does Peter Joshua fit into all of this?
Charade fell into the public domain due to a legal irregularity, so basically anyone can release it for home viewing. The movie is included as a bonus feature on the DVD release for its 2002 remake, The Truth About Charlie. Personally, I would stick with the Criterion release, even if it is a whole lot more expensive than any other release of the film.
Starring: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walther Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy, Dominique Minot
Music: Henry Mancini
Director: Stanley Donen
Buy Charade (Criterion Collection #57) at Amazon.
While on holiday, Regina "Reggie" Lampert (Hepburn), who is planning to ask her husband Charles for a divorce, meets a man calling himself (at first) Peter Joshua (Grant). Returning home, Regina discovers that everything in the house is gone, and she finds out from the police that Charles had been murdered and thrown from a train.
Meeting with a CIA agent (Matthau), Regina finds out that Charles was involved in a theft during World War II. He and several other government agents were parachuted behind enemy lines to deliver $250,000 in gold to the French Resistance. They buried it, then were ambushed by German soldiers. After the attack, Charles dug up the gold and sold it. He's dead, but the money is still missing, and the U.S. government wants it back. So do his fellow agents who survived the botched mission.
And how does Peter Joshua fit into all of this?
Charade fell into the public domain due to a legal irregularity, so basically anyone can release it for home viewing. The movie is included as a bonus feature on the DVD release for its 2002 remake, The Truth About Charlie. Personally, I would stick with the Criterion release, even if it is a whole lot more expensive than any other release of the film.
The Manchurian Candidate
The Manchurian Candidate. 1962 United Artists.
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, Henry Silva, James Gregory
Director: John Frankenheimer
Buy The Manchurian Candidate (1962) at Amazon.
During the Korean War, an American infantry patrol is captured by agents for the Soviet Union, and taken into Manchuria, where the soldiers are brainwashed, and in the case of Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Harvey), implanting a subconscious trigger (a Queen of Diamonds card). After being returned to the front line, and later, after they come back home, the Americans have no idea what they were subjected to, and therefore believe that Shaw saved the lives of their entire platoon during combat. Shaw is awarded the Medal of Honor upon returning to America, which is something he is completely unhappy with.
Major Bennett Marco (Sinatra) starts having the same nightmare: a hypnotized Shaw killing two of his platoon before assembled Soviet, Chinese, and North Korean officers while watching a demonstration of the Communist brainwashing procedure. Wanting to investigate, Marco receives no support from Army Intelligence, until another soldier from the platoon comes forward and says he's been having the same nightmare with the same specific Communists in it. Meanwhile, Shaw's relationship with his parents is explored; he hates them both, especially his overbearing mother (Lansbury), and is unaware that they are actually Communist agents with a plan that could take them all the way to the White House, using their brainwashed son as their unwitting henchman.
The Manchurian Candidate is a gripping political thriller worthy of your time. Recommended.
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, Henry Silva, James Gregory
Director: John Frankenheimer
Buy The Manchurian Candidate (1962) at Amazon.
During the Korean War, an American infantry patrol is captured by agents for the Soviet Union, and taken into Manchuria, where the soldiers are brainwashed, and in the case of Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Harvey), implanting a subconscious trigger (a Queen of Diamonds card). After being returned to the front line, and later, after they come back home, the Americans have no idea what they were subjected to, and therefore believe that Shaw saved the lives of their entire platoon during combat. Shaw is awarded the Medal of Honor upon returning to America, which is something he is completely unhappy with.
Major Bennett Marco (Sinatra) starts having the same nightmare: a hypnotized Shaw killing two of his platoon before assembled Soviet, Chinese, and North Korean officers while watching a demonstration of the Communist brainwashing procedure. Wanting to investigate, Marco receives no support from Army Intelligence, until another soldier from the platoon comes forward and says he's been having the same nightmare with the same specific Communists in it. Meanwhile, Shaw's relationship with his parents is explored; he hates them both, especially his overbearing mother (Lansbury), and is unaware that they are actually Communist agents with a plan that could take them all the way to the White House, using their brainwashed son as their unwitting henchman.
The Manchurian Candidate is a gripping political thriller worthy of your time. Recommended.
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