Casablanca.
1942 Warner Bros. Pictures & Turner Entertainment.
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt, Dooley Wilson
Director: Michael Curtiz
Available from Amazon as a single DVD (snapcase!), or as a two-disc special edition, which I own. Casablanca is also part of two box sets: the first Humphrey Bogart Signature Collection, and the Best Picture Winners installment of TCM's Greatest Classic Films Collection. Or, you could always invest in the ultimate collectors' edition.
"Here's looking at you, kid."
"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"Play it, Sam. Play As Time Goes By." *
"Round up the usual suspects."
"We'll always have Paris."
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."
One of the all time classic American films. Casablanca won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and Best Director for Michael Curtiz.
Humphrey Bogart is Rick Blaine, a nightclub owner in Casablanca during the early days of World War II. Rick's Café Américain is an upscale nightclub slash gambling den that attracts a wide base of customers, notably Vichy French and Nazi officials, as well as refugees and thieves. One day, a petty criminal called Ugarte (Lorre) shows up in the club with "letters of transit" that he got after two German couriers were murdered. These documents will allow the bearer to travel as they pleased through Nazi-controlled Germany, into neutral Portugal, and from there into the United States. Obviously, these are very valuable and highly coveted, and Ugarte plans to make a killing by selling them to the highest bidder who is eager enough to get out of Casablanca, but the criminal is arrested by the local police under the command of the corrupt Captain Louis Renault (Rains) before he could sell. He still entrusts Rick with the letters (Ugarte dies offscreen while in police custody).
And then, Ilsa Lund (Bergman) arrives in the club with her new husband Victor Laszlo (Henreid), a fugitive Czech Resistance leader. Rick and Ilsa were lovers, but she left him without explanation. Ilsa and Victor need Rick's letters to eventually escape to America so Victor can continue his work, and the German Major Strasser (Veidt) shows up to make sure Laszlo doesn't succeed. Laszlo has also met with Rick's business rival, Signor Ferrari (Greenstreet), voicing his suspicion that Rick has the letters. When Laszlo and Rick meet privately, he refuses to hand over the letters, suggesting that he ask his wife for the reason. Just then, Stresser and his fellow officers begin to loudly sing "Die Wacht am Rhein". Laszlo, with Rick's approval, gets the house band to play the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise", triggering long-suppressed patriotic fervor in the crowd, and quickly drowning out the Nazis. Strasser retaliates by having Captain Renault shut the nightclub down.
Later, Ilsa confronts Sam and demands the letters, but he refuses to hand them over. She tries to shoot him, but can't bring herself to pull the trigger, confessing that she still loves him. The truth comes out: Laszlo was believed killed in a concentration camp, but as the Germans were on the brink of capturing Paris, Ilsa learned that Laszlo was still alive; hence her wordless break-up with Rick, she left to tend to an ill Laszlo. Rick's bitterness towards Ilsa fades, and he agrees to help, making her believe that she will stay in Casablanca with Rick when Laszlo leaves for America.
Rick, as everyone knows, has other ideas, and his future does not involve a permanent reconciliation with Ilsa.
There's really not much else I can add. Of course, this one is highly, highly, highly recommended.
* Often mistaken for the simpler "Play it again, Sam".
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Maltese Falcon
The Maltese Falcon.
1941 Warner Bros. Pictures & Turner Entertainment.
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane
Director: John Huston
Available from Amazon as a three-disc special edition, which is also part of the second Humphrey Bogart Signature Collection.
This will be a special "Warner Night at the Movies" edition, which is an option available on the DVD. Had you gone to see The Maltese Falcon back in '41, this all would've awaited you at the theater:
* A trailer for Sergeant York.
* A very brief Newsreel.
* The Gay Parisian (short), directed by Jean Negulesco. Basically, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo dance to the music of Jacques Offenbach. It's in Technicolor, so it looks great, but it really doesn't go anywhere. Pass on it, even if it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject.
* Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt, directed by Friz Freleng, 1941. Bugs Bunny is hunted by a pint-sized Hiawatha in between trying to read Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha. One of the earliest cartoons starring Bugs, and the first directed by Freleng.
* Meet John Doughboy, directed by Robert Clampett, 1941. Porky Pig hosts a parody of a newsreel with an armed forces theme, complete with caricatures of Jack Benny and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. This one is also available on the sixth and final Looney Tunes Golden Collection.
* And of course, the main feature...
John Huston's directorial debut is a screen adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel, and it received three Academy Award nominations. It also helped turned Humphrey Bogart into a major star.
Bogart, as everyone knows, is detective Sam Spade, a man with his own personal code of honor. One day, a Miss Ruth Wonderly (Astor) breezes into the office Spade shares with his partner Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan), and offers them a healthy incentive to protect her from someone named Floyd Thursby. Archer takes the offer, simply because he saw the woman first. Later that evening, he and Thursby are shot to death. After some confusion about Spade's possible involvement in the murders (a motive that he might be attracted to Archer's wife Iva, played by Gladys George), the detective meets Wonderly again, but she's now calling herself Brigid O'Shaughnessy. Brigid explains that Thursby was her partner, and he may have shot Archer, but she doesn't know who offed Thursby.
Spade also meets the effeminate Joel Cairo (Lorre), and a criminal named Kasper Gutman (Greenstreet), and everyone involved is looking for a 12 inch high, jewel-encrusted statuette in the shape of a falcon. Spade is offered small fortunes by Cairo and Gutman to find the treasure, but they are not above committing violent crimes to attain the bird themselves. As usual, many things are not what they seem, or appear to be.
Highly, highly recommended movie.
1941 Warner Bros. Pictures & Turner Entertainment.
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane
Director: John Huston
Available from Amazon as a three-disc special edition, which is also part of the second Humphrey Bogart Signature Collection.
This will be a special "Warner Night at the Movies" edition, which is an option available on the DVD. Had you gone to see The Maltese Falcon back in '41, this all would've awaited you at the theater:
* A trailer for Sergeant York.
* A very brief Newsreel.
* The Gay Parisian (short), directed by Jean Negulesco. Basically, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo dance to the music of Jacques Offenbach. It's in Technicolor, so it looks great, but it really doesn't go anywhere. Pass on it, even if it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject.
* Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt, directed by Friz Freleng, 1941. Bugs Bunny is hunted by a pint-sized Hiawatha in between trying to read Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha. One of the earliest cartoons starring Bugs, and the first directed by Freleng.
* Meet John Doughboy, directed by Robert Clampett, 1941. Porky Pig hosts a parody of a newsreel with an armed forces theme, complete with caricatures of Jack Benny and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. This one is also available on the sixth and final Looney Tunes Golden Collection.
* And of course, the main feature...
John Huston's directorial debut is a screen adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel, and it received three Academy Award nominations. It also helped turned Humphrey Bogart into a major star.
Bogart, as everyone knows, is detective Sam Spade, a man with his own personal code of honor. One day, a Miss Ruth Wonderly (Astor) breezes into the office Spade shares with his partner Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan), and offers them a healthy incentive to protect her from someone named Floyd Thursby. Archer takes the offer, simply because he saw the woman first. Later that evening, he and Thursby are shot to death. After some confusion about Spade's possible involvement in the murders (a motive that he might be attracted to Archer's wife Iva, played by Gladys George), the detective meets Wonderly again, but she's now calling herself Brigid O'Shaughnessy. Brigid explains that Thursby was her partner, and he may have shot Archer, but she doesn't know who offed Thursby.
Spade also meets the effeminate Joel Cairo (Lorre), and a criminal named Kasper Gutman (Greenstreet), and everyone involved is looking for a 12 inch high, jewel-encrusted statuette in the shape of a falcon. Spade is offered small fortunes by Cairo and Gutman to find the treasure, but they are not above committing violent crimes to attain the bird themselves. As usual, many things are not what they seem, or appear to be.
Highly, highly recommended movie.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Night and Day
Night and Day.
1946 Warner Bros. Pictures & Turner Entertainment.
Starring: Cary Grant, Alexis Smith, Monty Woolley, Mary Martin, Jane Wyman, Eve Arden
Director: Michael Curtiz
Available at Amazon as a single DVD, or as part of the Cary Grant Signature Collection.
Michael Curtiz directed this biographical film about the life and career of Cole Porter which understandably (for 1946 audiences) left out any hint of Porter's homosexuality. Those looking for a more realistic film about Porter should perhaps look into De-Lovely, starring Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, and Jonathan Pryce.
Night and Day covers the years 1912 to 1946, when Porter (Grant) attended Yale, and found himself uninterested in studying law, so he became involved with amateur theatricals under the tutelage of Monty Woolley, who plays himself. Cole signs up for the army and becomes an ambulance driver in World War I, and he meets his future wife Linda Lee (Smith) while stationed in France. After the war, Porter becomes a prolific songwriter, writing hit after hit, and drawing inspiration from mundane things like rain falling and the ticking of a grandfather clock. His marriage begins to suffer, as Linda starts feeling neglected when Cole's career takes off.
Later, Porter is seriously injured in a polo accident, but refuses to have his useless legs amputated and makes a big comeback, which draws praise from none other than a World War I veteran who just happens to be an amputee.
Recommended for fans of Cary Grant, although no one who comes across this one should expect a serious and 100 percent accurate biopic of Cole Porter.
1946 Warner Bros. Pictures & Turner Entertainment.
Starring: Cary Grant, Alexis Smith, Monty Woolley, Mary Martin, Jane Wyman, Eve Arden
Director: Michael Curtiz
Available at Amazon as a single DVD, or as part of the Cary Grant Signature Collection.
Michael Curtiz directed this biographical film about the life and career of Cole Porter which understandably (for 1946 audiences) left out any hint of Porter's homosexuality. Those looking for a more realistic film about Porter should perhaps look into De-Lovely, starring Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, and Jonathan Pryce.
Night and Day covers the years 1912 to 1946, when Porter (Grant) attended Yale, and found himself uninterested in studying law, so he became involved with amateur theatricals under the tutelage of Monty Woolley, who plays himself. Cole signs up for the army and becomes an ambulance driver in World War I, and he meets his future wife Linda Lee (Smith) while stationed in France. After the war, Porter becomes a prolific songwriter, writing hit after hit, and drawing inspiration from mundane things like rain falling and the ticking of a grandfather clock. His marriage begins to suffer, as Linda starts feeling neglected when Cole's career takes off.
Later, Porter is seriously injured in a polo accident, but refuses to have his useless legs amputated and makes a big comeback, which draws praise from none other than a World War I veteran who just happens to be an amputee.
Recommended for fans of Cary Grant, although no one who comes across this one should expect a serious and 100 percent accurate biopic of Cole Porter.
Dinner at Eight
Dinner at Eight. 1933 MGM/Turner Entertainment.
Starring: Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore, Lee Tracy
Director: George Cukor
Available from Amazon as a single DVD, or part of the Classic Comedies Collection.
This one is a film adaptation of the play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber.
Billie Burke is Millicent Jordan, a social butterfly who arranges a dinner party that would benefit the business of her husband, Oliver (Lionel Barrymore). A week before the big shindig, Millicent is overjoyed that Lord and Lady Ferncliffe have accepted her invitations, even though she seems unaware of her husband and daughter Paula's (Madge Evans) not being as enthusiastic as she is. Paula's fiance Ernest DeGraff (Phillips Holmes) is due back from Europe, and Oliver's shipping firm has been struck hard by the Great Depression; bad enough that a former flame from his past is offering to sell her holdings, and Oliver doesn't have the cash to buy the stock back. Millicent's next task is to fund an escort for her only single female guest, former stage star Carlotta Vance (Marie Dressler), who is now broke, and is essentially a "professional guest" now.
Oliver confides in mining mogul Dan Packard (Beery) about his financial problems, asking him to take over some of his stocks until business improves. Dan eagerly agrees, then goes home to brag to his gold digging wife Kitty (Harlow) that the Jordan Line is a valuable property that he plans to devour through crooked stock purchases. The Packards are also extended invitations, mostly to make Dan hesitant about buying the stock. Kitty jumps at the chance, but Dan only agrees when he hears about the Ferncliffes attending the party.
Meanwhile, Kitty is secretly having an affair with Dr. Wayne Talbot (Edmund Lowe), and Millicent finds herself inviting alcoholic silent film star Larry Renault (John Barrymore) as Carlotta's date, unaware that Paula is having an affair with him! Larry accepts, then urges Paula to forget about him and return to Ernest, which she doesn't take seriously. Carlotta sees Paula leaving Larry's hotel room.
Basically, nothing goes right at the party. The Ferncliffes cancel and go to Florida instead, and Oliver falls ill from the stress of his business problems. Kitty and Dan argue, where she reveals her affair with Dr. Talbot (who is also caught by his wife Lucy, played by Karen Morley), then blackmails him into not divorcing her, since she will tell the Cabinet about his crooked business dealings. Larry's comeback attempt fails when he's removed from the lead role of his newest stage play, and goes on a bender that leads to his suicide right before he's supposed to be at the party. Millicent, upon learning of Larry's death and her own husband's illness, finally realizes she's been focusing too much on social gatherings and not her own family. Paula ultimately stays engaged to Ernest, and Dan backs down from his takeover of the Jordan Line.
Recommended movie.
Starring: Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore, Lee Tracy
Director: George Cukor
Available from Amazon as a single DVD, or part of the Classic Comedies Collection.
This one is a film adaptation of the play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber.
Billie Burke is Millicent Jordan, a social butterfly who arranges a dinner party that would benefit the business of her husband, Oliver (Lionel Barrymore). A week before the big shindig, Millicent is overjoyed that Lord and Lady Ferncliffe have accepted her invitations, even though she seems unaware of her husband and daughter Paula's (Madge Evans) not being as enthusiastic as she is. Paula's fiance Ernest DeGraff (Phillips Holmes) is due back from Europe, and Oliver's shipping firm has been struck hard by the Great Depression; bad enough that a former flame from his past is offering to sell her holdings, and Oliver doesn't have the cash to buy the stock back. Millicent's next task is to fund an escort for her only single female guest, former stage star Carlotta Vance (Marie Dressler), who is now broke, and is essentially a "professional guest" now.
Oliver confides in mining mogul Dan Packard (Beery) about his financial problems, asking him to take over some of his stocks until business improves. Dan eagerly agrees, then goes home to brag to his gold digging wife Kitty (Harlow) that the Jordan Line is a valuable property that he plans to devour through crooked stock purchases. The Packards are also extended invitations, mostly to make Dan hesitant about buying the stock. Kitty jumps at the chance, but Dan only agrees when he hears about the Ferncliffes attending the party.
Meanwhile, Kitty is secretly having an affair with Dr. Wayne Talbot (Edmund Lowe), and Millicent finds herself inviting alcoholic silent film star Larry Renault (John Barrymore) as Carlotta's date, unaware that Paula is having an affair with him! Larry accepts, then urges Paula to forget about him and return to Ernest, which she doesn't take seriously. Carlotta sees Paula leaving Larry's hotel room.
Basically, nothing goes right at the party. The Ferncliffes cancel and go to Florida instead, and Oliver falls ill from the stress of his business problems. Kitty and Dan argue, where she reveals her affair with Dr. Talbot (who is also caught by his wife Lucy, played by Karen Morley), then blackmails him into not divorcing her, since she will tell the Cabinet about his crooked business dealings. Larry's comeback attempt fails when he's removed from the lead role of his newest stage play, and goes on a bender that leads to his suicide right before he's supposed to be at the party. Millicent, upon learning of Larry's death and her own husband's illness, finally realizes she's been focusing too much on social gatherings and not her own family. Paula ultimately stays engaged to Ernest, and Dan backs down from his takeover of the Jordan Line.
Recommended movie.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Apartment
The Apartment.
1960 The Mirisch Corporation & United Artists; distributed to DVD by MGM.
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Edie Adams
Director: Billy Wilder
Buy The Apartment Collectors' Edition from Amazon.
The Apartment was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and won five, including Best Picture, and Best Director for Billy Wilder.
C.C. Baxter (Lemmon) works for a Manhattan-based insurance company with the less than ideal home life, as four different company managers take turns commandeering his apartment (on West 67th Street) for various extramarital trysts. Baxter is obviously unhappy with this arrangement, but he's unwilling to challenge it directly, as his supervisors are returning the favor with glowing reviews of his work, which leads to a big promotion later on. His neighbors assume that Baxter is a lothario who brings home a new woman every evening to get them drunk, which he does nothing to disprove.
Baxter is also trying to catch the eye of the elevator operator, Fran Kubelik (MacLaine). After his promotion, he finally asks Fran to a Broadway show, which she accepts...and stands him up. When Baxter returns home, he finds Fran dressed in his bed, having overdosed on sleeping pills. Before the promotion, Baxter had also allowed his company's personnel director Mr. Sheldrake (MacMurray) to use his place, and he was present the night Baxter was away at the show. Fran reveals that he had been involved with Sheldrake the previous summer, but it ended when his wife returned from a vacation. She still caved into his promises later that fall, but attempted suicide after Sheldrake offered her money instead of a Christmas gift.
After Fran recovers, and Sheldrake's marriage finally collapses thanks to a tattletale secretary who also happens to be a former lover, Baxter finally takes a stand against his superiors taking advantage of him and using his quarters for their affairs. Baxter quits the firm, and Fran ditches Sheldrake on New Year's Eve, having realized who truly cares for her. They spend the big holiday playing gin rummy.
Highly, highly recommended. Now, shut up and deal!
1960 The Mirisch Corporation & United Artists; distributed to DVD by MGM.
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Edie Adams
Director: Billy Wilder
Buy The Apartment Collectors' Edition from Amazon.
The Apartment was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and won five, including Best Picture, and Best Director for Billy Wilder.
C.C. Baxter (Lemmon) works for a Manhattan-based insurance company with the less than ideal home life, as four different company managers take turns commandeering his apartment (on West 67th Street) for various extramarital trysts. Baxter is obviously unhappy with this arrangement, but he's unwilling to challenge it directly, as his supervisors are returning the favor with glowing reviews of his work, which leads to a big promotion later on. His neighbors assume that Baxter is a lothario who brings home a new woman every evening to get them drunk, which he does nothing to disprove.
Baxter is also trying to catch the eye of the elevator operator, Fran Kubelik (MacLaine). After his promotion, he finally asks Fran to a Broadway show, which she accepts...and stands him up. When Baxter returns home, he finds Fran dressed in his bed, having overdosed on sleeping pills. Before the promotion, Baxter had also allowed his company's personnel director Mr. Sheldrake (MacMurray) to use his place, and he was present the night Baxter was away at the show. Fran reveals that he had been involved with Sheldrake the previous summer, but it ended when his wife returned from a vacation. She still caved into his promises later that fall, but attempted suicide after Sheldrake offered her money instead of a Christmas gift.
After Fran recovers, and Sheldrake's marriage finally collapses thanks to a tattletale secretary who also happens to be a former lover, Baxter finally takes a stand against his superiors taking advantage of him and using his quarters for their affairs. Baxter quits the firm, and Fran ditches Sheldrake on New Year's Eve, having realized who truly cares for her. They spend the big holiday playing gin rummy.
Highly, highly recommended. Now, shut up and deal!
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
2001 View Askew Productions & Dimension Films.
Starring: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, and the usual gang of idiots.
Director: Kevin Smith
Available from Amazon.
You could call this the ultimate self-referential movie, as Kevin Smith brings the entire View Askewniverse together in one movie.
After being banned from the Quick Stop by Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) after he catches them roughing up two kids while boasting about the greatness of Morris Day and The Time (who also make an appearance as themselves), Jay and Silent Bob (Mewes and Smith) hang out at the Secret Stash comic shop, where they find out that there's going to be a Bluntman and Chronic movie based on the comic book with the characters based on them. They're even more mortified to discover that there's an almost universally negative reaction to the movie thus far, so they set off for Hollywood to prevent the film from being made, or at the least, get the money that they rightfully are owed. At first, they can't make any progress, even when a hitchhiker (George Carlin) advises them about a technique called "road head" (look it up elsewhere, this is a family movie review blog).
Somewhere between New Jersey and Hollywood, Jay and Bob end up joining up with an animal liberation group led by Justice (Shannon Elizabeth), consisting of three other ladies and one man (Seann William Scott) who Jay personally ejects from the group's van just to get closer to Justice. Actually, the group's real intention is to rob a diamond depository next to an animal testing lab in Colorado, and with the other guy gone, they pick Jay and Bob as their new patsies. As usual, the planned heist goes awry, the girls are mistakenly believed killed during a freak explosion, and our heroes rescue an orangutan named Suzanne, who they take with them to Hollywood.
In due time, Jay and Silent Bob (and Suzanne) arrive in Hollywood, with Justice and her girls following them. Can everything get straightened out without too much hilarity?
Highly recommended.
The final movie in View Askew continuity is Clerks II. Go read that review now.
2001 View Askew Productions & Dimension Films.
Starring: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, and the usual gang of idiots.
Director: Kevin Smith
Available from Amazon.
You could call this the ultimate self-referential movie, as Kevin Smith brings the entire View Askewniverse together in one movie.
After being banned from the Quick Stop by Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) after he catches them roughing up two kids while boasting about the greatness of Morris Day and The Time (who also make an appearance as themselves), Jay and Silent Bob (Mewes and Smith) hang out at the Secret Stash comic shop, where they find out that there's going to be a Bluntman and Chronic movie based on the comic book with the characters based on them. They're even more mortified to discover that there's an almost universally negative reaction to the movie thus far, so they set off for Hollywood to prevent the film from being made, or at the least, get the money that they rightfully are owed. At first, they can't make any progress, even when a hitchhiker (George Carlin) advises them about a technique called "road head" (look it up elsewhere, this is a family movie review blog).
Somewhere between New Jersey and Hollywood, Jay and Bob end up joining up with an animal liberation group led by Justice (Shannon Elizabeth), consisting of three other ladies and one man (Seann William Scott) who Jay personally ejects from the group's van just to get closer to Justice. Actually, the group's real intention is to rob a diamond depository next to an animal testing lab in Colorado, and with the other guy gone, they pick Jay and Bob as their new patsies. As usual, the planned heist goes awry, the girls are mistakenly believed killed during a freak explosion, and our heroes rescue an orangutan named Suzanne, who they take with them to Hollywood.
In due time, Jay and Silent Bob (and Suzanne) arrive in Hollywood, with Justice and her girls following them. Can everything get straightened out without too much hilarity?
Highly recommended.
The final movie in View Askew continuity is Clerks II. Go read that review now.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
MST3K #212: Godzilla vs. Megalon
Mystery Science Theater 3000 experiment #212: Godzilla vs. Megalon.
Original Comedy Channel airdate: January 19, 1991.
Amazon.com listing (discontinued). Keep an eye on eBay for available copies.
This episode was originally released on DVD as part of the tenth MST3K set, but rights issues caused it to be withdrawn, and reissued with episode #402, The Giant Gila Monster in its place. It was originally conceived as a solo vehicle for the then-brand new Jet Jaguar character, who was created by a contest winner.
An undersea civilization called Seatopia has been ravaged by nuclear testing conducting by surface nations, so they unleash their god, Megalon, to attack and destroy the surface world. They also try to steal a newly-constructed robot called Jet Jaguar, along with its creator, Goro Ibuki, his kid brother "Roxanne", and their friend Hiroshi Jinkawa. The stolen Jet Jaguar lures Megalon to Tokyo, where human armies can't deal with the monster. Goro regains control of his robot, and sents it to Monster Island to bring back reinforcements: namely, Godzilla. Megalon somehow has backup, Gigan, and after Jet Jaguar grows to massive size, a big ol' royal rumble goes down, complete with Godzilla doing the Muhammad Ali shuffle (!), and executing the now infamous flying kick on Megalon. Godzilla and Jet Jaguar shake hands after their victory (!!), and Japan is safe for another day from men in rubber suits stomping on HO scale sets.
(And you thought that 1998 film abortion that was Godzilla was embarrassingly bad.)
On the SOL, Joel and the robots introduce the program in the style of a magazine show, complete with numerous Robert Goulet and Moms Mabley references. The invention exchange sees numerous simple Halloween costumes created from ordinary household items. Later, Joel catches Tom and Crow looking at naughty pictures, so they quickly improvise a discussion over which monster is more powerful. The SOL crew also introduces the new hit TV program Rex Dart: Eskimo Spy!, with action clips from the film, and the robots do a very bizarre sketch mercilessly lampooning popcorn icon Orville Redenbacher and his grandson. After the film, letters are read, and Joel modifies Crow and Servo with new arms that look cool, but are largely useless. Down in Deep 13, TV's Frank is incensed by his Mario Bros. video game.
Obviously, this isn't one of the best Godzilla movies (it's still better than the 1998 movie!!), but it made for a hilarious early episode of MST3K. This is easily the highlight of Season 2. Highly, highly recommended, but good luck finding a copy!
Original Comedy Channel airdate: January 19, 1991.
Amazon.com listing (discontinued). Keep an eye on eBay for available copies.
This episode was originally released on DVD as part of the tenth MST3K set, but rights issues caused it to be withdrawn, and reissued with episode #402, The Giant Gila Monster in its place. It was originally conceived as a solo vehicle for the then-brand new Jet Jaguar character, who was created by a contest winner.
An undersea civilization called Seatopia has been ravaged by nuclear testing conducting by surface nations, so they unleash their god, Megalon, to attack and destroy the surface world. They also try to steal a newly-constructed robot called Jet Jaguar, along with its creator, Goro Ibuki, his kid brother "Roxanne", and their friend Hiroshi Jinkawa. The stolen Jet Jaguar lures Megalon to Tokyo, where human armies can't deal with the monster. Goro regains control of his robot, and sents it to Monster Island to bring back reinforcements: namely, Godzilla. Megalon somehow has backup, Gigan, and after Jet Jaguar grows to massive size, a big ol' royal rumble goes down, complete with Godzilla doing the Muhammad Ali shuffle (!), and executing the now infamous flying kick on Megalon. Godzilla and Jet Jaguar shake hands after their victory (!!), and Japan is safe for another day from men in rubber suits stomping on HO scale sets.
(And you thought that 1998 film abortion that was Godzilla was embarrassingly bad.)
On the SOL, Joel and the robots introduce the program in the style of a magazine show, complete with numerous Robert Goulet and Moms Mabley references. The invention exchange sees numerous simple Halloween costumes created from ordinary household items. Later, Joel catches Tom and Crow looking at naughty pictures, so they quickly improvise a discussion over which monster is more powerful. The SOL crew also introduces the new hit TV program Rex Dart: Eskimo Spy!, with action clips from the film, and the robots do a very bizarre sketch mercilessly lampooning popcorn icon Orville Redenbacher and his grandson. After the film, letters are read, and Joel modifies Crow and Servo with new arms that look cool, but are largely useless. Down in Deep 13, TV's Frank is incensed by his Mario Bros. video game.
Obviously, this isn't one of the best Godzilla movies (it's still better than the 1998 movie!!), but it made for a hilarious early episode of MST3K. This is easily the highlight of Season 2. Highly, highly recommended, but good luck finding a copy!
Friday, June 26, 2009
MST3K #902: The Phantom Planet
Mystery Science Theater 3000 experiment #902: The Phantom Planet.
Original Sci-Fi Channel airdate: March 21, 1998.
Part of the eighth MST3K collection, still available at Amazon.
A U.S. astronaut named Frank Chapman (Dean Fredericks) is traveling through space when his ship finds a planet with a race of tiny, tiny people. The planet's bizarre atmosphere causes Chapman to shrink down to six inches in size. While he's stuck on the planet, Frank meets two beautiful women, and decides to help the locals combat an invading race of monsters called the Solarites, which look somewhat like dogs.
On the Satellite of Love, Crow and Servo have challenged Mike to an Andy Rooney-off, complete with giant bushy eyebrows. The competition is judged by Gypsy, who quits in frustration when the contestants refuses to stop Andy Rooney-offing (that's clearly not a word). Down in Castle Forrester, Pearl, Brain Guy, and Professor Bobo are finishing the move in, and Pearl's world domination kit arrives from Speigel. Too bad that the all-important "thing" has been sent up to the SOL, right? Later on, Mike and Tom discuss the Good and the Beautiful, which coincidentally are all mid '90s pin-up babes. The 'bots also invite Mike into taking part of their new hobby of water glass rim music, which they soon come to regret. Meanwhile, Pearl is still upset at getting an incomplete world domination kit, and the welcome wagon arrives at the castle, wielding flaming torches.
Recommended episode.
Original Sci-Fi Channel airdate: March 21, 1998.
Part of the eighth MST3K collection, still available at Amazon.
A U.S. astronaut named Frank Chapman (Dean Fredericks) is traveling through space when his ship finds a planet with a race of tiny, tiny people. The planet's bizarre atmosphere causes Chapman to shrink down to six inches in size. While he's stuck on the planet, Frank meets two beautiful women, and decides to help the locals combat an invading race of monsters called the Solarites, which look somewhat like dogs.
On the Satellite of Love, Crow and Servo have challenged Mike to an Andy Rooney-off, complete with giant bushy eyebrows. The competition is judged by Gypsy, who quits in frustration when the contestants refuses to stop Andy Rooney-offing (that's clearly not a word). Down in Castle Forrester, Pearl, Brain Guy, and Professor Bobo are finishing the move in, and Pearl's world domination kit arrives from Speigel. Too bad that the all-important "thing" has been sent up to the SOL, right? Later on, Mike and Tom discuss the Good and the Beautiful, which coincidentally are all mid '90s pin-up babes. The 'bots also invite Mike into taking part of their new hobby of water glass rim music, which they soon come to regret. Meanwhile, Pearl is still upset at getting an incomplete world domination kit, and the welcome wagon arrives at the castle, wielding flaming torches.
Recommended episode.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
I Know Where I'm Going!
I Know Where I'm Going! (Criterion #94).
1945 The Rank Organisation & Janus Films.
Starring: Wendy Hiller, Roger Livesey, Pamela Brown, Finlay Currie, George Carney, Nancy Price
Directors: Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger
Available from Amazon.
From her infant days, Joan Webster (Hiller) always possessed an independent spirit, and always knew where she was going, or at least she thought so. As an adult, she leaves home in Manchester, planning to travel to the Hebrides to marry the very wealthy and much older industrialist Sir Robery Bellinger (voiced by Norman Shelley), settling down on the island of Kiloran. Bad weather keeps her stuck for a week on the Isle of Mull, and Joan waits in a small community of people whose values are foreign to her.
During the wait, Joan meets a naval officer named Torquil MacNeil (Livesey), who is also trying to make his way to Kiloran for shore leave. Over the next few days, she falls for MacNeil, but she still doesn't want her original plan to go to waste. Joan unsuccessfully tries to sail to Kiloran, but Torquil, who invited himself aboard after hearing that she was making the trip, manages to bring the boat back into a safe harbor. Only then does Joan learn that her future does not lie in a marriage of convenience on a small island, but it resides on the mainland with Torquil.
Highly recommended.
1945 The Rank Organisation & Janus Films.
Starring: Wendy Hiller, Roger Livesey, Pamela Brown, Finlay Currie, George Carney, Nancy Price
Directors: Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger
Available from Amazon.
From her infant days, Joan Webster (Hiller) always possessed an independent spirit, and always knew where she was going, or at least she thought so. As an adult, she leaves home in Manchester, planning to travel to the Hebrides to marry the very wealthy and much older industrialist Sir Robery Bellinger (voiced by Norman Shelley), settling down on the island of Kiloran. Bad weather keeps her stuck for a week on the Isle of Mull, and Joan waits in a small community of people whose values are foreign to her.
During the wait, Joan meets a naval officer named Torquil MacNeil (Livesey), who is also trying to make his way to Kiloran for shore leave. Over the next few days, she falls for MacNeil, but she still doesn't want her original plan to go to waste. Joan unsuccessfully tries to sail to Kiloran, but Torquil, who invited himself aboard after hearing that she was making the trip, manages to bring the boat back into a safe harbor. Only then does Joan learn that her future does not lie in a marriage of convenience on a small island, but it resides on the mainland with Torquil.
Highly recommended.
Wise Blood
Wise Blood (Criterion #470).
1979 New Line Cinema (distributors) & Janus Films.
Starring: Brad Dourif, John Huston, Dan Shor, Harry Dean Stanton, Amy Wright, Mary Nell Santacrose, Ned Beatty, William Hickey
Director: John Huston
Buy Wise Blood from Amazon.
John Huston directed this adaptation of Flannery O'Connor's 1952 novel of the same name. Brad Dourif is Hazel Moses, a returning veteran discharged due to an embarrassing injury that he'd rather not discuss. Moses plans to settle down in a new town to experience things that he's missed out on before. Once he arrives in an unspecified mid-sized community called Taulkinham, various strange characters begin to congregate around him, including a young man named Enoch Emory (Shor), who is evidentally desperate for Hazel's approval, claiming to have "wise blood" flowing in his veins.
Hazel's grandfather (Huston) was a pretty hardcore fundamentalist preacher, we learn in flashbacks, and Moses grew up as an angry young man who refused to believe in a higher power. Even though Hazel grew up to despise preachers, he finds himself transforming into a zealous street preacher promoting his so-called "Church of Truth Without Jesus Christ", where a member has to save himself because "sure as hell the Lord won't save you". Moses also runs across a fellow preacher named Asa Hawks (Stanton) who feigns having blinded himself in the name of Jesus, as well as his daughter Sabbath Lily (Wright), who isn't as innocent as she seems.
The Church Without Christ never truly takes off, despite the efforts of Sabbath Lily, Hawks, Enoch, and a huckster known as Onnie Jay Holy (Beatty), who steals Hazel's message and attracts the following that Moses was unable to attain. Things start to spiral out of control for Moses, and a routine traffic stop is the catalyst that sends him over the edge.
Highly recommended, but this is still a weird movie.
1979 New Line Cinema (distributors) & Janus Films.
Starring: Brad Dourif, John Huston, Dan Shor, Harry Dean Stanton, Amy Wright, Mary Nell Santacrose, Ned Beatty, William Hickey
Director: John Huston
Buy Wise Blood from Amazon.
John Huston directed this adaptation of Flannery O'Connor's 1952 novel of the same name. Brad Dourif is Hazel Moses, a returning veteran discharged due to an embarrassing injury that he'd rather not discuss. Moses plans to settle down in a new town to experience things that he's missed out on before. Once he arrives in an unspecified mid-sized community called Taulkinham, various strange characters begin to congregate around him, including a young man named Enoch Emory (Shor), who is evidentally desperate for Hazel's approval, claiming to have "wise blood" flowing in his veins.
Hazel's grandfather (Huston) was a pretty hardcore fundamentalist preacher, we learn in flashbacks, and Moses grew up as an angry young man who refused to believe in a higher power. Even though Hazel grew up to despise preachers, he finds himself transforming into a zealous street preacher promoting his so-called "Church of Truth Without Jesus Christ", where a member has to save himself because "sure as hell the Lord won't save you". Moses also runs across a fellow preacher named Asa Hawks (Stanton) who feigns having blinded himself in the name of Jesus, as well as his daughter Sabbath Lily (Wright), who isn't as innocent as she seems.
The Church Without Christ never truly takes off, despite the efforts of Sabbath Lily, Hawks, Enoch, and a huckster known as Onnie Jay Holy (Beatty), who steals Hazel's message and attracts the following that Moses was unable to attain. Things start to spiral out of control for Moses, and a routine traffic stop is the catalyst that sends him over the edge.
Highly recommended, but this is still a weird movie.
Blast of Silence
Blast of Silence (Criterion #428).
1961 Universal International.
Starring: Allen Baron, Molly McCarthy, Larry Tucker, Peter H. Clune, Danny Meehan, Howard Mann, Charles Creasap
Narrator: Lionel Stander (uncredited)
Director: Allen Baron
Buy Blast of Silence from Amazon.
This is an excellent late period film noir written, directed by, and starring Allen Baron. Peter Falk was originally cast for the role as Frankie Bono, but scheduling conflicts prevented this.
It's New York City at Christmas, 1961. An antisocial loner of a hitman named Frankie Bono arrives in the Apple from Cleveland, where he'll make a hit on a millionaire named Troiano (Clune). Frankie knows where to find his man, but his surroundings may prove it difficult to stay focued on killing Troiano, such as the reappearance of an old flame named Lorrie (McCarthy), and the Christmas season bringing Bono's suppressed loneliness to the surface. He has very painful memories of aforementioned holiday.
The DVD boasts an excellent (okay, nearly flawless) transfer of the film, providing the viewer with crisp, black and white shots of Manhattan. Again, this is an all around amazing movie. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
1961 Universal International.
Starring: Allen Baron, Molly McCarthy, Larry Tucker, Peter H. Clune, Danny Meehan, Howard Mann, Charles Creasap
Narrator: Lionel Stander (uncredited)
Director: Allen Baron
Buy Blast of Silence from Amazon.
This is an excellent late period film noir written, directed by, and starring Allen Baron. Peter Falk was originally cast for the role as Frankie Bono, but scheduling conflicts prevented this.
It's New York City at Christmas, 1961. An antisocial loner of a hitman named Frankie Bono arrives in the Apple from Cleveland, where he'll make a hit on a millionaire named Troiano (Clune). Frankie knows where to find his man, but his surroundings may prove it difficult to stay focued on killing Troiano, such as the reappearance of an old flame named Lorrie (McCarthy), and the Christmas season bringing Bono's suppressed loneliness to the surface. He has very painful memories of aforementioned holiday.
The DVD boasts an excellent (okay, nearly flawless) transfer of the film, providing the viewer with crisp, black and white shots of Manhattan. Again, this is an all around amazing movie. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
Hopscotch
Hopscotch (Criterion #163).
1980 AVCO Embassy Films, StudioCanal & Janus Films.
Starring: Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterson, Ned Beatty, Herbert Lom
Director: Ronald Neame
Hopscotch is available from Amazon.
The Criterion Collection does have a few head-scratchers for movies that they've released, notably both of the Michael Bay films they issued on DVD, and most recently, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I also have to agree that Hopscotch, which to my knowledge was never a commercial or critical success, is one of those movies. Criterion has released other films made by director Ronald Neame, so it isn't completely unusual that Hopscotch is present in the collection.
Based on Brian Garfield's novel of the same name, the feature stars Walter Matthau as renegade CIA agent Miles Kendig who plans to publish a book exposing the inner workings of both his employers and the KGB. After Miles participates in a sting operation in Munich, he learns that his supervisor Myerson (Beatty) is planning to force him into semi-retirement and a desk job. Kendig insists that he's a field man, and takes it upon himself to leave, destroying his file on the way out. With the help of Isobel von Schonenberg (Jackson), Kendig starts globehopping, staying one step ahead of his pursuers from America and Russia, even hiding out in Myerson's Georgia home. He also finishes his book while hiding in London.
Kendig fakes his death in England, departing with Isobel for France, and everyone else involve believes that he really is dead, save CIA agent Joe Cutter (Waterson). The book does become a bestseller, though, amid rumors that Miles is alive and hiding in Australia.
Recommended film, although I admit that I didn't pay that close attention to it, as I was spending more time bouncing between various websites trying to read more about the death of Michael Jackson, so my apologies. Fortunately, Hopscotch did pick up the pace after Kendig went on his escape, keeping a step ahead of two powerful government agencies.
1980 AVCO Embassy Films, StudioCanal & Janus Films.
Starring: Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterson, Ned Beatty, Herbert Lom
Director: Ronald Neame
Hopscotch is available from Amazon.
The Criterion Collection does have a few head-scratchers for movies that they've released, notably both of the Michael Bay films they issued on DVD, and most recently, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I also have to agree that Hopscotch, which to my knowledge was never a commercial or critical success, is one of those movies. Criterion has released other films made by director Ronald Neame, so it isn't completely unusual that Hopscotch is present in the collection.
Based on Brian Garfield's novel of the same name, the feature stars Walter Matthau as renegade CIA agent Miles Kendig who plans to publish a book exposing the inner workings of both his employers and the KGB. After Miles participates in a sting operation in Munich, he learns that his supervisor Myerson (Beatty) is planning to force him into semi-retirement and a desk job. Kendig insists that he's a field man, and takes it upon himself to leave, destroying his file on the way out. With the help of Isobel von Schonenberg (Jackson), Kendig starts globehopping, staying one step ahead of his pursuers from America and Russia, even hiding out in Myerson's Georgia home. He also finishes his book while hiding in London.
Kendig fakes his death in England, departing with Isobel for France, and everyone else involve believes that he really is dead, save CIA agent Joe Cutter (Waterson). The book does become a bestseller, though, amid rumors that Miles is alive and hiding in Australia.
Recommended film, although I admit that I didn't pay that close attention to it, as I was spending more time bouncing between various websites trying to read more about the death of Michael Jackson, so my apologies. Fortunately, Hopscotch did pick up the pace after Kendig went on his escape, keeping a step ahead of two powerful government agencies.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Manhattan
Manhattan.
1979 United Artists; distributed to DVD by MGM.
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep, Anne Byrne, Michael O'Donoghue, Wallace Shawn
Director: Woody Allen
Available from Amazon as a single DVD, or as part of The Woody Allen Collection, Set 1.
This is Woody Allen's love letter to his hometown, as well as George Gershwin's music. He hated the finished product, and offered to make a movie for free if United Artists never released it. The studio obviously did not keep the film shelved like the director wanted.
Allen is Isaac Davis, a former TV writer who has been divorced twice, and his current project is writing a book about how much he loves New York City. He's also dating a 17-year-old high school girl named Tracy (Hemingway) who he still feels is too young for him, which is why he won't commit. His best friend Yale (Murphy) is married to Emily (Byrne), but he's still shagging Mary Wilkie (Keaton) on the side, and her ex-husband Jeremiah (Shawn) is also in the picture. Also, Isaac's lesbian ex-wife Jill (Streep) is writing a tell-all book about their relationship.
Isaac and Mary, after initially having a bad first meeting, fall in love, complete with the iconic scene with the bridge in the background. Isaac still continues to see Tracy, but he does encourage her to take an educational opportunity in Europe. Things change when Yale dumps Mary, unwilling to end his marriage to Emily, and suggests that Isaac ask Mary out, which he does, and he breaks it off with Tracy, which devastates her.
Things don't stay this way for long, as Yale finally splits with Emily to resume his relationship with Mary. Emily might have triggered this by reading out loud portions of Jill's book about her marriage to Isaac during a double date. Isaac tries confronting Yale about what happened, but after Yale says he met Mary first, Issac tells Emily that Yale was having extra-marital affairs. Emily simply believes that Isaac introduced Mary to Yale.
Isaac tries to catch Tracy before she leaves for England to rekindle that romance, but the plans are already made, and she simply tells him that Isaac needs to have a little more faith in people.
Highly, highly recommended film.
1979 United Artists; distributed to DVD by MGM.
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep, Anne Byrne, Michael O'Donoghue, Wallace Shawn
Director: Woody Allen
Available from Amazon as a single DVD, or as part of The Woody Allen Collection, Set 1.
This is Woody Allen's love letter to his hometown, as well as George Gershwin's music. He hated the finished product, and offered to make a movie for free if United Artists never released it. The studio obviously did not keep the film shelved like the director wanted.
Allen is Isaac Davis, a former TV writer who has been divorced twice, and his current project is writing a book about how much he loves New York City. He's also dating a 17-year-old high school girl named Tracy (Hemingway) who he still feels is too young for him, which is why he won't commit. His best friend Yale (Murphy) is married to Emily (Byrne), but he's still shagging Mary Wilkie (Keaton) on the side, and her ex-husband Jeremiah (Shawn) is also in the picture. Also, Isaac's lesbian ex-wife Jill (Streep) is writing a tell-all book about their relationship.
Isaac and Mary, after initially having a bad first meeting, fall in love, complete with the iconic scene with the bridge in the background. Isaac still continues to see Tracy, but he does encourage her to take an educational opportunity in Europe. Things change when Yale dumps Mary, unwilling to end his marriage to Emily, and suggests that Isaac ask Mary out, which he does, and he breaks it off with Tracy, which devastates her.
Things don't stay this way for long, as Yale finally splits with Emily to resume his relationship with Mary. Emily might have triggered this by reading out loud portions of Jill's book about her marriage to Isaac during a double date. Isaac tries confronting Yale about what happened, but after Yale says he met Mary first, Issac tells Emily that Yale was having extra-marital affairs. Emily simply believes that Isaac introduced Mary to Yale.
Isaac tries to catch Tracy before she leaves for England to rekindle that romance, but the plans are already made, and she simply tells him that Isaac needs to have a little more faith in people.
Highly, highly recommended film.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
After the Thin Man
After the Thin Man.
1936 MGM/Turner Entertainment
Starring: William Powell, Myrna Loy, James Stewart, Alan Marshall, Elissa Landi, Joseph Calleia, Penny Singleton, Sam Levene
Director: W.S. Van Dyke
Available from Amazon as a single DVD, or part of the Complete Thin Man Collection.
Nick and Nora Charles (Powell & Loy) end up coerced back into action after they are invited to a formal dinner hosted by Nora's family, which includes Aunt Katherine (Jessie Ralph), who hates Nick, and views him as "below" them. Nora's cousin Selma (Landi) is married to Robert (Marshall), who hasn't been seem for some time. Nick and Nora quickly find Robert in a Chinese nightclub, where he's conducting an affair with the club's star performer Polly (Singleton). He's also extorting money from David (Stewart), who harbors unrequited love for Selma.
Robert is unaware that Polly and her boss, Phil Dancer (Calleia), are planning to take the extorted money for themselves, and Robert is shot to death at midnight. The police quickly determine that Selma is the prime suspect, and her current mental state strengthens their case. Nick, with help from Lt. Abrams (Levene), now has to work to prove Selma's innocence as two more people connected to the case are bumped off.
Recommended sequel.
1936 MGM/Turner Entertainment
Starring: William Powell, Myrna Loy, James Stewart, Alan Marshall, Elissa Landi, Joseph Calleia, Penny Singleton, Sam Levene
Director: W.S. Van Dyke
Available from Amazon as a single DVD, or part of the Complete Thin Man Collection.
Nick and Nora Charles (Powell & Loy) end up coerced back into action after they are invited to a formal dinner hosted by Nora's family, which includes Aunt Katherine (Jessie Ralph), who hates Nick, and views him as "below" them. Nora's cousin Selma (Landi) is married to Robert (Marshall), who hasn't been seem for some time. Nick and Nora quickly find Robert in a Chinese nightclub, where he's conducting an affair with the club's star performer Polly (Singleton). He's also extorting money from David (Stewart), who harbors unrequited love for Selma.
Robert is unaware that Polly and her boss, Phil Dancer (Calleia), are planning to take the extorted money for themselves, and Robert is shot to death at midnight. The police quickly determine that Selma is the prime suspect, and her current mental state strengthens their case. Nick, with help from Lt. Abrams (Levene), now has to work to prove Selma's innocence as two more people connected to the case are bumped off.
Recommended sequel.
The Mackintosh Man
The Mackintosh Man. 1973 Warner Bros. Pictures.
Starring: Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda, Ian Bannen, James Mason, Michael Horden, Harry Andrews, Nigel Patrick
Director: John Huston
Available from Amazon only as part of the Paul Newman Collection.
In his review for this movie, Roger Ebert suggested that this was the first "anti-spy" movie, made by a group of people with no real understanding for spy films.
Paul Newman is Joseph Rearden, an agent of British Intelligence who is assigned by Mackintosh (Andrews) and Mrs. Smith (Sanda) to impersonate a jewel thief who transports his stolen goods through the mail to avoid attention. Rearden does this successfully after punching out a postman and taking the diamonds, but is still arrested and sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. After being sent to prison, Rearden starts asking about a former British spy, Slade (Bannen). Slade is kept in high security because he was exposed as a mole for the KGB, but not much information is known about him.
A few weeks later, Rearden participates in a planned escape with another inmate (who turns out to be Slade) engineered by a secret organization in exchange for a large cut of the stolen diamonds. The two escapees are drugged and taken into Ireland, where they're told that's where they'll stay for a week until the manhunt is called off.
Rearden's incarceration turns out to be a planned sting operation intended to expose the secret organization, which is headed by suspected communist spy Sir George Wheeler (Mason), who is posing as a staunchly patriotic right-winger. Wheeler discovers he's being pursued, and he arranges Mackintosh's death. Rearden has to keep undercover while pursuing Wheeler, who has also abducted Slade, but his earlier arrest for the faked diamond robbery may make this task more difficult than it really should be.
Despite the presense of Newman and director John Huston, as well as some decent British character actors, this movie never really gets going. Slightly recommended, mainly for Paul Newman fans, or if there isn't anything better on to watch.
Starring: Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda, Ian Bannen, James Mason, Michael Horden, Harry Andrews, Nigel Patrick
Director: John Huston
Available from Amazon only as part of the Paul Newman Collection.
In his review for this movie, Roger Ebert suggested that this was the first "anti-spy" movie, made by a group of people with no real understanding for spy films.
Paul Newman is Joseph Rearden, an agent of British Intelligence who is assigned by Mackintosh (Andrews) and Mrs. Smith (Sanda) to impersonate a jewel thief who transports his stolen goods through the mail to avoid attention. Rearden does this successfully after punching out a postman and taking the diamonds, but is still arrested and sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. After being sent to prison, Rearden starts asking about a former British spy, Slade (Bannen). Slade is kept in high security because he was exposed as a mole for the KGB, but not much information is known about him.
A few weeks later, Rearden participates in a planned escape with another inmate (who turns out to be Slade) engineered by a secret organization in exchange for a large cut of the stolen diamonds. The two escapees are drugged and taken into Ireland, where they're told that's where they'll stay for a week until the manhunt is called off.
Rearden's incarceration turns out to be a planned sting operation intended to expose the secret organization, which is headed by suspected communist spy Sir George Wheeler (Mason), who is posing as a staunchly patriotic right-winger. Wheeler discovers he's being pursued, and he arranges Mackintosh's death. Rearden has to keep undercover while pursuing Wheeler, who has also abducted Slade, but his earlier arrest for the faked diamond robbery may make this task more difficult than it really should be.
Despite the presense of Newman and director John Huston, as well as some decent British character actors, this movie never really gets going. Slightly recommended, mainly for Paul Newman fans, or if there isn't anything better on to watch.
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