mark f's Movie Tab III

Point Break (Kathryn Bigelow, 1991)

This will always be one of the better action flicks with an actual point which I've ever seen. I know people who think the entire flick is camp, and if that's the only way you can enjoy it, then I say that you should go for it and try to have a good time. However, even though the lead cast consists of Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, and Gary Busey, I feel absolutely no guilt whatsoever in proclaiming this Bigelow's best film. I don't want to discuss Near Dark or The Hurt Locker right now. I just want to let this surfing/footbal/skydiving/bankrobbing/ex-presidents/FBI flick bask in all its brilliance as a one-of-a-kind comedy-thriller. Yep, I take every single scene at face value which you laugh at as either unintentional comedy or "hilarious" discussion of how people can seriously try to live without being put under the heel of "The Man", at least cinematically-speaking. I have no problem with the flick at all; in fact, the one camp thing about it, John C. McGinley's "I got a stick up my ass but I'm gonna ride you anyway" superior officer to be GOOD, INTENTIONAL camp. Sure, the flick's all about male bonding, but it's directed by a woman, and one who's been around enough of 'em to understand them all. Hell, she was married to James Cameron. Two more things to mention: Lori Petty is terrific playing a very tough role, and this film has the greatest chase on-foot which I've ever seen.

The Doctor Takes a Wife (Alexander Hall, 1940)

This flick is on the same DVD as Loretta Young's 1942 A Night to Remember, and although it's true that I'd already seen both more than a few times, I recommend it to people who want to get a grasp on the American romantic comedy circa early WWII. This one also has Loretta Young, this time as an authoress who has become a sensation by writing the feminist book Spinsters Aren't Spinich. Through a simple twist of fate, she hijacks a ride back to NYC from a doctor/professor (Ray Milland) and accidentally gets taken for the new bride of said doctor. There are plenty of complications, many of them involving her publisher (Reginald Gardiner) who wants to make the best of it by having her publish a book for married women (after all, as he says, there are three times as many wives as spinsters... ) and there's also the Doc's fiancee (Gail Patrick) to consider. The fact that the non-"married couple" loathe each other doesn't seem to matter, at least until the Doc tries to collect a debt from the author by drinking up her booze and passing out in her hotel room. As you can see, old movies can compete with the drunkenness of our newer movies, although somehow when you see the older ones, you may think there's something more un-PC about them. Anyway, rest assured that this is a traditional romantic comedy so things end up just the way they should..

Public Enemies (Michael Mann, 2009)



This is something rather shocking to me. This is like something resembling Michael Mann trying to do an "arthouse" movie. Now you should check my comments about art house cliches if you haven't. I did not see Mann's last flick, which I believe to be his version of his iconic TV show Miami Vice. But this is unbelievably horrid on almost every level imaginable. To wit, there is no character development, the cinematography borders on putrid, the film is basically incomprehensible (now whether it's because of the visuals or the storytelling, what difference does it make?) Additionally, I don't even think there's any acting in the movie. Can somebody tell me a single scene where anybody acts? This film has an enormous cast, but the film is so friggin' dark that it's almost impossible to tell the difference between many of the significant characters. Besides that, what difference does it make when the editing constantly takes you out of the moment? Supposedly, this is a flick about Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and Melvin Purvis, G-Man (Christian Bale), but from what's on screen, it's almost impossible to tell. There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the most pathetic attempts at a mainstream summer film I've ever seen. How in God's Name did this piece of tripe almost earn back its budget in domestic box office?
Note - This was my original review; I've subsequently watched Miami Vice and this thing again. This is better [] than I wrote here but Vice is pretty lousy. HA!

Dillinger (John Milius, 1973)


Milius's take on John Dillinger is everything this new flick isn't. Milius wrote and directed the flick and he borrowed heavily from such films as Bonnie and Clyde and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but he also foreshadowed a film such as Badlands (which also features Oates) with his use of poetic visuals and music. The supporting cast in this flick gets to shine all over the place, unlike this Public Enemies which has not one, single memorable character. In Milius' flick, which uses as much reality and Dillinger quotes as possible ("You can't kill me! I'm immortal!"), we get to know quite well the following characters: Dillinger (Warren Oates), Melvin Purvis (Ben Johnson) and his Monte Cristo cigars, Billie (Michelle Phillips), Homer Van Meter (Harry Dean Stanton), Harry Pierpont (Geoffrey Lewis), Charles Mackley (John Ryan), Baby Face Nelson (Richard Dreyfuss), Pretty Boy Floyd (Steve Kanaly), etc. Actually, when Milius goes sentimental, his film resembles nothing less than The Grapes of Wrath with his use of the song "Red River Valley" which is one of Dillinger's faves. I could go on for quite a bit more, but Dillinger (1973) should be seen before we discuss it. I also like Lawrence Tierney's Dillinger (1945) much more than this current charade, but I'll get to that one later on. Please watch this movie.

A Serious Man (Coen Bros., 2009) +


Note - This was originally a response to TheUsualSuspect's review of the same film.

This is one of those films which really seems like it goes out of its way to throw people off with the beginning of the flick. No, it may not be as extreme as Citizen Kane's opening, but I'm sure it'll be a rough ride for many people unless they're in the proper frame of mind. I could be wrong, but it seems to be the most "off-putting" intro of any Coen film, so my idea is that when you FIRST THINK YOU want to turn off the film, just stop it. Go have a drink or take a walk or read for a few minutes or go Intenetting. When you're done and preferably have gone to the bathroom for whatever reason is appropriate, restart the movie at the beginning. It's better to try to understand how the golden-hued, curse-infested, guilt-tripped intro plays into the main character's world. I'm not saying that you'll like the movie any better, but you'll probably get why you should laugh occasionally (or more often) when this thing flashes forward to our "Serious Man" stuff.

Now, first off, this could all be a crock of BS (and I don't especially disagree with your rating), but the fact that the film is set in "the 1967" was perfect. I say that's when it's set because the media in the film implies it, but that phone call from Columbia House...Cosmo's Factory came out in 1970! Rather than look at that detail as a mistake, I choose to turn the film into a fantasy about a very "Serious" Jewish "Man" who is more into old ancient Jewish curses and God screwing with him than he is in trying to live with drugs, "modern music" ("I did not order Santana Abraxis. I do not want Santana Abraxis" HA!) "free love" and many other adult, everyday occurrences which apparently pass right by if they're too "serious" and/or "cursed" (such as say, what year is it now?)

I think the funniest scenes in the film probably are the most-embarrassing (and therefore the least-funny if they happened to you). I'm just under the impression that the more you understand about the Coens, the more you'd probably enjoy the film, if 'enjoy" is the proper word. Joel Coen was 12 and Ethan Coen was 9 in 1967, but if you think about Cosmo's Factory, Joel was already old enough to have been barmitzvahed. To me, this is one of the Coens' most-personal films, and I bet it contains as many OR MORE scenes based on their real lives as any of their others. So, for me, it's not that they're "on autopiilot", but that they feel they've earned the right to make a film which is just so personal, even if others hate it. And, as far as the actual ending goes, it certainly carries on the personal family curse motif (at least for the only person left in the family who will become sorta A Serious Man, but don't you believe that the later 1960s were full of disastrous tornadoes/sociial upheavals? You know, assassinations of politicians and civil rights leaders, the Vietnam War, Counterculture, Drugs, distrust of politics and the erosion of the "American Dream", etc.?

One extremely good thing that period (the late 1960s) had was a lot of films better than A Serious Man, but even so, I haven't decided between and . I'll give it the "official rating" tomorrow.

The House of the Devil (Ti West, 2009) + Cult Rating:


Looking back, this is a highly-influential film in the evolution of the 2010's horror film. For anybody who likes old school horror films along the lines of the original Black Christmas, this film should really be seen by you. It tells the story of a pretty college student (Jocelin Donohue) who agrees to take a job babysitting out in the middle of nowhere although things certainly do not turn out the way she hoped when she agreed to take the job for some big bucks. The first 75 minutes are a slow buildup of tension with plenty of quiet scenes designed to keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to find out just why exactly this place is "the house of the devil". During these 75 minutes, she hears strange noises, makes phone calls which lead nowhere and attempts to explore the huge house she's in although the overall creepiness makes it difficult for her to fully investigate. Now, the final 15 minutes presents the actual reason why she's been "brought" to the house, and although they're well-done, they almost seem anti-climactic compared to the pitch-perfect set-up. Whatever you think of the climax, I still think you'll enjoy the movie, especially when you witness the film's actual coda which once again takes it to another level entirely. This ultra-low-budget flick uses all its limitations to its advantage, and for me at least, it's one of those horror films where running upstairs actually isn't an idiotic action by a character in jeopardy. The film pretty much defies modern horror film conventions and is just so much better for it.

The Keyhole (Michael Curtiz, 1933)

Charming Pre-Code romance mostly set in Havana where private investigator Neil (George Brent) keeps tabs on Anne (Kay Francis), the wife of suspicious millionaire Schuyler (Henry Kolker). Anne is being blackmailed by her former husband and dance partner Maurice (Monroe Owsley), who claimed to get a divorce in exchange for a payoff from Anne of $10,000. Well, he didn't go through with it and now he wants $50,000. This whole trip is just a scam to try to get Maurice out of the U.S. so that his visa can be revoked and he will be kicked out of the U.S. permanently, but Schuyler doesn't know about that and thinks that Anne's cheating. The film is a lovely reminder of the simple pleasures of romance amidst an exotic locale. In this case, Neil and Anne gradually fall in love, neither knowing what the other one is actually doing there. The creative spirit of early '30s films is also on hand as director Curtiz uses F/X and specially-designed sets to highlight the slightly naughty activities going on; for example, the camera goes through a huge keyhole in one scene to see things which it shouldn't really be allowed to show. Although it's set during the Depression, this is one of those glamourous flicks where reality is never really on display; thus, it was undoubtedly a nice escape for all the lower-income viewers who still crowded into theatres to escape from their drab lives in the early '30s

Last Days (Gus Van Sant, 2005) Cult Rating:



I know that there are many people who are big fans of Gus Van Sant's more avant-garde films, but I certainly am not one of them. I would certainly include this one in that group, as well as Gerry (), Elephant () and Paranoid Park (). Last Days does begin outdoors and the beautiful green forests and swimming hole are the best things in the film, aesthetically-speaking. This is a fictionalized tale of the last days of Kurt Cobain who's called Blake (Michael Pitt) here. Blake mostly spends the movie mumbling incomprehensibly to himself while trying to hide out from anybody who might be looking for him. He basically says nothing of significance and very little is revealed about him and his behavior. The other characters in the film, who appear to be members of his band and perhaps his wife, do have some audible dialogue but it's nothing which anybody would care to hear. I just don't understand the necessity for this film to exist except that Van Sant likes to experiment with making films which basically tell no story, so he's got a perfect example of one right here. And yes, I was a big fan of Nirvana and Hole at the time of Kurt Cobain's death and I've watched Kurt and Courtney and I still listen to their music to this day, but I cannot find any reason why I would ever watch Last Days again unless it was to show somebody how not to make an engaging film.

Being There (Hal Ashby, 1979) +


This tale of a simple man, Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers) who's forced to leave the only home he's ever known when his employer dies, is really a slight film in many ways, although it involves people at the highest level of the American government, including an aging businessman (Melvyn Douglas), his younger wife (Shirley MacLaine) and the President of the U.S. (Jack Warden). Besides gardening, the other thing which Chance likes is to watch T.V. Soon, his simple homilies about gardening are mistaken for profound treatises on the ups and downs of the U.S. economy and Chance becomes Chauncey Gardener, mystery man of the moment. The wife also takes Chance's words at face value when he says that he likes to watch and attempts to seduce him in an unorthodox manner. The film provides plenty of humor and satire although I'd say that it's overlong at 130 minutes. Then there's the visual punchline at the end of the film which takes it to a completely different level and makes you wonder if it makes it more serious or turns it into a shaggy dog story. Either way, I think it's worth-watching and paints an accurate portrait of politics at the end of the 1970s.

Touchez pas au grisbi (Jacques Becker, 1954)


Super-cool gangster flick masquerading as a male-bonding character study featuring one of the coolest guys to ever grace the silver screen - Jean Gabin - who I consider the French Bogart. Gabin is so cool, he can easily get away with holding on to a buxom messenger's breast by asking her if she needs some help to support it on the way upstairs. Of course, even though Gabin was pushing it (he was 49 here), the messenger would prefer it better if he laid his hands all over her. I only mention this in passing because although there are plenty of scantily-clad women in the flick (including Jeanne Moreau and Dora Doll), the film is all about how men develop lifelong friendships and will do anything to maintain them, including defying death at every step. This also includes ignoring women just as much as paying them attention. Grisbi is mostly about Gabin's relationships with his best friends in crime, most of them now trying to live life peaceably in semi-retirement, but since they keep their hands in the game and own plenty of wealthy property, there will always be some other gang who thinks that they can take it away from them. The film is very good in the quiet scenes of character revelation, but it's actually quite solid as an action thriller when a spectacular nighttime car chase involving explosive gunplay appears near the end and is played very realistically.

Vantage Point (Pete Travis, 2008) +


This thriller is pretty good for what it attempts to accomplish. It basically is about a half hour of plot stretched to 90 minutes by showing the same scenes from multiple perspectives. Thus, it has about six main characters who may or may not understand the truth of the situation when the U.S. President (William Hurt) is shot while speaking in Spain against terrorism and subsequent bombings wreak further havoc. Things obviously turn out differently than they seem, and the film flies by at a breakneck pace, but I can see how some viewers might feel that the story is just underdeveloped and padded out. I had no problem with this but it is a simple, lightweight entertainment. Other key characters include a Secret Service agent (Dennis Quaid) who suffered a problem trying to save the President once before and his friend (Matthew Fox) in the service. There's also an inquisitive American tourist (Forest Whitaker) with a videocam and some locals who may or may not be significantly involved in the proceedings. Some of the plot twists are revealed early on and some may not even make sense, but overall, it's a painless way to spend 90 minutes and certainly more-entertaining than many other similar thrillers of the 2000s.

Story of a Love Affair (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1950)


Antonioni's feature debut is interesting in all kinds of ways which have nothing to do with the actual film. To tell you the truth, I find the best thing about the flick to be the gonzo jazz score which almost sounds like something from a Z-grade Ed Wood flick. I honestly mean that as a compliment to the avant-garde score. Otherwise, this film is a revelation to me. Antonioni is considered the Master of Silence and what's unsaid in a film, yet this film is non-stop dialogue, even though much of it is repetitive and unnecessary. He obviously learned his lesson and gradually adopted his trademark enigmatic (and extremely-quiet) style subsequently. This film is about a rich husband trying to find out if his incredibly-sexy-and-younger wife is actually cheating on him. Well, obviously she is, so there's a subplot about how the lovers might use the success of an earlier murder they committed to get rid of the husband. The flaw is that the wife and her lover spend most of the movie sashaying around whether they're up to it and if it will help them out. Meanwhile, the husband's p.i.s keep investigating the wife. It actually has an ironic ending, but I never realized before how much this flick could make me appreciate Antonioni's later enigmatic silence.

The Blue Max (John Guillermin, 1966)

Believe it or not, I saw this flick in the '60s at the theatre. As was usually the case back then, my parents dropped me and my younger brother off and picked us up after the double bill was over. At the time, it didn't mean anything to me, but when I got older I came to the conclusion that my parents were having "Afternoon Delights" every time they dropped us off. That actually gives me a little bit of a kick, but I'm glad they were getting off because I certainly was at the theatre (and I'm talking about getting off on movies; as I've mentioned before, I liked girls, but I wasn't sure why when I was 10). Well, let's see, The Blue Max. It sorta sounds like a dirty movie with that title. Ursula Andress was such a fox, and she spent most of the film sleeping with all the male cast, but nowadays, it would probably get a PG. The flying scenes were exhilarating, and the acting and the plot point that chivalry during war is hypocritical (sort of like "praying over your dead" by John Wayne's Dunson in Red River) were solid. Here George Peppard plays a very good but smart-ass dogfighting WWI German pilot who will sacrifice anyone to get one more official kill. General James Mason publicizes him as a hero but later gets pissed when he becomes the lover of his wife (Andress). Anyway, I recommend this one big-time. Peppard was actually pretty good there for awhile in this, Home from the Hill, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Operation Crossbow and a few others.

The T.A.M.I. Show (Steve Binder, 1964) Cult Rating:


This is a rock 'n' roll milestone in every way imaginable. Back in late 1964, when the British Invasion (led by the Beatles) was assaulting American shores, pop promoters decided to get the most-popular British bands this side of the Fab Four - in this case, Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Rolling Stones - and put them in a concert with some of the best American rockers (Chuck Berry, The Beach Boys) along with the best of soul/r & b (the Miracles, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and the mind-boggling James Brown). They played at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (near Los Angeles) and were filmed in "Electronovision". Almost immediately, the two-hour film was released across the country and made major bucks. However, it was chopped up here and there and wasn't available to the general public in its unedited form until March 2010 when it was released on DVD. Whether you care about this kind of music or not, this is an entertaining and enlightening stroll down Memory Lane and has a great collection of musical moments which have never even remotely been recreated in any other form since this was originally performed and presented. I don't know how you could get bored watching this, but if you do, be sure to fast forward to the last two performers, James Brown and the Rolling Stones. They should knock your socks off. Trivia Fact: Both Teri Garr and Toni Basil, who go-go'ed all over American TV during this era, can be seen on stage dancing.

Logan's Run (Michael Anderson, 1976)

Logan's Run is one of those mindless sci-fi entertainments which were churned out in the '70s about ten times a year, although this is better than many. Most of them had a Pro-Life stance although I'm talking more about Pro-Earth than anti-abortion. Oops, now it doesn't seem so mindless anymore, does it? This film doesn't really address terminating life before it can be born, but it does address terminating life in the future at the age of 30, in a sci-fi context, and it's all surprisingly-entertaining in a minor kind of way. I don't know. Roe v. Wade was three years before this, so it may have influenced the film and might make it more meaningful. As it is, it's slightly-exciting, has attractive women and has a fun turn by Peter Ustinov as a childlike "old man" who interprets the ruins of Washington, D.C. for leads Michael York, Jenny Agutter (and even Richard Jordan) in a way which doesn't exactly jibe with reality. Thinking about this even more, it does seem to have some strong political overtones throughout the entire film. Besides abortion, maybe it even tackles Alzheimer's since sometimes Peter Ustinov seemed to suffer from it, even though I would have never known until it met up with my Mom in the 1980s.

Kiss Me Deadly (Robert Aldrich, 1955) Cult Rating:


I don't know what it is about this movie. I'm not really that big a fan of Mike Hammer, but he's entertaining up to a point. Robert Aldrich had already become a director of note before this flick with Apache and Vera Cruz, but here he apparently decided to dive off the deep end and make a truly personal movie. Maybe that's why I keep watching this film over and over, hoping that I "get it" the next time. It's certainly watchable, but besides being one of the most-personal films you'll ever see, it's also one of the most-preposterous. However, this flick is responsible for many things which have since been passed down to us through a form of attrition. This film has a box, "The Great Whatsit", which glows when you open it (a la Pulp Fiction) and can apparently cause death and destruction similarly to Pandora's Box by using nuclear material. In fact, the conclusion of this film is probably the main reason to watch it, although you will certainly be scratching your head long before that, but discussing what the ending means to all the characters is probably the most-fun-and-entertaining thing to do after watching this Looney Tune of a flick. It certainly has as much violence as a Looney Tune and the storytelling is nonchalantly haphazard and definitely a preview to the French New Wave.Hell, this is even older than me!