What classics did you watch this week? (4/25-5/1)

Borom Sarret (Ousmane Sembene, 1963) - Also included on the old New Yorker DVD of Black Girl was this earlier, 18 minute short film from Sembene. A poor wagoner (a cart driver for the very poor) toils away and is eventually ruined by the cruelties he meets over the course of the day. Pretty good. 7/10. yes/mixed.

A Big Hand for the Little Lady (Fielder Cook, 1966) - Pretty good little Western, with little besides the setting making it a Western. No, this isn't a cowboys and Indians shoot-em-up. The subject here is high stakes poster. Henry Fonda and Joanne Woodward play a husband and wife who stop at a small bar in a small town to find out where the blacksmith is so they can fix their wagon. Unfortunately Fonda, a recovering gambling addict, finds out about the high stakes poker game going on in the back room, and he can't help but join. Pretty soon he has his entire world on the line. It's actually an entertaining suspense piece, but I wondered for the longest time why they were at times, particularly in the musical score, playing the whole thing as a comedy. Well, there's a big twist that eventually reveals that things are not as they seem. I'm not sure that I liked the twist, especially as played for comedy, because I was sort of involved in the story. I think the story could have been much better done, but, as it is, it's a pretty good movie. Kevin McCarthy and Jason Robards are good as two of the poker opponents. 7/10. yes.

Black Girl (Ousmane Sembene, 1966) - Sembene's first feature, this 55 minute film details the life of a Senegalese maid working in France. Let's just say the life is not great. It seemed like she would be living in paradise (the French Riviera) with a nice mistress, but the mistress' kindness evaporates quickly, work is so constant that there is no life to be lived outside of the small-ish apartment they seem to live in, and there isn't enough money to do anything big anyway. The film is beautifully shot and quite moving. Perhaps the best I've seen from Sembene. 8/10. yes/YES.

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (Alan Rafkin, 1966) - Although I remember enjoying The Apple Dumpling Gang when I was a kid, after sitting through this one, I'm guessing Don Knotts is not for the adult version of me. Basically a 90 minute Scooby Doo episode, I had a really hard time even getting through this. My mind just fought it the entire time, like, I should really just have shut it off. I could feel it actively making me dumber. About the only thing that amused me was the "Attaboy, Luther!" runner, but "amuse" isn't the right word. I know that phrase from somewhere, like I used to know someone who said it or it was referenced somewhere else. Or, Hell, maybe I have actually seen this movie before and my mind erased everything about it except that. Anyway, just putrid. 2/10. NO.

Young Torless (Volker Schlondorff, 1966) - Volker Schlondorff's debut feature, and certainly one of his best. It's actually a pretty common story, but it's common because it's true. It's about the cruelty of teenagers, both exploring teens' particular penchant towards cruelty, but also using that as a metaphor for Nazism. A group of teen boys at a boarding school find a specific, weak, probably homosexual boy to torture, justifying it, in their minds, very well. They are clearly the superior of the kid, and he deserves what he's getting. Thomas Torless is the titular protagonist - the narrator in the novel, I assume - who is a step away from the cruelty of the other boys, and perhaps, he argues in his head, a good step above the torture victim, as well. The film is made with an assured hand for a newbie (Schlondorff had actually worked on French films like Zazie dans le metro and Last Year at Marienbad before he graduated into the director's chair) and the young actors are uniformly excellent. Barbara Steele also appears as a prostitute. It's a great movie. 9/10. YES.

Under the Cherry Moon (Prince, 1986) - Prince's infamously terrible follow-up to Purple Rain is, well, pretty darn terrible. It's terrible in a pretty watchable way, though. It's amusingly terrible, and there's Prince music, so, yeah, overall it's a fairly enjoyable movie. Prince plays a gigolo going after rich girl Kristen Scott Thomas (in her film debut!) in Europe. The dialogue is all kinds of awful and the whole film is a huge mess (Prince took over the reins after firing the original director). While there's a lot of Prince music, Prince isn't actually singing it (or even lyp-syncing it) until the very final song during the credits. The black and white cinematography by Michael Ballhaus is very nice. Kristen Scott Thomas is, for good reason, very disdainful of the film, but she has nothing to be embarrassed about. She's luminous. 6/10. mixed/no.

009-1: The End of the Beginning (Koichi Sakamoto, 2013) - Crappy little softcore, sci-fi action DTV flick from Japan. The plot, involving a killer cyborg lady (Mayuko Iwasa), is so half-assed that the film lumbers from scene to scene making very little sense. It's hardly the worst B-movie I've ever seen, but the only reason to check it out is for the ladies, who are always dressed in hot leather outfits that I'm pretty sure accounted for 99% of the film's budget. Despite being so cheap, it somehow manages to look great - perhaps just because of the hot ladies and their sexy leather outfits. 4/10. no.

Green Room (Jeremy Saulnier, 2015) - Jeremy Saulnier showed a ton of promise with his previous film, Blue Ruin, and his follow-up is even better. This is one of the tautest, nastiest thrillers in recent memory. If you like wincing at movies and watching them through your fingers, this is definitely for you! A nobody punk band calling themselves The Ain't Rights (Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole and Callum Turner) is a long way from home and their "tour" has hardly given them enough money to live, let alone buy gas (they siphon). A fan sets them up with a gig at a secret skinhead bar, and it would hardly be punk to turn such a thing down. They quickly find themselves over their heads when they witness a horrific crime and try to call the cops. Cops aren't welcome, and soon the band finds themselves locked up in the club's green room, along with the murder victim's best friend (Imogen Poots) awaiting probably murder. They're smart, though, and attempt a defense, but they're hopelessly outnumbered. Patrick Stewart plays the skinhead ringleader. Other recognizable actors include Macon Blair (star of Blue Ruin) and Mark Webber. It's always great to see real talent behind genre films, and I deeply hope Saulnier keeps it up. 9/10. YES.

The Overnight (Patrick Brice, 2015) - An okay-ish sex comedy. It's pretty clear where it's going right from the set-up, but it takes the protagonists a good 50 minutes to figure it out. But it has some really good moments along the way. Adam Scott and Taylor Schilling star as a couple with a young son who are new to L.A. They befriend Jason Schwatzmann at a park, and the couple goes to his place for a playdate/all-night party at the home of Schwartzmann and his wife (Judith Godreche). It's clear to the audience right away that they pretty much want to swing (it's a little more nuanced than that, but that's the gist of it), and the cluelessness of the protagonists is annoying. But the four actors are quite good and it eschews some cliches (for example, most of the nudity involved is male, though I assume the penises are prosthetics). It's only 79 minutes long, so it goes down easy. 6/10. mixed.

Keanu (Peter Atencio, 2016) - The first film from comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (whose Key & Peele show on Comedy Central is probably the best sketch comedy show of the past decade or so), this is a pretty fun action comedy. I think it probably should be even better given the talent of Key & Peele, but it's hardly a disappointment. The plot involves two cousins (K&P) who are looking to find Jordan Peele's new kitten, who has apparently been kidnapped by a group of drug dealers. K&P are suburbanites, and a lot of the humor comes from them trying to put on a tough front on in front of the gangsters (led by Method Man). Other recognizable actors in the cast include Will Forte, Nia Long, Rob Huebel, Luis Guzman and Anna Faris. The real star of the film is the kitten Keanu (voiced by THE Keanu in a dream sequence), who is absolutely freaking adorable. In fact, he's so cute the film starts to lag when he's not around. 7/10. yes.

Re-watches

Society (Brian Yuzna, 1989) (second viewing) - One of my favorite discoveries of the past October. It's a fairly creepy little mystery for most of its run, with just hints to the horrors to come. And then it erupts in one of the most wonderful grotesqueries ever to be experienced in horror cinema. 9/10. YES.

I gotta apologize to some bitches. I'm forever changed by what I've seen here.

Ma l'amor mio non muore... / Love Everlasting (Mario Caserinim, 1913) 6/10

Film Portrait (Jerome Hill, 1972) 7/10
(a part of this feature:)
Magic Umbrella (1965) (rewatch) 5/10
La cartomancienne (1932) (6th viewing) 8/10

A SPELL to WARD OFF the DARKNESS (ben rivers + ben russell, 2013) 7-/10

Falkenau, the Impossible (Emil Weiss, 1988) 3/10
(a part of this feature:)
V-E +1 (the U.S. Army and Samuel Fuller, 1945) 6/10

La guerre d'un seul homme / One Man's War (Edgardo Cozarinsky, 1982) 7+/10

Hôtel Monterey (Chantal Akerman, 1972) 1/10

(1969) >8/

First Time Viewings

Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980). Having acquired the rights to a play penned by Jane Austen during her childhood, an avant-garde theatre director attempts to do justice to Austen's words and "bring her up-to-date" while a former associate tries to convince his actors to perform the play more traditionally in this little seen Merchant-Ivory film. Robert Powell, fresh from Harlequin (where he played an equally hypnotic character), is solid as the avant-garde director in question who believes that "we all live in clichés" and that his fey vision is faithful. Anne Baxter in her last big screen performance is also well cast as his former associate. It is not, however, always interesting to watch them argue source material fidelity and with much talk and limited atmosphere and action, Jane Austen in Manhattan has found a reputation as Merchant-Ivory's nadir. Such an assessment may be a little harsh, however, this is very much one of those films where the story behind it is more fascinating than the movie itself. Apparently James Ivory acquired the film rights to Austen's play without having even read it. Upon reading the play and finding it insubstantial for motion picture (Austen was, of course, very young when she wrote it), Ivory almost passed it up until Ruth Prawer Jhabvala suggested making a film about those who wish to and attempt to perform the play - not unlike Adaptation., to which the film sometimes has been compared. This in turn renders Jane Austen in Manhattan one of Merchant-Ivory's most intricate efforts, and if a failure, it is certainly an ambitious one. -- #78 (of 105) for 1980, between Mother's Day and The Gods Must Be Crazy. (first viewing, DVD)

R.I.P. Guy Hamilton:
The Mirror Crack'd (1980). As her inspector nephew investigates the apparent attempted murder of a film star, Miss Marple begins to piece the clues together herself in this Agatha Christie murder mystery. The film was produced by John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin, the team responsible for the 1974 Murder on the Orient Express and the 1978 Death on the Nile, and this is an equally lavish production with an equally star-studded cast in top form. The mystery basics are not quite as strong with no closed environment this time and a plethora of possible culprits, none of whom have strong motives, however The Mirror Crack'd is elevated by a delicious Hollywood satire angle. Cast as a two-time Oscar winning actress taking up her first leading role in years, Elizabeth Taylor has a lot of fun as a character not too far removed from her actual self. Kim Novak also gives it her all as Taylor's longtime rival who struggles to put differences aside when cast in her comeback movie. The banter between them (and dialogue in general) simply sparkles with wit and ever-so-thinly disguised hostility. The film additionally benefits from a clever black-and-white opening as we are treated to a film within the film for which Miss Marple can easily spot the murderer (if only real life was as simple as that). Those keen to see the film for Angela Lansbury's take on Miss Marple may be disappointed as she receives relatively little screen time. For those who simply love a good mystery though, this is a hard film to pass up with a solution just as memorable as Murder on the Orient Express in its intricacy. -- #22 (of 105) for 1980, between Inside Moves and Fame. (first viewing, DVD)

Flying High II: The Sequel (1982). Or as it is better known, Airplane II: The Sequel, this follow-up feature takes place in the near future and this time involves disaster on a plane trip to the moon. While the destination differs, this sequel has been quite rightly described as "more of the same", a characteristic which has its pluses and minuses. On the positive side, returning co-stars Roberts Hays and Julie Hagerty do equally well with the deadpan humour on hand, and the gag ratio is just as high here with some of the funniest moments left to the backdrop (a poster for Rocky 38 with an aged Stallone; two foreigners spitting their drinks when they overhear Hays mention a bomb). On the less positive side, several gags are copied directly from the first film without variation, which results in less spontaneity, especially when it comes to overly familiar lines like an emphatic "you can tell me". Science fiction (as opposed to disaster films) are, however, the lampoon target here and the futuristic setting allows for greater creativity, especially in terms of sets and costumes. The 2001: A Space Odyssey/HAL parody is simply excellent and its fun to see William Shatner essentially spoofing his own Star Trek persona. Yes, this sequel may not be as fresh and original as its predecessor, but it is very decent of its sort, even if the film was made without the blessing of the original movie's writer-directors. -- #43 (of 114) for 1982, between Better Late Than Never and Cold River. (first viewing, DVD)

The Firm (1993). Invited to join a mysterious legal firm on a high salary, a law school graduate begins to suspect that something is amiss in this riveting Tom Cruise movie. The firm acts like a cult: every member is happily married, they encourage wives to have children, profess conformity to traditional values... and ten percent of lawyers who have worked there have died in horrific accidents. No lawyers have ever left either (at least not alive). This intriguing premise comes from the pen of John Grisham, and as the film veers off into speechmaking near the end with Cruise talking about learning to "discover the law again", Grisham's mark is noticeable. Sydney Pollack has the directing chair though, and much like with Three Days of the Condor, Pollack spins a superb paranoia thriller from Grisham's story with limited dialogue and focus on establishing a foreboding presence within the firm. There is an unshakable sense of unchecked malice in several scenes. A strong supporting cast helps, though not everyone is in top form. An always wide-eyed Jeanne Tripplehorn has zero chemistry with Cruise and makes an odd choice for his wife. Gary Busey is also little more than himself. Hal Holbrook renders his character fantastically menacing though and Wilford Brimley sends chills down the spine as a security director of sorts for the firm. At two and a half hours, the film sounds a bit on the long side, but it is gripping all the way. -- #25 (of 60) for 1993, between Carlito's Way and The Fugitive. (first viewing, Blu-ray Disc)

The Client (1994). Pressured by an ambitious district attorney after witnessing the suicide of a mob lawyer, a bratty adolescent seeks legal advise from a lawyer who lost custody of her children during her divorce in this legal thriller based on a novel by John Grisham. Susan Sarandon won the BAFTA Best Actress award for the film and received an Oscar nomination for her turn as the divorced lawyer. It is a better performance then one might expect as she does a great job quoting the law when facing up to the DA and fighting all legal avenues available when trying to get the boy out of having to take the stand in court; it is not all maternal instincts, though these do factor into play too. With this in mind, the film grows far too sentimental for its own good in its final few scenes. Brad Renfro's performance as the boy works also against the film; he is so insolent and rude that he is nearly impossible to warm to. The film's most grating performance though comes from Anthony LaPaglia as the rather brainless mafia goon out to get Renfro. The film is admittedly encapsulating though in the scenes where Renfro and LaPaglia manage to keep their mouths shut. There are lots of thrills and chills throughout, whether it be Renfro noticing the mafia tattoo on the hand of a seemingly kind stranger, or Renfro given a scare in a darkened elevator. Tommy Lee Jones also does what he can with his publicity-loving DA character. -- #40 (of 65) for 1994, between Swimming with Sharks and Threesome. (first viewing, laserdisc)

And yes, I had also intended to watch The Pelican Brief and The Rainmaker last week but ran out of time, so I'll have to carry those over to this week.

Commemorative ANZAC Day Viewing:
Beneath Hill 60 (2010). Based on the true story of how a platoon of Australian soldiers tunneled under enemy soil during World War I, Beneath Hill 60 recounts a slice of wartime history not often told. Most noteworthy is how the film does not just depict battles and explosions, but also the squalid living conditions and claustrophobic surrounds of the soldiers. There is a particularly effective struggle as two Germans invade the tunnel; the scene takes place in pitch black darkness for nearly a whole minute after a lamp is knocked out. Another memorable sequence features disquieting sound effects as a soldier realises that an explosion has deafened him. The film is unusually structured with several flashbacks to the main soldier's pre-war life woven into the mix. Brendan Cowell is solid as the soldier in question and the flashbacks serve well to pinpoint why he felt a need to fight (pressure, expectations, etc), however, they also break up the intensity and immediacy of the trench/tunnel action. Cowell's romance with a teenage girl half his age also makes for an odd inclusion as their age disparity is very prominent (by all accounts this is accurate though). Whatever the case, Beneath Hill 60 works almost all the time when focused on the trench/tunnel action. A constant sense of danger lingers in the air, and yet at the same time the film portrays the ability of camaraderie to also develop in adverse conditions. -- #20 (of 52) for 2010, between Somewhere and The American. (first viewing, Blu-ray Disc)

Revision Viewings

Pineapple Express (2008). Both hysterically funny and a great study of friendship, Pineapple Express could have so easily failed with two different leads. As it is, James Franco and Seth Rogen bounce perfectly off each other as lonely, yet childish individuals whose illegal drug dealings force them to grow up just a bit. Franco's desire to befriend Rogen (wanting to go the opera with him!) is both touching and hilarious, and it is great to watch Rogen gradually progress from reluctantly hanging out with Franco to fighting for him. -- Was #22, now #18 (of 50) for 2008. (second viewing, Blu-ray Disc)

District 9 (2009). Part speculative science fiction, part metaphor for apartheid in South Africa (and treatment of asylum seekers internationally), District 9 opened back in its day to a lot of critical acclaim. The film stands up somewhat better upon revision, rewatched without all the initial buzz surrounding it; the film is certainly heavy-handed with all its messages, however, Sharlto Copley is superb throughout his transformation a la Cronenberg's The Fy, with fingernails and teeth falling out and gradual changes in DNA. -- Was #17, now #15 (of 54) for 2009. (second viewing, Blu-ray Disc)

Most people think I'm mad. At least I know I'm mad.

Well, I have never read the Christie story upon which The Mirror Crack'd was based, nor have I have seen any other film versions of the tale. From the less-than-positive reviews that I have come across though, you don't seem to be alone in your perspective.

Personally speaking though, I loved every minute of The Mirror Crack'd. What an excellent ensemble cast; Tony Curtis, Edward Fox, Rock Hudson, Geraldine Chaplin, Allan Cuthbertson and even Pierce Brosnan all in pivotal supporting roles. And casting Liz Taylor in the lead role was truly inspired. Her character seemed not at all far removed from herself in real life.

Some of the reviews that I read complained about the lack of mood and atmosphere in Crack'd, but I thought the rather relaxed atmosphere was perfect, all things considered. The film derives quite a bit of mileage from Taylor's apparent paranoia and the notion that anybody could have done it. The less claustrophobic setting renders the material less intense than Orient Express or Nile, but imminent danger was still very well conveyed to my mind.

To be honest, I am surprised that The Mirror Crack'd is not as highly rated as Orient Express and Nile on this site. I guess Marple as a character is less interesting than Poirot, but the mystery here was equally as fascinating to me, if not more so.

Most people think I'm mad. At least I know I'm mad.

God to see you had a positive reaction to it, though I'm the other end of the scale about the ending, I thought it made the picture.

On The Poker Wagon!

Big Deal at Dodge City (AKA: A Big Hand for the Little Lady) is directed by Fielder Cook and written by Sidney Carroll. It stars Joanne Woodward, Henry Fonda, Paul Ford, Jason Robards, Charles Bickford, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ford and Burgess Meredith. Music is by David Raksin and cinematography by Lee Garmes.

Utterly delightful, though that statement is on proviso you be watching this film for the first time. For this be a comedy - cum - semi drama Western that relies on its finale to reward you for your time spent with such a splendid ensemble of actors.

We are in the tin-pot town of Black Creek and there's a high stakes poker game in progress. Wandering into Black Creek are husband and wife Meredith (Fonda) and Mary (Woodward), who with their young son in tow are just stopping by before settling down with some acres to bear life fruition. Only there's a problem, Meredith loves poker and catching wind of such a high stakes poker game thriving in the back of the saloon, he is prepared to bet the family nest egg as the gambling fever takes a hold...

Okies, so it really helps if you have a modicum of interest in card playing movies, because 90% of this pic is about the game being played, with director (and producer) Cook keeping things very intimate, close and personal, and sweaty. Yet the various characterisations that unfold during this card game, the foibles and ugly traits, not only make for an interesting observation of the human condition, but it's also very funny. Sarcastically, cynically or wry? Whatever!

Cast are tried and tested and on form, helped enormously by a clever screenplay. Yep! There's the feeling that things have been padded out to make it a feature length production, but such is the strong ensemble of thesps on show it's barely an itch that needs scratching. Come "that" finale - you cheeky old devil you - it matters not, cheer or laugh, moan or groan, whichever is your want, it's a pic that has drawn you in hook, line and sinker. 7/10


The Spikeopath - Hospital Number 217

The Firm was the film I rented on VHS from the local store and overnight the store burned down!  So I ended up with a copy for years. Only ever watched it the once and found it a bit of a chore, a bit flat considering the people involved. Thanks for the memory lane jog, and I guess I should give it another go now. I also have The Client recorded on one of my DVB boxes, so that's certainly on the radar this year.

The Spikeopath - Hospital Number 217

I wouldn't have thought that more than five minutes was dedicated to Taylor and Novak squabbling... but the banter between them sparkles with such delicious wit that I would not have minded more of the film being dedicated to their hostility, which I actually think is a rather important red herring in the context of the 1980 screen treatment.

Most people think I'm mad. At least I know I'm mad.